Firm unveils water filtration tech to Davao residents

DAVAO City-based BSF Philippines introduced on Wednesday its water filter technology that can produce safe and potable water by filtering up bacteria and other inorganic contaminants.

BSF chief operating officer (COO) Darrell Nelson, speaking in Wednesday's Club 888 Forum, said their new technology Biosand Water Filter (BSF) utilizes a kind of sand that has edges when seen under a microscope, which can screen out the different types of bacteria to produce clean water.

The sand, Nelson said, is produced through crushing stones like that of a quarry. He explained the sand has good bacteria that kill the bad ones.

"So, it's between the bad bacteria versus good bacteria. The good bacteria adhere to the rocks with edges," Nelson said.

Pollutants in the water are then removed using both biological and mechanical processes.

Nelson said families or communities who have BSF installed in their households must keep the sand in the water filter wet, otherwise the good bacteria will die after two days in drought. The good bacteria grow 20 centimeters in the sand.

BSF can eliminate 100 percent the common toxic contaminants such as iron, copper, and lead. The water filter can also remove manganese by 75 percent, zinc by 54.90 percent, and arsenic 83.33 percent.

The firm has its manufacturing plant in Catalunan Pequeño in Davao City, which can produce 180 BSFs a month, which costs at P4,000.

The water filter has the capacity to produce 20 liters of water per hour depending on the amount of pollutants the water has.

"If the water has many contaminants, the water flow is very slow," Nelson said.

BSF Philippines is also partnering with business firms and groups who can sponsor a community with water filters through their corporate social responsibility.

Nelson said the technology also provides a poverty alleviation benefits such as P150 in daily savings per household. The annual cost of improved health for each individual household member is estimated over P10,000 and environmental savings estimated over P15,000 annually. (Sun.Star Davao)