The town of Amealco’s mountainous landscape has been significantly affected by changes in weather and climate. At the forefront of these changes are reduced and inconsistent rainfall, hotter temperatures, and biodiversity loss and change. To help combat the effects of drought and biodiversity loss, a primary school in Amealco built a biofilter to recycle greywater for horticultural purposes. The biofilter was constructed outside the school’s kitchen where the most water is used on a daily basis; to feed its 150 students, the school’s kitchen uses about 300 liters of water per day. From the kitchen drain, the water enters the biofilter’s first tank where food grease floats to the top and food scraps sink to the bottom. In the middle of the tank, there is a tube that transfers the cleaner water to the next tank where the same process is repeated. From there, the water goes into the third and last compartment which contains sand, gravel, porous rocks, and plants—all of which helps filter the water even further. The filtered water will then be pumped from the biofilter, through a hose, and reused to irrigate the school’s pollinator garden, thereby reducing extra water costs/use.

As the filtered water will be used to maintain a pollinator garden, this project also works to support local biodiversity by promoting pollination—an indicator of ecological health. To further increase awareness of the biofilter and its benefits, workshops and classes were held for students and their families. The students also participated in painting a mural in the school, illustrating the importance of a healthy ecosystem for future students and families in Amealco.