Residents of Allensworth are finally getting attention from a company that installed and then abandoned hydropanels, which make water out of thin air, several years ago.
As SJV Water reported in March, residents were frustrated they couldn’t get support from Source Global, the company behind the panels, after the panels had fallen into disrepair.
Following SJV Water’s story, Source Global dedicated a staff person to oversee operations in Allensworth, said Kayode Kadara, a community leader in Allensworth.
“As it stands right now, I think they’re making a concerted effort to address some of the poor performance they have out here,” said Kadara.
Kadara said Source Global staff has been making calls to residents in town with the hydropanels and technicians have come out to perform upkeep and check the hydropanels. Kadara’s own hydropanels at home were serviced.
The hydropanels at Allensworth’s community center still aren’t working though, said Kadara.
When visitors come to town, Kadara said he still avoids talking about the hydropanels because he can’t demonstrate the success of the technology since the ones at the community center don’t work anymore.
Kadara plans to address those hydropanels with Source Global staff on a call on Wednesday.
Allensworth’s groundwater is plagued by arsenic. Townspeople along with state and other organizations have sought a variety of solutions for the tiny Tulare County village.
Source Global first installed two panels in Allensworth in 2021 to test the technology.
In 2022, a philanthropic organization bought 1,000 hydropanels to be installed throughout the Central Valley. Allensworth now has about 42 panels, according to Source Global.
Each panel generates about a gallon of drinking water per day by condensing water vapor in the air into liquid form. None of the panels in Allensworth are connected to homes, as they are still in the pilot project phase. But they do provide water from outside spigots.
When SJV Water contacted Source Global about the panels in March, Vice President Colin Goddard said there had been some turnover in the company’s California team.
He pledged that the company was determined to work with the pilot communities. Source Global has installed hydropanels in 50 countries around the world.
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