The xTechInternational Competition’s goal is to evaluate, accelerate and deliver breakthrough technologies from global startups to the U.S. Army.
These days it’s rare that fresh, abundant, clean water makes headlines. As of recently, it’s been just the opposite. But the team at Plasma Waters has taken home the coveted 1st Place prize at the xTechInternational Competition, focused on tackling the U.S. Army’s challenges across three key technology areas: Water, Energy and Synthetic Biology. Plasma Waters participated in the water technology section of the competition with its breakthrough plasma water sanitization system (the water category focused on Water Sanitation System for Pathogens Elimination and Toxic Compounds Degradation). Plasma Waters’ patented technology uses its unique low energy cold plasma technology in a continuous flow system that eliminates harmful bacteria and viruses from water and serves as a fast acting solution for monitoring water quality in real time. Simply put? Plasma Waters can turn dirty water into clean water.
Plasma Waters founder Alfredo Zolezzi with representatives from the US Army.
The Office of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology hosted the competition with support from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX directorate and the U.S. Office of Naval Research Global.
In this instance, Plasma Waters’ technology is able to produce safe water from any source for soldiers in the field, rather than relying on bulk distribution, chemicals and bottled water. The technology can transform contaminated water into non-thermal plasma and eliminates all microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria. Soldiers would no longer face a limited or contaminated water supply on the ground or on military installations. Plasma Waters’ sanitization system is providing the future of water now.
“Plasma Waters is not only providing safe drinking water but is applying our technology to increase water security and safety,” Plasma Waters founder and Chief Innovation Officer Alfredo Zolezzi tells TechBullion. “From disaster relief to post-conflict legacy, our ability to deliver water solutions is now recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army as impactful and disruptive, and will soon be deployed globally to solve the enormous problems facing humanity.”
A Cooperative Agreement between Plasma Waters and the U.S. Army (Broad Agency Announcement for Basic and Applied Research, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Soldier Center) has been signed to perform a screening test of Plasma Waters devices for microbiological disinfection in laboratory and field environments. Plasma Waters was also recently awarded a 3-year Foreign Comparative Testing contract to evaluate water disinfection devices in three military bases in Georgia, Hawaii and Thailand.
Adds Plasma Waters CEO Robert Hardt: “Assisting the United States Army by solving field logistics such as safe water for a variety of purposes is just one of the many ways that Plasma Waters is innovating at the speed of light. We are able and ready to deploy our breakthrough innovation in collaboration with the U.S. Army that can close their mission gaps untapped to date.”
Plasma Waters’ solutions are already being deployed and tested for various uses by global partners including Airbus, Volkswagen, and AB inBev. The company is providing safe water access through its Safe Water Projects, most recently having deployed its systems to provide safe drinking water in Nairobi, Kenya to the Mukuru slum. Plasma Waters is also already being used and tested on crops at West Texas A&M University, which is using plasma activated water to improve plant health and boost agricultural output.
For more information on the xTechInternational Competition: https://www.arl.army.mil/xtechsearch/competitions/xtechinternational.html
