A practical checklist for utilities, industries, and communities to evaluate atmospheric water solutions and separate serious technology from marketing claims.

1. Climate Fit

Key questions:

• At what humidity and temperature was performance demonstrated?

• Are there field data from similar climates to yours?

• Are performance numbers based on lab conditions or operational deployments?

Look for data demonstrating capture at relative humidity below ~40% if you’re in a semi-arid or arid region. UNESCO+1

2. Energy Use and Power Strategy

• kWh per liter or per cubic meter at relevant conditions

• Ability to leverage waste heat, solar, or off-peak energy

• Tradeoffs between water and energy footprints techbriefs.com+1

3. Scalability and Architecture

• Is the system modular or monolithic?

• Can multiple units be aggregated for higher output?

• Is there a published roadmap from pilot → commercial scale?

4. Water Quality and Safety

• Treatment & polishing steps

• Standards met (e.g., WHO / EPA drinking water guidelines)

• Monitoring for contaminants and consistency UN-Water+1

5. Operations & Maintenance

• Expected service intervals

• Spare parts and consumables

• Required skill level for local operators

6. Transparency & Peer Review

• Any peer-reviewed publications or independent lab testing? PubMed+1

• Clear documentation of methods and limits?

Takeaway

Atmospheric water is now technically viable—but due diligence matters. Ask for climate-specific performance data, energy numbers, and independent validation before drawing conclusions about viability for your use case.