As the hulking M1 Abrams tank and Bell vertical lift aircraft were put into place at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual convention and expo of conventional weapons inside the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this week in Washington, D.C., organizers also made a space for a few companies focused on a future war over water.
Against the back wall in the “Innovators’ Corner,” Genesis Systems Chief Technology Officer Erick Went was explaining to visiting military brass how the firm’s “Water Cube” can make thousands of gallons of water a day from thin air.
WATCH: PELOSI WAS READY TO PUNCH TRUMP IF HE CAME TO CAPITOL ON JAN. 6
Went quoted a retired Air Force general who said he paid $7 million a year to buy bottled water for his base. The Water Cube can supply the same amount of water for $1 million, said Went. “The secret is that all around us, there are 37 quadrillion gallons of water in the air at any given time,” and his equipment can pull it out.
About 50 yards away, Russ Monk, the CEO of High Impact Technology, was describing how his coating products quickly seal water and fuel tanks, critical in Afghanistan, that are hit with enemy fire.
“Up there, water is more expensive than fuel,” he said. “If the tanks ever got shot, it will self-heal” with his product.
In between, there were other contractors, large and small, paying more and more attention not just to the importance of water for troops, but to the potential of wars fought over water supplies because of spreading droughts.
“Water scarcity will likely become one of the center-most national security issues of our age. Wars will be fought over water if it cannot be made available and secured,” said David Stuckenberg, the chief operating officer of Genesis and a former U.S. Air Force pilot.
Added the firm’s co-founder and CEO Shannon Stuckenberg: “No one believed the world’s freshwater supply was running out. Most said, ‘Water is free.’ But that is now gone from the conversation. Today, communities and individuals just want to know where they can get reliable water. We have very eager customers lining up around the globe.”
Monk said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a defense budget boom in Europe, and products those governments would usually take years to buy, they want now.
“They’ve accelerated like crazy,” he said. “Fuel is a huge driver, and water is too. Without water, things shut down pretty quick,” Monk added.
SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS
And it’s not just militaries that could soon be fighting over water. Local governments fearful of running dry are talking with Genesis, as are megafirms, such as Coca-Cola, that use lots of water. Even huge data centers that dot the East and West coasts and nuclear power plants are desperate for water, as they use millions a day to cool equipment.
Genesis has even developed a home system that can make up to 200 gallons of water a day, drawing the attention of homeowners who rely on wells and drought-stricken town systems, including several in California.
In fact, the company has been on a roll, winning attention from funders and independent groups wowed by its innovation and giving it a big voice in the debate over water. Just this week, for example, Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School named Genesis as one of 16 “most fundable companies” out of 4,000 choices.
“What the world is beginning to see is a water supply crunch. We call this ‘peak water,’ a period when easy water supplies are no longer accessible,” said David Stuckenberg. “A goal at Genesis is to ensure water supplies by reformatting how water is provided. This sustainable format can ensure peace and stability where water is scarce. This is water diplomacy. This is true water stewardship,” he added.
