Our Vision
Filter Pure, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c) 3, corporation, brings desperately needed clean and safe drinking water to the people of developing nations. Our strategy is to implement local and sustainable enterprises that manufacture and distribute effective and accessible point of use ceramic water filters for use in the home. Expected health outcomes include a significant reduction in occurrence of disease and death from water-borne contaminants, and improved health, especially for children under the age of 5 and people with weakened immune systems. How We Do It
FilterPure has developed a program based upon strategies of affordable water filtration, sustainable enterprise, and local education. The program is sustainable and can be replicated in developing nations. FilterPure’s strategy includes:
1. Manufacture and distribute a ceramic water filter that is 99.9% microbiologically effective, yet affordable.
2. Implement local and sustainable enterprises to manufacture and distribute the filters, providing jobs and transferring knowledge to the local project team.
3. Partner with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and private distributors for an effective and widespread water filter distribution, training, and monitoring program that reaches as much of the populations of each developing nation, as possible.
4. Provide comprehensive training to the distributors and end users on the use and maintenance of the filter.
5. Monitor the acceptance and impact of ceramic water filter on the population for quality control and potential improvements.
6. Provide free education program on basic hygiene, sanitation, life styles and disease prevention to area residents.
7. Expand the FilterPure ceramic water filter solution to all nations who have a need for clean, safe and affordable drinking water. Where We Are
Currently FilterPure has offices in the Americas and Africa. These two locations are the launch sites for proliferation of the FilterPure solution worldwide. Staff at each location has the experience and training to consult and teach the FilterPure solution to interested parties. Our Board
LISA BALLANTINE
Lisa grew up in the Chicago area, married young, and lived a fulfilling life as mother to four great kids and wife to a wonderful man. Lisa, having lived in the Dominican Republic as a missionary, was aware of the issues of water contamination in that country and that it is one of the leading causes of death in children. Lisa saw the need for safe water treatment in the DR and, having experience in the country, she knew the project could be sustainable.
Lisa studied under the direction of Prof. Manny Hernandez, NIU, for three years before she moved with her family to the Dominican Republic and began AguaPure. With the help of David Webb, Radhames Carela and Prof. Hernandez, and the financial support of Insituform, Lisa re-engineered the ceramic water filter, equipment and manufacturing processes to improve effectiveness, quality, and sustainability. Lisa has learned a lot from her years of experience developing AguaPure and is now ready to launch FilterPure, an internationally focused enterprise. Lisa hopes to relieve the need for clean and safe drinking water in the Dominican Republic, and eventually in other countries, by facilitating the spread of ceramic water filtration as a viable solution for water treatment in developing nations.
TRACY HAWKINS
Tracy is a single mother living in Atlanta, Georgia who, in 2005, took a volunteer vacation to Tanzania, Africa, while her children where away at summer camp. During her visit, she heard the story of a potter who tried to start a pottery training program at Sing'isi Vocational School, but failed due to lack of resources. Tracy decided to use her skills as an accomplished project manager (Bachelor of Industrial Engineering – Georgia Tech - 1995) and a hobbyist potter to revisit the opportunity. She formed a team of local Tanzanians to develop a plan, and discovered that a well-placed gesture could make a huge impact in the lives of these people. While accomplishing research for the original project, Tracy learned about ceramic water filtration and shared the safe drinking water solution with her Tanzanian staff. She discovered that contaminated drinking water was a serious problem in Tanzania, and, with her staff's resolute support, began the development of a sustainable ceramic water filter enterprise in Tanzania called Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa (SWCEA).
In the summer of 2007, Tracy called upon Professor Manny Hernandez for help and he volunteered his consultation and technical support to get the project started. It is through Manny that Tracy met Lisa Ballantine of AguaPure, Dominican Republic. Tracy and Lisa began working together and discovered by combining their knowledge and skill sets, they could effectively create and manage an international organization focused on solving the problem of contaminated drinking water world-wide. Tracy and Lisa officially joined forces in 2008, forming FilterPure. Tracy continues to lead the development of SWCEA by bringing resources, consultation, and encouragement to the local project team, while also focusing on spreading the FilterPure solution to other developing countries in need.
THOMAS ROONEY
Thomas Rooney is a managing partner at RCI Consulting, where he advises clients on all facets of the global water crisis with a particular emphasis on critical water infrastructure issues.
Prior to joining RCI Consulting, Mr. Rooney was the President and CEO of Insituform Technologies, Inc., a plastics technology company that has become the world’s largest water, sewer and oil pipeline rehabilitation company. During his tenure the company expanded its operations to include sewer, oil and drinking water technologies, while also expanding the company into Eastern Europe, Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico and various other countries, ultimately operating in 45 countries around the world.
Mr. Rooney currently serves on the board of directors of the International Centre for Democratic Transition (ICDT www.icdt.hu) based in Budapest, Hungary. Through his involvement with the ICDT, Mr. Rooney advises democratic governments around the world on the difficult challenges associated with critical water shortages and failing water infrastructure.
