On September 26th, the community of Guaranda (Ecuador), received a water filter system from Semidor, NUF Filtration, and the Israeli Embassy in Ecuador. According to Edison Jerez (general manager at Semidor) the filter, which was originally developed by NUF infiltration, uses an advanced nanofiltration method that's originally designed for dialysis machines. In this article, he tells more about the technology's impact in the community as well as its potential for agricultural producers around the world.
"Like a coffee filter"
To explain the functioning of the water filter, Jerez compares it to a coffee filter, saying: "The NUF filtration system works almost like a coffee filter, but a filter so fine that it physically separates any organic matter from the water. This includes everything ranging from fungus spores, nematode eggs, bacteria, and even most viruses. Unlike traditional water filters that rely on chemical purification or UV light, the NUF system operates mechanically, filtering out particles as small as 30 nanometers while leaving essential elements like nitrogen, calcium, and potassium in the water—an advantage for both human consumption and agricultural applications."
Community impact
The installation of the water filter is the result of a collaboration between Cadena (an Ecuadorian-based Jewish NGO) which cooperates with Semidor, NUF filtration, and the Israeli embassy. According to Jerez, the parties sought to provide the community with a reliable source of purified water, free from harmful micro-organisms. Jerez: "The rural community of approximately 400 people has long been depended on contaminated water that contained high levels of pathogens. The community was deeply affected by the lack of clean water, we saw an opportunity to improve this situation."
He highlights that the filter fostered overall l health and sanitation in the community, saying: "The filter was located at the village's school, which means that the first people who will benefit from this filter are the children. In Guaranda, we saw that people have small gardens to grow several crops. In this garden I doubt that the full benefits of the filter technology can be realized, but we already saw how it benefits the post-harvesting work of these farms.The cleaning of the food and the preparation of lunch was done with newly filtered water."
Horticultural application
That said, Jerez believes that the horticultural application of the filter cannot be overstated. "In today's world, clean water is becoming increasingly rare. The ability to filter all pathogens without removing elements such as nitrogen, calcium, or potassium means that farms can recycle their drainage water to lower the use of fertilizer, remove the possibility of self-contamination, and eliminate runoff.
The potential of this technology is immense. Most research shows that the largest inoculation site for nematodes in a farm is the reservoir water that is contaminated by nematode eggs. Producers that recycle or reuse their water absolutely should incorporate NUF as well. The chance for different types of fungus such as Fusarium to contaminate the water supply is extremely high if not adequately filtered."
Jerez concludes by sharing that the Israeli ambassador has confirmed plans for future collaborations to provide similar water filtration systems to other communities in Ecuador.
For more information: 
Semidor
www.semidor.com