Much of our current knowledge of water's true nature can be attributed to the work of Theodor Schwenk, a German pioneer in water flow research who died in 1986. He was the first to document the more hidden nature of water, particularly the relationship of water's rhythms and movements found in its flow and the patterns, forms, and rhythms found in the organic world. Schwenk's work arose out of his desire to better understand water quality and to revitalize the municipal water supplies of Europe's largest cities. To gain this knowledge, Schwenk felt he must first learn from water directly­how it moves and flows­to allow water to speak its nature to him.

Water, like all fluids, is able to express its behavior through movement. Schwenk was able to see correlation between water's movements and water quality, which he demonstrated through a Drop Picture Method. In the drop pictures (see on left), a sample of water is photographed while it is brought into motion by dropping into distilled water. Minute changes in water quality register as changes in the flow patterns observed in the pictures. Water's ability to move and form delicate, sensitive patterns reveals it as living water.

The rosette patterns, depicted more vividly in the bottom photo, show a variety of vortices formed in the water. The vortices created show a balance between the forces at the center moving towards the periphery and the forces from the periphery moving towards the center. In degraded water (polluted, stagnant) or water not allowed to move freely the vortex formation is greatly diminished, or non-existent, because there are barriers in the water that prevent a dialogue between the periphery and the center.

Jennifer Greene, Director of the Water Research Institute (WRI) in Blue Hill Maine, worked with the Theodor Schwenk Institute in the Black Forest and is the only facility in the United States studying and exploring Schwenk's work. She explained:

"When water is still we can talk about its structure; when it is moving, something quite different happens. Much is said about energy in water, but from our work we have not been able to see differences of energy and great subtleties so we prefer to not generalize with the word energy."

Green not only founded the WRI, she has also pioneered work in the United States with water Flowforms. "Since 1980 our Institute has been working with the development, manufacturing, and installation of Flowforms. The forms originated from the work of John Wilkes, a sculptor, who was asked by the Schwenk Institute to model some forms for water to flow over that would simulate their form in nature. They are symmetrical, sculpted basins which replicate certain archetypal forms found in water's movement and in the organic world. They are proportioned in such a way that water flowing through the basins comes into a pulsing figure of eight movement.

Many varieties of Flowforms have been developed in Europe and now in the U.S. They are being introduced into wastewater treatment plants for oxygenation purposes and are being used for mixing substances (organic fertilizers and homeopathic substances). Flowforms are an excellent educational tool and are often used in therapeutic applications in exterior and interior landscape settings."

Jennifer further described what happens to water in the Flowforms. "Water comes into a chaos basin and then flows down a channel and is brought into a vigorous figure of eight pattern. It then exits into the next basin. The oscillation increases the retention time of water in the basins so that as the layers, or streams, of water move in the same direction at differing speeds, a train of vortices is developed. Then, if two layers of water flow past each other, planes of vortices are formed between these layers. Imagine that each little vortex is taking in air. Because the vortices increase the surface area in movement, water aeration is greatly increased. It appears that water rhythmically aerated maintains aeration longer, and thus is cleaner and fresher.

We know that people are drawn to Flowforms, that they create wonder and refreshment­almost as if sitting by an ocean or a mountain stream. There is much more to learn about the importance of understanding water in a deeper way and coming to understanding its role in life processes."

The WRI is working towards understanding the deeper and more hidden nature of water and establishing a new consciousness about it. The Water Foundation, the non-profit 501c3 sister organization of the WATER Foundation, is dedicated to developing a new respect and fascination for water. Both organization will collaborate educational efforts to help establish what Schwenk called a renewed water consciousness.

To support the work of The Water Foundation, consider a tax-deductible membership or donation. For a membership brochure, write, phone or e-mail: The Water Foundation, 9121 CR 23, Brainerd, MN, 56401, (800) 944-3764.  E-mail: info@ecowerc.com.