William Lozano: Colombian Innovator Pioneering Sustainable Water Treatment Technologies – ColombiaOne.com

Report on Innovative Water Treatment Solutions and their Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals in Colombia

1.0 Introduction

This report details the work of Colombian inventor William Lozano, who was recently honored at the 2025 National Inventors Awards for his development of affordable and sustainable wastewater treatment technologies. His innovations directly address critical national challenges and align significantly with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Lozano’s approach combines applied science with a commitment to social equity, providing a scalable model for addressing water access disparities in vulnerable communities.

2.0 The State of Water Access in Colombia and its Relation to SDG 6

Colombia faces a significant challenge in providing universal access to clean water, a core target of SDG 6. The disparity between urban and rural access highlights a critical infrastructure and equity gap that impedes national progress toward this goal.

2.1 Key Statistics

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 3.2 million people in Colombia lack access to safely managed drinking water.
• While urban areas have approximately 94% coverage, rural regions lag significantly, underscoring a direct challenge to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• Lozano identifies a structural problem, stating, “In Colombia, there is a structural problem: Treatment systems have gone more than a century without major changes and without really responding to the needs of the most vulnerable populations.”

3.0 Lozano’s Technological Innovations: A Framework for Achieving Multiple SDGs

William Lozano’s work provides a practical framework for advancing several Sustainable Development Goals through low-cost, adaptable, and socially conscious engineering. His solutions are designed to democratize access to essential services for communities that have been historically underserved.

3.1 Core Technological Features

The technologies developed by Lozano are designed for accessibility and sustainability, directly contributing to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by creating resilient and inclusive systems.

• Modular Filtration Systems: Allow for scalable implementation tailored to community size.
• Bio-reactors and Natural Purification: Utilize environmentally friendly processes.
• Use of Local Materials: Reduces installation and operational costs, making the technology accessible to low-income populations (SDG 1: No Poverty).
• Ease of Implementation: Designed for communities without specialized technical capacity.

As Lozano stated, “The idea is that a rural population can purify their water and treat their wastewater as simple modules. That is the underlying reason: To democratize solutions and close sanitation gaps through socially conscious engineering.”

3.2 Direct Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Lozano’s projects are intrinsically linked to the 2030 Agenda, offering tangible progress on several interconnected goals.

1. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The primary focus of his work is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, particularly in marginalized rural areas.
2. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): By providing safe drinking water and treating wastewater, his systems reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases.
3. SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): His focus on affordable solutions for rural and low-income communities directly tackles the inequality in access to basic services. He notes that traditional engineering has often “abandoned marginalized populations, who paradoxically are the ones who need these solutions the most.”
4. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) & SDG 14 (Life Below Water): The treatment of wastewater before it enters natural water bodies reduces pollution, protects aquatic ecosystems, and contributes to healthier environments for communities.
5. SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): His work exemplifies innovation that builds resilient, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure, moving beyond outdated models.

4.0 Impact, Achievements, and Future Vision

4.1 Patents and Pilot Projects

Lozano’s career, marked by international recognition since an award at the European Parliament in 2003, includes a portfolio of patents and successful pilot projects. These initiatives have provided safe drinking water to thousands of families and improved sanitation in schools and health centers. Furthermore, they contribute to local economies by creating employment opportunities in technology maintenance and monitoring, aligning with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

4.2 A Vision for Socially Responsible Innovation

William Lozano’s vision extends beyond technology to fostering a culture of socially responsible innovation. By mentoring young engineers, he is helping to build capacity for solving societal challenges. His work serves as a blueprint for how targeted, low-cost innovation can effectively address complex development issues. His approach counters the common barrier where solutions are “not scalable, they are very expensive, or they require operations that those territories cannot sustain.”

5.0 Conclusion

The work of William Lozano represents a significant contribution to Colombia’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. His innovative, affordable, and sustainable water treatment technologies provide a direct and effective response to the targets outlined in SDG 6, while simultaneously advancing goals related to health, inequality, and environmental protection. Lozano’s model of socially conscious engineering demonstrates a scalable and transformative path toward ensuring equitable access to clean water and sanitation, offering hope and a practical blueprint for other developing regions facing similar challenges.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The article’s central theme is the lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation in Colombia, and the development of technologies for wastewater treatment. It directly addresses the core mission of ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article focuses on William Lozano, an inventor who develops “affordable and sustainable technologies,” “modular filtration systems,” and holds “multiple patents.” This highlights the role of innovation, sustainable engineering, and building resilient infrastructure to solve societal problems.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article repeatedly emphasizes that Lozano’s work targets “vulnerable communities,” “marginalized populations,” and “rural regions” that have been “historically left behind.” His goal to “democratize solutions” directly addresses the inequality in access to basic services like clean water between urban and rural populations.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The article directly addresses this by stating that “more than 3.2 million people lack access to safe drinking water” in Colombia and that Lozano’s work aims to solve the “lack of access to potable water in vulnerable communities.”
  • Target 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. Lozano’s work aims to “close the sanitation gap” in underserved communities, directly aligning with this target.
  • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. The article highlights Lozano’s development of “technologies for the treatment of wastewater” which “reduce pollution” by treating it “before it re-enters rivers and lakes.”

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. Lozano’s “modular, low-cost systems” are designed to improve sanitation infrastructure in communities that have been “historically been left behind.”
  • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. The article celebrates Lozano as a “young Colombian inventor” with “multiple patents” whose work represents “socially conscious engineering” and inspires “new approaches to sustainable engineering in Latin America.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The article states that Lozano’s engineering focuses on “marginalized populations, who paradoxically are the ones who need these solutions the most,” aiming to “democratize solutions” and close the gap for “rural, remote, or economically disadvantaged communities.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Target 6.1: Access to safe drinking water

  • Indicator 6.1.1 (Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services): The article provides specific data points for this indicator. It states that “only about 73% of the population has safely managed drinking water services” in Colombia. It also quantifies the problem by mentioning that “more than 3.2 million people lack access to safe drinking water.”

• Target 6.3: Wastewater treatment

  • Indicator 6.3.1 (Proportion of wastewater safely treated): While the article does not provide a national percentage, it implies this indicator by focusing on Lozano’s technologies for “treatment of wastewater.” The success of his pilot projects in communities could be measured by the volume or proportion of wastewater being treated that was previously untreated.

• Target 10.2: Inclusion and reducing inequality

  • Disparity in access to services: The article provides data that can measure inequality. It highlights the gap between urban areas, with “roughly 94%” coverage of safely managed drinking water, and rural areas, where the lack of access is concentrated. Reducing this percentage gap is a clear indicator of progress.
  • Number of communities/people reached: The article implies an indicator by mentioning that Lozano has implemented “pilot projects in underserved communities, providing safe drinking water to thousands of families.” The number of families or communities benefiting from these new, affordable technologies serves as a direct measure of progress in reducing inequality.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: colombiaone.com