Clean water through the power of plants

Interview mit Felipe Valderrama

What motivated you to work together with the green filter initiative?

I grew up in a developing country and soon became aware of the problems caused by a lack of money and technology. Many of the people I have met are resigned to this situation, as they often do not know which simple and cost-effective methods exist to resolve numerous problems.
My motivation therefore is to act as a facilitator of simple solutions which also work in regions where little money is available and a low level of education is widespread. The green filter systems are a perfect example. They are able to achieve good and lasting results - without great effort.

What are the main advantages of green filter systems?

The main strengths of the systems are their simple realisation and easy operation. This makes them an ideal solution for the treatment of waste water in small villages, where there is a lack of money and technology.

Green filter systems are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to normal purification plants. They are designed according to the principle of bionics. This means that the system intensifies spontaneous biological processes as they occur in natural wetlands. In the process, the organic mass is decomposed, which increases the water quality. Since this is a natural process, there is little for people to do.

Who do you work together with during construction locally?

We work together with the inhabitants of the communities. This is very important to us because as soon as the system is ready to use, there are enough people who are already familiar with it and are able to maintain or supervise maintenance of the system.

What role does Kärcher play?

With the “Clean Water for the World" initiative in cooperation with the Global Nature Fund, Kärcher has made it possible for numerous small organisations to realise local water pollution control projects. Our organisation Fundación Humedales is supported in Colombia. The project in San Miguel de Sema gave us the opportunity to test and further develop our idea for the first time on a real scale. Four small villages in Colombia are now benefitting from the technology and are all very grateful for the support of the Global Nature Fund and Kärcher.