Mokena, Ill. — ASSE 1090-2020, Performance Requirements for Drinking Water Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG), has been designated as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is now available for purchase.
ASSE 1090 was created to test point of use and commercial drinking water generating devices, which are designed to create potable water from atmospheric humidity. Critical components of these devices include a condenser, storage tank, and filtration/disinfection controls to address potential chemical, particulate, and microbiological water contamination. The standard also includes consideration for the energy efficiency of the AWG.
ASSE 1090 started its life as ASSE LEC 2004-2019, Listing Evaluation Criteria for Drinking Water Treatment Systems Using Air as a Source. ASSE International Listing Evaluation Criteria (LEC) documents provide manufacturers with an avenue to certify unique, novel products that do not fit the scope of an existing standard. If these products gain traction and market acceptance, the LEC can then be developed into an ASSE Standard through the ANSI-accredited standards development process. ASSE 1090 is one example of an LEC that has gone through the process of becoming an ASSE American National Standard.
With AWG products, water-from-air becomes a real source of water supply in places where tap water is not available, or the quality of the tap water does not meet the consumer’s requirements. Creating a product performance standard to help ensure that these products produce safe, potable water was desired by the water treatment industry.
“Standards legitimize an industry and should also make it easier to assess solution providers,” said Frank A. Brigano, Ph.D., ASSE 1090 Working Group Member and Vice President, Senior Research Fellow, at Marmon Water, a division of Berkshire Hathaway. “The beauty of AWG systems is that they are disconnected from municipal systems and their inherent ‘issues.’ Thus, making claims of ‘free from heavy metals and organics, worry-free from boil water warnings, PFAS, etc.,’ is what makes these systems attractive.”
To become a source of drinking water under this standard, the water-from-air should meet two primary criteria:
1) The water should be produced for a reasonable cost so that it’s affordable to the user. The cost of the water is based on the energy efficiency of the atmospheric water generator system — electrical energy consumption per liter of water produced.
2) The water quality produced by the atmospheric water generator must be safe to consumers.
To purchase ASSE 1086, please visit the ASSE International Webstore at www.assewebstore.com.
