Could a panel that pulls water from the air end the need to haul water for thousands of New Mexico families? That’s what Scott Lopez and Colin Goddard told state lawmakers on Tuesday. Goddard and Lopez work for a company called Source, which makes so-called hydropanels. These panels are about (…)

Could a panel that sucks water out of the air end the need to haul water for thousands of New Mexico families? Scott Lopez and Colin Goddard told state lawmakers Tuesday.

Goddard and Lopez work for a company called Source that makes what they call hydropanels. These panels are about the size of a piece of drywall and have been used in areas like the Navajo Nation to provide clean drinking water.

They presented information about these hydropanels to the Water and Natural Resources Committee in Socorro.

“This is an opportunity for the state of New Mexico to use the abundant resources of the sun to access the constantly renewed water in the atmosphere and provide drinking water to New Mexicans throughout the state,” Goddard said.

Hydro panels are similar to solar panels, but instead of converting sunlight into electricity, they use solar energy to convert water vapor in the air into liquid.

“You can literally get your own clean drinking water that your family needs to survive right out of the air,” he said.

Goddard said the panels are off-grid and do not need to be connected to a power source.

While they initially presented the hydropanels as a solution to end water hauling, they later realized the limitations. Typically, two panels are installed on a home. In a dry climate, these two panels can provide the household with about 60 gallons of water per month. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that an average family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day for indoor use.

Goddard said that while the hydropanel cannot meet all indoor water needs, it can meet drinking water needs.

The more panels installed, the more water can be produced. Goddard said if 800 panels were installed on one acre of land, they could produce one acre-foot of water each year.

The company’s website lists a hydropanel kit for sale for $3,900. Goddard said the panels have an estimated lifespan of 15 years, although they are working to extend that lifespan.

Source began installing these panels on Navajo homes during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve shelter-in-place capabilities for residents in remote areas.

“It’s very difficult to find shelter if you don’t have access to clean drinking water in your home,” Goddard said.

He said the company signed a second Phase 2 agreement with the tribe earlier this year to install hydropanel systems on 600 homes, many of which are in the Eastern Agency in New Mexico.

“By the same time next year, we should have about 1,000 housing units across the entire Navajo Territory,” he said.

Republican Rep. Martin Zamora of Clovis expressed interest in the hydropanels, but expressed concern that the state might cross a line in selling a product.

Chairman Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo) said he does not believe the state is trying to sell the hydro panels.

“I don’t think I’m selling anything. There’s nothing for sale here today. I think we’re learning about a technology that I didn’t even know existed until 10 minutes ago… This could be a game changer, so the fact that it’s coming from a particular company doesn’t worry me,” McQueen said.