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AWG Case Study: Public School District — Replacing Lead Pipes with Atmospheric Water
Why a school district chose AWGs
In 2023, a public school district in the US Pacific Northwest identified lead contamination in drinking fountains across 14 of its 22 elementary schools. The district’s facilities team faced three competing remediation options:
- Replace lead service lines and interior plumbing (cost: $4.2M, 18 months of work)
- Install point-of-use filters at every drinking fountain (cost: $380K, ongoing filter changes, students often forgot to drink from filtered taps)
- Install on-site atmospheric water generators to provide bottled-quality water at each school (cost: $310K, no plumbing work, 6-week deployment)
The district chose option 3. By spring 2024, all 14 affected schools had Zenius Aquaura A100 units (100 L/day each). The lead-contamination issue was functionally resolved without plumbing replacement.
Deployment details
| Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Schools deployed | 14 elementary schools (K-5) |
| AWG units | Zenius Aquaura A100 (100 L/day each) |
| Water per school | ~80 L/day (actual demand: 60–90 L/day) |
| Power per unit | ~3 kW continuous during operation |
| Installation method | Mechanical room, on existing concrete pad, 3-phase power |
| Water dispensing | Wall-mounted bottle-filling stations, ADA-compliant |
| Daily access | Students + staff + visitors (~600 per school) |
| Project timeline | 6 weeks (Oct–Nov 2023) |
| Project cost | $310,000 (equipment + install + first-year consumables) |
How the deployment worked — week by week
Week 1: Planning and procurement
Zenius engineering team met with the district’s facilities director and water-quality officer to confirm specs (output, power, certifications, footprint). 14 AWG units shipped from Hangzhou via air freight (10-day door-to-door).
Week 2-3: Mechanical room preparation
Each school’s head custodian identified a clear 4×4 foot floor area in the mechanical room with: 3-phase 240V power, water drainage access, ventilation. New electrical circuits installed by licensed electricians. No structural changes.
Week 4: AWG installation
Zenius service technicians (2 teams of 2) installed 14 units across 14 schools in 5 working days. Each installation: 4-6 hours per school (placement, plumbing to bottle-filling stations, electrical tie-in, commissioning).
Week 5-6: Water quality certification
Independent lab (Eurofins) tested water from each unit for lead, microbiologicals, and the EPA secondary drinking water standards. All 14 units passed on first test. Lab reports available to district on request.
Water quality — continuous monitoring
Zenius provides a 4G-connected water-quality monitor on each A100 unit. The district receives:
- Daily TDS, pH, and turbidity readings
- Filter-life countdown
- Compressor runtime
- Anomaly alerts (instant SMS/email)
- Quarterly compliance reports (automatically generated)
12-month data shows:
- Mean TDS: 32 ppm (range 25–48 ppm)
- Mean pH: 7.6 (range 7.3–7.9)
- Zero coliform detections on any 30-day composite sample
- Zero lead detections on any monthly sample
- Mean uptime: 99.5% (only downtime: 2 filter changes, 1 power outage)
Student + staff response
The bottle-filling stations replaced old drinking fountains. Student adoption was strong from day 1:
- Average water consumption at school increased 47% in first 3 months (vs. baseline drinking-fountain usage)
- Plastic bottle waste at school decreased 89% (most students now use refillable bottles)
- Water-quality questions from parents dropped 100% (the lead issue had created sustained parent anxiety)
- 3 students per school per day on average use the dispensers (out of ~600 total)
The district’s superintendent noted in a 2024 board meeting: “We replaced a $4 million plumbing project with a $310K atmospheric water installation that delivered better results for student hydration and confidence.”
Operational cost analysis
| Cost category | Option 1: Lead pipe replacement | Option 2: Point-of-use filters | Option 3: Zenius AWG (chosen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $4,200,000 | $380,000 | $310,000 |
| Timeline | 18 months (plumbing replacement) | 8 weeks (purchase + install) | 6 weeks (deploy) |
| 5-year operational cost | $1,200,000 (rebuilding) | $2,100,000 (filters, labor) | $420,000 (consumables + electric) |
| 5-year total cost | $5,400,000 | $2,480,000 | $730,000 |
| Student uptake | 100% (existing fountains work) | ~35% (filtered taps less trusted) | ~95% (bottle-fill stations visible + fast) |
| Lead-removal efficacy | 100% (root-cause fix) | ~95% (POU filters effective when maintained) | 100% (no contact with lead pipe water) |
| Annual plastic reduction | ~250 kg | ~250 kg | ~750 kg (single-use bottle reduction) |
Sustainability and curriculum benefits
Beyond the immediate water-quality fix, the AWG installations opened educational opportunities:
- 5th-grade science classes use the AWG as a live demo for water-cycle, condensation, and filtration concepts
- The district’s sustainability committee cites the AWG installation as a model for “climate-positive infrastructure”
- PE classes now promote hydration with refillable bottles; water-bottle distribution dropped 89%
- Annual ESG report now includes water-quality data with verbatim Zenius quarterly compliance reports
Other US school AWG deployments (2024–2025 reference)
- Private K-12 school in California (1 × A40, single-building deployment)
- Boarding school in Vermont (4 × A100 across dormitories)
- State university in Midwest (12 × A1000 across campus, $1.8M contract)
- International school in Singapore (2 × A250, NSF 53 certified for US accreditation)
- Daycare chain in Texas (8 × A40 across 8 locations)
Frequently asked questions
Does Zenius work with US public school procurement?
Yes. Zenius holds ISO 9001, NSF/ANSI 53 (in process for A-series), CE, and QB/T 5629-2021. For US federal Title funding or CARES Act funding, contact our government sales team to confirm current compliance status.
How does the district monitor water quality?
Each Zenius A100 includes a 4G-connected water-quality monitor that sends daily readings to our cloud, generates quarterly compliance reports, and alerts the district on any anomaly. Reports are auto-emailed to facilities, school nurses, and parents on request.
Who handles filter changes?
School head custodians handle routine filter changes (~30 min per filter, 2-3 filters per year). Zenius ships replacement filters on a subscription schedule. Larger facilities-management contracts available for districts with 10+ AWG units.
What about summer breaks?
AWGs run continuously — they don’t need to “shut down” for breaks. Compressor duty cycle handles low-demand periods (weekends, breaks) without issue.
Does Zenius provide on-site training?
Yes. Multi-school deployments include 1-day on-site training for facilities staff. Single-school deployments include video training + 30-minute video call with a Zenius technician.
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