Let's get started: choose the best place

To ensure that the biofilter works properly and does not cause pollution, choose a location that meets these requirements:

✅ Away from sources of drinking water : It must be at least 4 meters from a river, well or any source of drinking water to avoid contamination.

✅ Separated from structures : Keep at least 50 cm away from walls or buildings to avoid unwanted leaks or structural damage.

✅ Good sun exposure : Make sure it gets at least 4 hours of sunlight a day . This helps the biofilter plants grow healthy and contribute to the water purification and seeding process.

💡 If your soapy water source meets these criteria, we can plant water! 🌱💧

1. How much soapy water do you want to sow?

Consider here some approximations

- Family in a rural community (4-6 people) → 150-200 liters/day

- Community or school cafeteria (20-50 children or young people) → 400-600 liters/day.

- Primary or secondary school (50-100 children or young people) → 800-1200 liters/day.

2. Know your soil

💡 Home test: Take a handful of soil in your hands, wet it and make a ball:

📌 Knowing your soil is key to efficiently sowing water.

Take the test and choose the most suitable biofilter for your land!

• If it crumbles quickly → Sandy (filters quickly, ideal for biofilter planters).
• If it remains compact and sticky → Clayey (retains water, better for constructed wetlands or biofilters).
• If it maintains its shape, but is moldable → Franco (adaptable to any biofilter).

 

Check the supplementary material "Biofilter Guide" to resolve doubts about calculating soapy water and choosing the best place.

Now that you know the amount of soapy water you want to sow and the type of soil where you will install your system, it is time to choose the most suitable biofilter to sow water where you are.

There are different options depending on the space available, the type of soil, the materials you have in the community and what you want to produce .

🌱 Option 1: Banana circle (For small spaces: 1-3 m²)

💧 Ideal for: Small families, rural homes or home gardens.
📌 Works best in: Sandy or loamy soils.
🍌 Production: Fruits and small trees .
🌿 Recommended plants: Banana, papaya, lemon, soursop.

✅ Benefits:

• It filters water and nourishes the soil with organic matter.
• Produces food and improves shade.
• Low maintenance and easy installation.

✅ What materials do you need to install it?

• Organic matter (dry leaves, thick dry branches, thin dry branches, green leaves)
• Rocks or logs to delimit the circle.
• Shovels or picks to dig the circle
• Soil or compost to improve soil absorption.

 

🌿 Option 2: Biofiltering planter (For medium spaces: 4-8 m²)

💧 Ideal for: Community dining rooms or schools, large families or urban spaces with permeable soil, if the water comes from a washing machine or kitchen, consult the pre-treatment preparation manual here
📌 Works best in: Sandy or clay loam soils.
🌸 Production: Flowers, medicinal and aromatic plants.
🌿 Recommended plants: citronella, lavender, mint, sugar cane, vetiver grass.

✅ Recommended materials (depending on availability in the community):

• Gravel and gravel (for filtration): rocky substrate from 0.5cm to 3pm and from 3 - 5 cm
• PVC pipes: to channel water
• Plastic mosquito netting

✅ Benefits:

• The water is cleaned and planted to recharge the water table
• You use bioremediation processes without electricity using only gravel, gravel and plant roots.
• It can be integrated into gardens or patios.
• It brings beauty and functionality to the space.

Option 3: Waterproof biofilter planter (to reuse water)

(For places where direct infiltration may be difficult)

💧 Ideal for: Schools, community centers or places with higher water consumption.
📌 Works best on: Clay or clay loam soils.
🌾 Production: Plants with higher water requirements, such as heliconias, ornamentals.
🌿 Recommended plants: Cattail, papyrus, yellow lily, bamboo, heliconias

✅ Recommended materials (depending on availability in the community):

• Grease trap if water comes from a kitchen : see the construction guide here
• Stone or gravel (for filter layers).
• Geomembrane, recycled tarpaulin or a plastic container (to waterproof and allow water to be retained to be in contact with the roots of phytoremediation plants)

✅ Benefits:

• It is possible to sow water in places where there is little soil available (eg: a school yard with a cement floor)
• It can be reused for irrigation or ecosystem conservation. (e.g. eliminating discharges from houses that are directly next to a swamp or river by discharging them)
• It creates a space with biodiversity and refuge for wildlife.

Review the manuals for each system so that you can have greater clarity on the procedures and material requirements.

Now that you know the amount of soapy water available for planting, the type of soil and the ideal biofilter system for your community, it is time to design it before construction, so you can know what materials you need. 📝🌿

📌 1. Draw your biofilter on a sketch

Use pencil and paper to make a scale design .

Considering:
✅ Location: Mark the discharge point of the soapy water that will be treated

✅ Materials: As you imagine the flow of water in your biofilter, consider whether you need PVC elbows or tees, pipes, etc., medium gravel (3-5cm) and small gravel (0.5cm to 3cm) if you choose a biofilter planter for infiltration or water reuse, so that you can make the list of materials you need.
✅ Dimensions: Draw your water sowing system, considering the size based on the amount of water and the type of biofilter.

✅ Plants: imagine and draw what plants you are going to plant according to your type of biofilter.
✅ Water flow: Represents how water will enter and exit the system.

1. Invite people interested in learning about water eco-technologies to eliminate the discharge of soapy water into surface water bodies such as rivers, swamps or lagoons.

Sowing water helps ensure that we can have clean water in the future, ensuring that the water continues harmoniously with its cycle of reintegration into the system.

Did you know that in Latin America, more than 70% of the grey water produced ends up in rivers without being treated? If we remember that all waters are connected and that we are part of that same water, we can contribute to the revitalization of rivers from our homes, schools or collective spaces!

Once you have a team of at least 5 people and a maximum of 25, coordinate a date when they can dedicate 3 to 4 hours each day to carry out the installation.

Gather all the materials and tools, such as pickaxes, shovel, drill, plants and water to sow!

We recommend starting the installation with a spiral of gratitude

At the Traveling School, we believe that it is very important to change the relationship we have with water through love for nature, from a spiritual bond with these sacred elements.

What does it consist of?

- Invite those participating in the installation to collect seeds, stones, leaves or flowers and arrange the elements in a spiral shape. It can be as large or as creative as the group imagines.

-Once they have finished arranging the elements, ask those participating to introduce themselves by stating their name as if they were a river or a body of water, and what motivates them to learn to plant water and transform soapy water into regeneration gardens.

(you can do collective breathing beforehand to lead to a relaxing energy)