OceanWell is developing modular deep-sea water farms made up of pods that harness natural hydrostatic pressure at depths of 400 meters for reverse osmosis desalination. Each pod can produce up to one million gallons of fresh water daily, and the modular design allows for scalable projects based on demand. This technology ensures ultra-clean water by filtering out salts, bacteria, viruses, pesticides, and PFAS, while its robust components are engineered for durability in harsh deep-sea environments. Unlike traditional desalination methods that are energy-intensive and threaten marine life, OceanWell’s technology reduces energy consumption by up to 40 percent while protecting marine life and eliminating toxic brine disposal.
There is a rising mismatch between clean water supply and demand—with experts projecting that five billion people could be without clean drinking water by 2050. The problem is driven by rising demand for water in key economic sectors like agriculture, industry, and manufacturing and compounded by the effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding. Since 1970, water demand has increased by 1.7x, while global supply has dropped by 50 percent. OceanWell aims to provide affordable, abundant freshwater with its deepsea pods, which produce one million gallons of potable water per day each. OceanWell’s first water farm is being developed in its home state, California.
“At OceanWell, we’ve developed a new technology to rehydrate a drying world. Our goal is to provide utility-scale, reliable, and sustainable freshwater solutions that can supply clean drinking water to communities across the globe,” said Robert Bergstrom, Founder and CEO of OceanWell. “We’re grateful to our investors whose collective expertise across water technology, manufacturing, and infrastructure project development will be invaluable to our company, particularly as we look to scale up operations in the coming months.”
Since its founding in 1890, the Kubota Group has been working to solve social issues through superior products, technologies, and services in the areas of food, water, and the environment. To address the globally worsening issue of water scarcity, Kubota has increased investment in cutting-edge water technologies.
“One of Kubota’s goals is to provide comprehensive solutions for the entire ‘water circulation loop’ from water production and supply to wastewater treatment and reclamation. OceanWell’s innovative technology, which can provide a stable long-term supply of potable water to water utilities in water-scarce regions, is indispensable for achieving this goal,” said Eiji Yoshioka, Director and GM of the Water and Environment Infrastructure Consolidated Division of Kubota.
This announcement comes a year after OceanWell partnered with Las Virgenes Municipal Water District to establish California’s first water farm, aimed at supplying fresh drinking water to a region recovering from years of record-breaking drought. Previously, the company completed prototype testing at the US Navy’s Deep Ocean Simulation Facility. OceanWell is supported by a working group of 24 state water authorities in California and aims to build 15 water farms across the globe.
