Yagi envisions creating a dual product line. Industrial-scale water generators powered by electricity will be able to produce thousands of liters of water per day at one end, while devices running on passive systems can operate in remote locations without electricity, simply using energy from the sun and ambient temperatures. In theory, these plants could one day replace desalination systems and even entire municipal water systems. The next round of field testing is scheduled for early 2026 in the Mojave Desert, one of the hottest and driest places on Earth.
“This is my dream,” Yagi says. “To give people independence from water, so that their lives do not depend on the other side.”
Both Yaghi and Watergen's Cherniavsky say they are looking at more decentralized versions that could work outside of municipal utility systems. Home appliances like solar panels and rooftop batteries can allow households to source their own water from the grid.
However, this can be challenging without economies of scale to drive down prices. “You need to produce, cool, filter, all in one place,” says Chernyavsky. “So making it small is very, very difficult.”
As difficult as it may be, Yagi's childhood gave him a special appreciation for the freedom to go off-grid, to free the basic need of water from the vagaries of systems that dictate when and how people can access it.
“This is really my dream,” he says. “To give people independence, independence from water, so that they are not dependent on another party for their livelihood or life.”
Toward the end of one of our conversations, I asked Yagi what he would say to the younger version of himself if he could. “Jordan is one of the worst countries in terms of exposure to water stress,” he said. “I would say, 'Continue to be diligent and observant. It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you’re passionate about it.”
I demanded something more specific from him: “What do you think he will say when you describe this technology to him?”
Yagi smiled: “I think young Omar will think that you are setting him up, that this is all a fiction and that you are trying to take something away from him.” In other words, this reality would exceed young Omar's wildest dreams.
Alexander Kaufman is a reporter who has covered energy, climate change, pollution, business and geopolitics for more than a decade.
