Lankan turns out unique clay water filter

by Surekha Galagoda

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Water is a precious commodity and it is used for a variety of purposes mostly to quench thirst, but just think of the consequences if a person drinks unhygienic water? He will be prone to many water borne diseases in addition to kidney ailments.

According to estimates most poor people don’t have access to clean drinking water which makes them more prone to disease and this situation will aggravate in the coming years with water becoming a scarce commodity.

The solution to this problem is using a filter to purify the water. But you should ensure that you buy a good quality filter or else the purpose is lost.

The clay water filter designed by H. M. Nawarathne of Monnekulama, Nikaweratiya can absorb fluoride and filter water getting over all unwarranted micro elements.

“Initially I wanted to import and sell filters but then abandoned the idea and started experimenting. He experimented day and night to develop a quality water filter and my main aim in developing a water filter was to do a service while being in business.

After many months of hard work my dream became a reality and I was able to manufacture a water filter using common clay and other herbs. It operates on gravity power, an extraordinary feature not available in imported filters.

Nawarathne said that people in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts are prone to kidney ailments due to the high content of fluoride in water mixing with the aluminium containers used for boiling and cooking and thus creating a reaction. This is very poisonous and leads to kidney ailments.

He said none of the other filters in the market absorbs such a high content of arsenic, fluoride or bacteria.

The project doesn’t add any waste to the environment since all the raw materials are 100% natural.

He said that it can filter 14-20 litres of water and this filter has been specially manufactured to absorb the high content of fluoride in the water going by the time-honoured maxim prevention is better than cure.

Nawarathne said that there is no other make of a clay water filter which has a natural water filtering methodology identical to his invention and the lab reports from the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) proves it.

Today he has come a long way by winning awards from the Sri Lanka Inventions Commission in 2004 and setting up his own production unit where he employs six people with plans to expand in the future. He has even patented his water filter in Sri Lanka and is planning to patent it internationally.

Educated at Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala he has worked at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and now runs his own business as Hydrocare (Pvt) Ltd.

He thanked the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (ANCL) and the Inventors’ Commission for all assistance rendered to him.