In a Time of Water Insecurity, Homeless Community Turns to Sustainable Technology

In a Time of Water Insecurity, Homeless Community Turns to Sustainable Technology

Atlantic Farms Bridge Housing becomes the first homeless community in the nation to create a reliable source of drinking water sourced from the sky and made with sunlight and air.

Partnership between the City of Long Beach and California-based non-profit GRID Alternatives brings first-of-its-kind water technology to L.A.’s disadvantaged communities.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – April 7, 2021 – Recent crises in places like Texas and Jackson, Mississippi have exposed the fragility of America’s water systems and spurred many cities, counties and states to look for local, reliable water sources to back up their existing and often aging infrastructure. In Los Angeles County, a housing community for the area’s homeless population is leading the way.

Today, teams from California-based GRID Alternatives are outfitting the Atlantic Farms Bridge Housing Community with technology that uses solar energy to produce clean, safe drinking water, entirely off the grid, and independent of existing infrastructure.

These SOURCE® Hydropanels use the power and warmth of the sun to pull the endless volume of pure water vapor out of the air, through a patented, water-absorbing material and into a reservoir inside the panel, where the system adds minerals and delivers premium-quality drinking water directly to taps and faucets. Atlantic Farms residents, who are making the transition from homelessness to more permanent housing, will have access to SOURCE water from a dispenser located on the campus, making it the first homeless community in the nation to adopt the technology.

“The events of the past few months have shown us that America’s aging water infrastructure can pose a real threat to the health and economic wellbeing of our communities, and we know that people with lower incomes are far more likely to face challenges with drinking water quality and supply,” said Neil Grimmer, Brand President of SOURCE Global, PBC. “Especially as our climate continues to change, we have to find resilient, sustainable solutions. GRID, the City of Long Beach and Atlantic Farms see that need.”

“When you can fill your glass from the tap, it’s easy to take access to safe drinking water for granted. But when water mains break or our public water supply is contaminated, our homeless population will feel the pain first and most acutely,” said Ashley Christy, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles “GRID and SOURCE share the view that the world must quickly adopt sustainable, reliable and renewable solutions, for everyone. This project meets those goals.”

Over their lifetime, the SOURCE Hydropanels installed on the Atlantic Farms campus will produce the equivalent of 87,000 bottles of water, with no plastic waste. The project also supports GRID’s workforce development program, which helps people gain hands-on, real-world skills in the solar industry.

The Atlantic Farms Bridge Housing Community, which was opened by the City Long Beach in October, includes a state-of-the-art campus with housing and support services for individuals experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. The campus operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.

About GRID Alternatives

GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization that makes renewable energy technology and job training accessible to underserved communities, bringing together community partners, volunteers, and job trainees to implement solar power and energy efficiency for lowincome families. GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles is an affiliate of GRID Alternatives, which has regional offices and affiliates serving California, Colorado, the mid-Atlantic region, and Tribal communities nationwide. Nearly 19,000 families have benefited from GRID’s work to date, including more than 2,100 in the Greater Los Angeles area, saving almost $500 million in lifetime electricity costs, and more than 40,000 people have received solar training. For more information, visit www.gridla.org.

About SOURCE Global, PBC

SOURCE Global, PBC’s mission is to make drinking water an unlimited resource. The company’s SOURCE® Hydropanels create drinking water sourced from the sky and made using sunlight and air, putting the power of safe, high-quality water production into the hands of every person in nearly every climate and corner of the world. A Public Benefit Corporation, SOURCE and is on Fast Company’s 2020 list of most innovative social good companies. The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and operates across 48 countries and six continents. SOURCE is a registered trademark of SOURCE Global, PBC.