Water at the secondary clarifier at the Clark County Water Reclamation District on Oct. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Mingson Lau)
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) —Could water pulled from the desert air help Southern Nevada confront its water challenges — and concerns about the growing demand from data centers?
That is the goal behind a developing technology from WAVR Technologies, a Las Vegas startup commercializing atmospheric water-harvesting technology developed at UNLV.
The company’s latest prototype uses a salt-based liquid solution to capture water vapor from the air. CEO Rich Sloan says the system has moved from producing milliliters of water to a goal of generating about 20 liters a day from a unit this size.
“We are making water every day, and we are really excited about what we are seeing,” Sloan said.
The technology works by drawing air through the system with fans, allowing the solution to capture moisture. WAVR says its design is intended to work even in very dry climates, including at low humidity levels.
The work comes as Lake Mead remains at historically low levels and the Colorado River Basin faces difficult negotiations over future water use. Federal data tracks the reservoir’s level daily; recent reporting says it has fallen below its previous record low.
Sloan believes atmospheric water harvesting could eventually help large water users, including data centers, reduce their demand on Southern Nevada’s municipal supply.
“We set up our systems that can produce water, and we take a data center’s footprint to produce water to a net-zero effect on the municipal water supply,” Sloan said.
For now, the harvester is being used for research at UNLV, including work connected to in-home kidney dialysis technology. Sloan also sees potential future applications for hikers, emergency response and the military.
“When we think about backpacks and a Mount Charleston hike and having water, we also think about military applications and having our troops have a reliable
WAVR is targeting 2028 for a consumer-ready version of the technology.
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