About us

In 1997 Rene Kilian graduated at Wageningen University in environmental sciences with a thesis on closing the water loop on household level. Before that he went to the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland were he worked on the Living Machine, a constructed wetland system for sewage treatment. This inspired him to start Kilian Water in the Netherlands.

In 2000 Rene moved to Denmark to start again and has become the Danish market leader in constructed wetlands (www.kilianwater.com) and Kilian Water in the Netherlands was taken over by Gerrit Box and Caspar Bosma, both alumni from Wageningen University in the field of wastewater treatment.

Until today Gerrit Box is in charge of Kilian Water in the Netherlands and our activities have crossed many borders. All our efforts are directed towards closing water loops as much as possible on a local scale. Rainwater harvesting and infiltration and the treatment and preferably reuse of locally, by means of costructed wetlands, treated wastewater. 

The formula of slow sustainable growth by exclusively tailor made system design still works. Our list of bidders includes municipalities, companies, NGO’s, individuals and universities. Potential bidders are assesed regarding their expectations and desires. Luckily we so far manage to attract a very fine breed of people who seek our assistance.

Mission

Kilian Water strives to close water loops on a local level. Large sewer systems and big wastewater treatment plants are necessary in many urban areas but nowhere near applicable or affordable in most places where sewage treatment is required. Local rainwater harvesting systems and small scale decentralized wastewater treatment with reuse of treated water simply hav to become common practice all over the world in the years to come. When rain water is not used it should recharge the groundwater table as close as possible to where it fell. Sewage should be treated and reused as close a possible to the source to avoid expensive centralization which also makes reuse of the treated water more difficult.  

Our goal is to spend our time on sensible low cost, low maintenance local rainwater harvesting & infiltration and wastewater treatment & reuse systems that serve both the people and the planet.