Ceramic Water Filters

> Saves the lives of babies and children

> Removes e-coli, fecal coli form

> Proven to be 99.98% effective

 >Environmental alternative to boiling water/chlorine tablets

> Works without electricity, batteries, gas, fire

> Made from clay, sawdust, and colloidal silver
> Costs only $35 & lasts up to five years for a family of six

Diarrhea is the major cause of death among the world’s children, claiming approximately 5000 victims every day. (WHO 2005) After Hurricane Mitch in October of 1998, the rural water supply of Nicaragua was largely contaminated. This prompted Potters for Peace to begin a Ceramic Water Filter production workshop near Managua using a design developed by a Guatemalan industrial engineer, Dr. Fernando Mazariegos.

The filter element is an approximately 11” wide by 10” deep open-top clay cylinder which after firing is coated with colloidal silver, a well known microbicide which remains in the filter for years. The rate of filtration is determined by the mixture of combustible material, sawdust or rice husks, which is added to the clay before firing. The fired, treated filter is then placed in a plastic or ceramic receptacle with a lid and faucet. In the first six months over 5000 filters were distributed through non-governmental organizations. The workshop, called Filtron, is now incorporated as a privately owned business. Potters for Peace has since provided consultation and training in setting up production facilities around the world.  Over a million filters have been distributed worldwide by organizations such as International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, Plan International, Project Concern International, Oxfam and USAID. Potters for Peace has relied on partner health organizations to provide appropriate training and education about filter use. We have financed and or assisted in laboratory testing and field studies of the filter with institutions such as MIT, Tulane University and the University of Colorado.

After Hurricane Mitch in October of 1998, the rural water supply of Nicaragua was largely contaminated. This prompted Potters for Peace to begin a Ceramic Water Filter production workshop near Managua using a design developed by a Guatemalan industrial engineer, Fernando Mazariegos. In the first six months over 5000 filters were distributed through non-governmental organizations. The workshop, called Filtron, is now incorporated as a privately owned business Potters for Peace has since provided consultation and training in setting up production facilities around the world: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Ghana, El Salvador, the Darfur region of Sudan and Myanmar, (Burma). Tens of thousands of filters have been distributed worldwide by organizations such as International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, Plan International, Project Concern International, Oxfam and USAID Potters for Peace has relied on partner health organizations to provide appropriate training and education about filter use. We have financed and or assisted in laboratory testing and field studies of the filter with institutions such as MIT, Tulane University and the University of Colorado. “The PFP filter is simple in design, easy for families to use, and performs exceptionally well in laboratory tests” (Investigations of the Potters for Peace Colloidal Silver Impregnated Ceramic Filter, Report 1, Alethia Environmental). The filters remove bacteria including E.coli and Vibrio cholera as well as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Research underway at the University of North Carolina indicates that with small additions of iron oxide the filter can effectively remove viruses as well. With proper cleaning, maintenance and monitoring this filter technology can provide potable water for rural families that draw their water from surface-influenced, contaminated sources such as springs, rivers, wells, or standing surface water.

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 “The PFP filter is simple in design, easy for families to use, and performs exceptionally well in laboratory tests” (Investigations of the Potters for Peace Colloidal Silver Impregnated Ceramic Filter, Report 1, Alethia Environmental). The filters remove bacteria including E.coli and Vibrio cholera as well as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Research underway at the University of North Carolina indicates that with small additions of iron oxide the filter can effectively remove viruses as well. With proper cleaning, maintenance and monitoring this filter technology can provide potable water for rural families that draw their water from surface-influenced, contaminated sources such as springs, rivers, wells, or standing surface water.

HEART for the Nations distributes the water filters produced by Potters for Peace in Guatemala, Nicaragua., Haiti, and Myanmar. These filters are purchased through donations to HEART.  HEART is also developing an education program to accompany the ceramic water filters

In Haiti HEART for the Nations distributes the water filters produced by Filter Pure located in the Dominican Republic.