The Guajira is the largest desert in the northern tip of Colombia, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and crossing the border into Venezuela, this region is devoid of clean drinking water due to the neglect of the Colombian government in this sector. The Wayuu tribe is indigenous to the area and for centuries they have managed to survive and preserve their precious culture and the surrounding enviornment. However, in the last decades the Wayuu population has grown and the resources have become even more limited. The Wayuu have generally obtained salt water from large wells, however the water is not treated nor suitable for consumption due to high levels of contamination. Many Wayuu have died due to the lack of clean drinking water and many children and senior citizens in the community fall ill or die due to the consumption of this non-potable well-water.

The construction of this project took one week and the entire Wayuu community participated actively in the process, even the women and children. This bio-filter was principally created by using sand and rocks, to capture large particles, and plants capture  germs and other, smaller particles. After the contaminated water filters through the rocks, sand, and plants, it is required that we expose the water to direct sunlight for 24 hours to kill all any other bacterias. In the Universidad de la Guajira's laboratory we were able to test the water and the results showed that it is 100% safe for human consumption. 

This project was developed by C-Innova and the Universidad de Antioquia, the bio-filter assembly was led by H. Sneyder Neira L. and David Chaquea.