Make AWG water safe: treat, mineralise, clean and test
Condensed water starts out low in minerals but not automatically safe. Bacteria can grow in the coil, drip tray and tank, and gases in the air can dissolve into the water.
How
- Know the risk: US EPA tested a commercial AWG for three months and found no metals above US drinking water limits and no E. coli or Legionella, but heterotrophic bacteria counts were high in treated and untreated water, showing conditions that favour growth.
- US EPA also notes that volatile organic compounds in air can dissolve in the condensate and feed microbes. Do not run an AWG near fuel stores, paints, vehicle exhaust or a generator.
- Treat every litre before drinking: sediment and activated carbon filters, then disinfection. For UV, look for NSF/ANSI 55 Class A, which is for killing bacteria, viruses and cysts (NSF). Class B is only for already-disinfected water.
- For filters, check the certification covers the contaminant you care about: NSF/ANSI 42 is taste and odour, NSF/ANSI 53 is health-related contaminants (NSF).
- Mineralise if the water is used daily. WHO says very low-mineral water is aggressive to metal and cement and can leach iron, copper and lead from plumbing, and that remineralisation (often with calcium carbonate) reduces this. Use only food-grade remineralising media.
- Keep the air filter clean (one manual says about every 2 weeks) and replace water filters on schedule (the same manual says every 12 months or 4,000 L). Follow your own unit's manual (manufacturer data).
- Empty, clean and disinfect the drip tray and storage tank on a schedule, and never let condensate sit warm for days. Warm reservoirs sit in the Legionella growth range of 20 to 45 °C (HSE). Use the tank disinfection method in water-19.
- Test like any new source: a lab test before first use (water-20), then bacteria tests on your routine schedule (water-22). A newer US standard, ASSE 1090 (2020), covers drinking water AWGs; ask sellers whether the unit is certified to it.
Safety: Do not drink AWG water that has not passed through working disinfection. If the UV lamp fails or the unit sits unused, flush and disinfect before drinking again (see water-25 for backup treatment).
Do these first
Sources
- Atmospheric Water Generation Technology: Technical Brief (Nov 2019). US EPA Office of Research and Development, accessed 2026-11
- Atmospheric Water Generation Research (archived page, Nov 2019). US EPA (January 2021 snapshot), accessed 2026-11
- Standards for Water Treatment Systems. NSF, accessed 2026-11
- Safe Drinking-water from Desalination (WHO/HSE/WSH/11.03, 2011). World Health Organization (hosted by IRC WASH), accessed 2026-11
- Atmospheric Water Generator owner's manual, model APA-H2OAWG-001 (manufacturer data). H2O Machine / Real Spirit USA (manufacturer), accessed 2026-11
- New guidance for atmospheric water generators (ASSE 1090-2020). Green Builder Media, accessed 2026-11
- Managing legionella in hot and cold water systems. UK Health and Safety Executive, accessed 2026-11