Water is essential to life, yet global access to it remains profoundly unequal. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released during World Water Week 2025, more than 2 billion people—approximately one-quarter of the world’s population—lack reliable access to safe water for drinking, sanitation, and hygiene. The crisis extends further as 40% of the world’s population (3.4 billion people) do not have access to a safe toilet. These deficiencies undermine not only human health and dignity, but also the ability of families and communities to sustain livelihoods.
The outlook is increasingly severe. A recent United Nations report projects that by 2050, three out of four people worldwide could be affected by drought conditions. The economic implications are equally striking, with current drought-related costs already exceeding $307 billion annually. Domestically, water scarcity is also a significant issue as over 2.2 million people in the U.S. do not have running water, and over 44 million people in the U.S. use unsafe water systems.
Against this backdrop, the need and corresponding market opportunity for innovative, scalable water solutions is both urgent and substantial.
With this as context, Tom Wither of Royal Oak, Michigan, developed a novel apparatus that combines solar energy with gravity to power a continuous, gravity-driven pump capable of desalinating water through reverse osmosis. The new technology’s design leverages renewable clean energy and mechanical engineering to offer a potentially transformative approach to water scarcity.
The invention has garnered significant international recognition. In Fall 2025, it was selected by a panel of 19 global desalination experts as one of a small number of technologies advancing to the next round of the $119 million XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, chosen from 674 pre-registrations spanning 86 countries.
Over the past three years, the Patent Law Clinic (PLC), part of The Plumeri Center for Small Business Empowerment at New York Law School (NYLS), directed by Professor Shahrokh (Seve) Falati ’08, has worked closely with Mr. Wither. The clinic is proud to have supported the protection of this breakthrough innovation through the recent issuance of a U.S. patent and to continue supporting our client’s professional journey as he advances this technology towards real-world deployment and competes alongside leading innovators addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity: ensuring access to safe water.
PLC students Timour Chamilov ’23, Max Ranzato ’23, Hailey Kate Chatlin ’24, Jacob Ehrlich ’24, Saoirse Moloney ’24, Karel Van Bourgondien ’24, Jack Rucigay ’25, Daria Denisenko ’26, Christine Park ’26, Sarah Lim ’27, and Julia Wert ’27 worked with Professor Falati to secure Mr. Wither’s patent.
Following the successful issuance of his patent, Mr. Wither sent a letter to our clinic. With his permission, we share it here.
Tom Wither’s Letter to the Patent Law Clinic
Dear Professor Falati,
I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to you and your exceptional students for the generous time, effort, and expertise you have shared with me over the years. The guidance, professionalism, and dedication of your clinic have been instrumental in helping me navigate complex intellectual property issues and successfully secure multiple patent filings.
Your team’s preparation of my Archimedes Gravity Energy Pump (AGEP) patent application—along with two additional applications for related gravity-induced pumping and fluid-extraction technologies—gave me the confidence to advance my ideas publicly and engage with partners in the clean water and renewable energy fields. As you are aware, our AGEP technology has recently been granted a U.S. patent and I am proud to share that it has also been one of a few submissions selected by 19 world desalination experts from a field of 674 pre-registrations from 86 countries to compete in the $119 million XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition that aims to tackle water insecurity affecting one in four people worldwide (2 billion people). These milestones would not have been possible without your clinic’s extraordinary work.
Beyond the patents themselves, I’ve been continually inspired by the enthusiasm, insight, and care shown by your students—from the keen interest in wind energy shown by Max Ranzato in the summer of 2022 to my most recent virtual meeting with Julia Wert and Sarah Lim alongside the dynamic Joe Plumeri. Their professionalism reflects your outstanding mentorship and the Law School’s commitment to experiential learning. You have built a remarkable environment where education, innovation, and real-world impact come together in meaningful ways.
Please extend my sincere thanks to each student who has contributed to these efforts over the past three years. I am deeply grateful for their support and for your continued encouragement of inventors like me who might otherwise lack access to such invaluable legal expertise.
With great appreciation,
Tom Wither
Founding Member and CEO
Experiential Learning at New York Law School
Experiential learning is an integral part of the NYLS education. Through our top-tier programs, we offer students the opportunity to turn theory into practice: Starting in their first year, students participate in counseling, interviewing, and negotiating exercises in their foundational Legal Practice course. During their upper-level years, students may select from a wide array of experiential learning courses to hone their lawyering skills. Together with a comprehensive legal education, these experiential offerings prepare our students for careers in advocacy.