Mr. Rooney holds a civil engineering degree from Cornell University and an MBA, with a specialization in finance, from The University of Chicago.
Mr. Rooney is the author of numerous water and infrastructure-related business commentaries in several major publications including the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Times as well as frequent appearances on national news programs including NBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, FOX News and NPR Radio.
Our Technical Advisors
MANNY HERNANDEZ
Manny has been serving as a volunteer chief technical advisor for FilterPure since 2006. Previously, he served as a board member and technical advisor for Potters for Peace (PFP) for more than ten years. He currently provides free consultation to projects by invitation of international NGO’s. Manny’s educational background in Industrial Design (BFA University of Illinois) and Ceramics (MFA, Northern Illinois University), plus his professional background as a designer and educator, uniquely qualifies him to provide needed technical assistance to potters (90% of whom are mostly women) in underdeveloped areas of the world
After Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras and Nicaragua in the latter part of 1998, Manny voluntarily held technical transfer workshops for local potters demonstrating how to make an affordable and low cost ceramic water filter (CWF). Because the demand for CWFs was so great, and the original method of hand building constrained output volumes, Manny designed a filter press. It can be completely fabricated within developing countries and produces about 60 to 75 filters per day. Manny continues to redesign different elements of the filter or filter manufacturing process to facilitate the spread of the CWF technology within developing countries.
Since 1998, Manny has focused on providing people in developing countries with potable water by interfacing appropriate technology equipment that he designs to achieve the goal set forth by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This Committee has recognized water as a human fundamental right and is providing a human rights framework for the UN Millennium Declaration Goal of halving the proportion of people unable to reach or afford safe drinking water by the year 2015.
DANIELE LANTAGNE
Daniele is an Environmental Engineer (MIT BS ’96, MIT M.Eng. ’01, PE ’03) currently pursuing her PhD at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and working half-time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Upon finishing her undergraduate degree, she worked for five years at the Ipswich River Watershed Association (www.ipswichriver.org) and teaching at the Edgerton Center at MIT. She began working in household water treatment in developing countries during her Master’s and continued teaching in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT and doing private consulting (www.alethia.cc) until 2003. She moved full-time to CDC in May 2003. In her 3 years at MIT and 4 years with CDC, she has worked to implement and study chlorination, filtration, and combined treatment household water treatment implementations in over 30 countries. She is a member of the board of directors for Potters for Peace (www.pottersforpeace.org). She counts as hobbies hiking, lindy hop dancing, reading, and highpointing (reaching the highest point in each US state).
According to Daniele: "Based on the in-country results, the technology is promising, and independent research ongoing at Lehigh University and Emory University (in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating efficacy and social acceptability.” Results from these studies will be available Summer 2008."
RADHAMES CARELA
Rahdames was born on March 2nd, 1959, and even from a young age was deeply passionate about art. His mother was a traditional potter and also worked with fibres such as anea, pachuli, cabuya, coconut and others to make rugs, purses, and more. He began his studies of wheel-thrown ceramics in 1974 in a program directed and coordinated by a Dominican development foundation, Plan Nacional de Artesania” (National Craftsmanship Plan) or PLANARTE. He learned to make a variety of glazed ceramics, process the prime materials, and make his own gas kilns.
In the early 80s, Rahdames participated in the creation of the faceless dolls. This product was widely accepted throughout the national and international markets, so he transformed his workshop into a school where he taught any young person who wanted to learn wheel-thrown pottery and the art of faceless dolls. This experience allowed him to be one of the first fifteen instructors of Instituto de Formacion Tecnico Profecional (Institute of the Formation of Technical Professions), or INFOTEP, in the region of Cibao. For two years he taught ceramics in Santiago, Puerta Plata, Samana, Cotui, and Espaillat, always practicing his vocation to improve his skills and to share his knowledge with all.
Rahdames has explored and worked in many forms of pottery, using both high and low temperature methods to make both functional and decorative objects. He has participated in and organized many events related to his craft. The most important exposition he organized was the 1999 art fair in the Hotel Embajador in Santo Domingo. He was given the opportunity to show his country the maximum creation of his ability by firing at high temperature, winning him national recognition and a mention of Best National Product of Craftsmanship. As a result he was invited and participated in:
• “Hand-Made” - New York - 2000
• International Fair of “Bressuire en Francia” - France - 2002
• Vienal of Ceramics - Belgium - 2002? – his donated artwork is displayed in the Ceramic Museum of the Andenne
• Ceramics Art Encounter associated with the 50th anniversary of the Hilton Hotel of Jamaica – Jamaica - 2003
• World Culture Expo - Puerto Plata – 2005 - expositor, curator and exhibitor; collaborated with plastic artists interested in integrating ceramics
• Fair of Santiago - Dominican Republic – 2005 - received a recognition for his contribution and development of art in the Dominican Republic.
Radhames joined AguaPure, in 2006?, as The ceramic technician.