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Water Filters: Going with the Flow to a Cleaner World

Product: Innovative Water Filter Systems
Developers: Gabriel Kohner and others Company: Amiad Water Systems
Start of Development: 1966

The members of Kibbutz Amiad in the Upper Galilee hadn’t planned on inventing a pioneering technology that was destined to win international acclaim. They were merely trying to solve a persistent problem: since the installation of sprinklers in the kibbutz orchards, the sprinkler heads had suffered from continual blockage and disintegration. After an extensive search for solutions, the kibbutz members decided to make their own version of the missing component: water filters.
The first filter, invented in 1966, was large and cumbersome, but it ushered in a new era when it became apparent that water filtration is not solely a local problem, but rather a global challenge. The kibbutz founded the Amiad Water Systems company that focuses on the development of water filtration systems for a range of uses – private homes, agricultural, industrial and municipal.
As the world’s freshwater supply dwindles and the problems associated with water filtration and cleaning become increasingly acute, water filtration systems assume ever-growing importance.
Advanced water consumption technology in irrigation and industry also results in an increasing demand for cleaner water.
Among Amiad Water Systems’ achievements are the 2-inch plastic filter, then a world first, and the development of three innovative and environmental-friendly filtration technologies – screen, disc and fiber – that address the challenges posed by water sources even in extreme operating conditions.
Today, Amiad Water Systems is one of the world’s leading companies, employing approximately 700 employees in Israel and abroad, although the management and R&D offices are still located on the kibbutz. The company has seven international manufacturing centers and nine subsidiaries via which it markets its products in more than 80 countries. Each month, Amiad systems treat millions of cubic meters of water worldwide and the company is partner to several international social initiatives that enable access to drinking water in developing countries.