Aquafication

Water pollution defined as the contamination of water through hazardous chemicals and toxins that harm the sanitation of countries. Water is a precious resource, integral to the survival of species and the well-being of the environment. Contaminating this resource exacerbates our planetary environmental crisis, which is unfortunately concurrent. 

Firstly, the environmental and well-being considerations of water contamination are detrimental. The rapid and unplanned urbanization of countries around the world has overwhelmed the water through various sources including industrial wastewater, urban runoff and septic tank leakage. The situation of contaminated water is being exacerbated and the quality of sanitation, especially in developing countries, is being compromised.

Along with a lack of management of the contamination of the environment, the rapid and overloaded urbanization of countries has led to unsafe management of wastewater and a lack of efficient sewage water treatment. Recent reports show people generating about 14 billion litres of contaminated sewage water every day. Unfortunately, about 44% of all wastewater generated by industrial human activity returns to the environment without treatment, contaminating the earth's water with pollutants it carries. Escalating the situation is the lack of treatment by countries’ municipalities due to the overwhelming industrialisation. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2017, upper-middle-income countries treat only 38% of wastewater while lower-middle-income countries only treat 28%. This is causing billions of people around the world to suffer from a lack of access to clean drinking water and a sanitary, hygienic lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost a third of the world's population lacks access to clean drinking water with almost 150 million of them having to drink unpurified surface water. The consumption of all the wastewater causes diseases among people such as diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid and has caused the deaths of more than a million children every year. 

Water filtration systems used to purify water are inefficient. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the condition of drinking water and limits the number of chemicals and germs in the water. However, most of the water filtration systems are inefficient and are only able to work in certain areas, not at a global scale. The sustainable purification of water is still a big issue. 

Due to their lack of resources and compromised economic conditions, this affects developing countries the most. For example in India, according to reports in 2015, India produced 62,000 million litres of sewage waste per day whereas the treatment capacity is limited to 23,277 million litres (almost 3 times). Leaving almost 70% of urban sewage untreated, which eventually goes on to mix with the natural water bodies, contaminating our sources of drinking water. Not all water purification systems work in all parts of India due to the systems’ lack of energy efficiency (as India is a developing country with many rural places that cannot afford such high-energy technology).

Therefore the problem I am addressing is the lack of sanitation of water, and the lack of energy efficient water purification systems, in India. 

We aim to tackle the water crisis situation in India using energy efficient water filtration systems. We aim to create decentralised, small sites around the country in places that require clean water and sanitation the most to purify the water by using as less energy as possible. This solution will provide energy efficient, low cost solution to the rural areas that need it most. 

Aquafication will ensure to use efficient technology to omit financial, energy and operational (convenience in operation) barriers. This will be done because of the following reasons:

• Financial: Aquafication aims to make sure the water filtration system that is implemented and installed in different rural areas around the country is cost efficient. Rural communities need it the most as they are not resourceful enough to have access to simple water filtration systems even at the least. They cannot afford high cost solutions, so our solution is to make it cost efficient. 
• Energy: Aquafication aims to make sure the water filtration system is also energy efficient. Most of the existing water filtration systems require a lot of energy to be operate. For rural areas providing the same amount of energy as urban areas is not possible. Aquafication cares to decontaminate the waters of mostly rural/peri-urban communities, I will make sure that our water filtration system is energy efficient, so that rural communities are able to afford providing the energy the system requires.
• Operational: Aquafication aims to ensure the water filtration system is operationally convenient. Since the water filtration systems we create is going to be operational in rural communities, we have to consider the education levels of those areas are not as high as urban areas. Although other water filtration systems are very technical and complex, we want to keep ours simple to ensure effective operability by the locals of the community. This will make the experience of using the filtration system convenient for them. 

This water filtration system will be built using a combination of carbon nanotube (CNT) filters and shock electrodialysis as two innovative applications of biotechnology in order to purify and desalinate water, respectively, in an energy and cost efficient manner and will be engineered in a way that is operable by locals of the communities we install it in. 

CNTs have cylindrical structures with diameters measuring 0.001 - 0.002 µm. They are made of strong carbon-carbon bonds, making them durable and less malleable. They are able to make overlapping networks with each other, once structured, which allows them to perform mechanical filtration well due to their high porosity and surface area. Filters work by having microscopic pores to allow water molecules to pass by and trapping toxins. In addition, CNTs have antimicrobial properties which allow safer drinking water.

When the correct diameter of a CNT molecule is used (0.8-1 nanometers), they are formed as a hollow tube with hydrophobic channels. The water molecules are therefore repelled from the walls, and the entropic effects cause the chain of water molecules to flow while trapping toxins. 

The beneficiaries are going to be rural/peri-ubran residents relying on on-site sanitation systems to purify their contaminated drinking water. Treatment services will be provided across sectors around the country where the filtration systems will operate, having significant benefits towards the environment and the well being of our beneficiaries. 

Our approach is to ensure a cost efficient and energy efficient water filtration system that will save the costs of electricity and other factors of the Return on Investment (ROI) in Commercial Water Purification that is the reason for the cost inefficiency of current water filtration systems. Most of this is not only due to the initial cost of installing a water purifier but also the operating expenses. The cost and energy efficiency of this project will be ensured by the utilisation of carbon nanotubes. 

We will ensure that our energy efficient water filtration system will prove to be more affordable for rural communities, more convenient through its treatment and more efficient. Not only will this lower the cost for the production of the water filtration system, but also lower it for the maintenance.

This solution will be impactful because, due to the cost and energy efficient nature of our developed water filtration system, it is considered scalable technology that is not only going to work in one rural area in India, but multiple areas. This scalable technology is also environmentally, energetically and financially sustainable as the productional and operational costs of this technology are low compared to already existing technology. 

Municipalities in India are searching for such technology. As evident, only about 30% of the water sewage is being treated and purified for sanitation in India. With this new energy efficient water filtration system, we aim to boost those numbers up and ensure at least more than half of all sewage water is treated.

This will reduce unnecessarily large energy consumption (electricity usage) and reduce the costs needed adequately operate water purifiers and their treatment of contaminated water. 

The mapped out stakeholders are as follows. 

1.Municipality (External Stakeholder)

 The municipalities will provide investments into this product due to its cost efficient and energy efficient solution on such a prevalent crisis in India. The incentives are as follows: 

• Purification of ubiquitous, highly contaminated water.

• Improved hygiene and sanitation of the population 
• Environmentally mitigatory effects 

2. Rural/Peri-Urban Communities (External Stakeholder)

Rural communities and populations will experience a benefit in this due to their purification of water. Their water systems are currently highly contaminated, with most of them having to drink surface water which is detrimental for their health. With these efficient water filtration systems, their water will be purified and they will have access to clean, drinkable water without much cost or expenditure in energy (as they have a lack of access to both). 

The initial stage of the project, these are the two external stakeholders, we hope to expand our horizons to global levels and accumulate more. 

3. Aquafication (Internal stakeholder)

We will ensure our product is environmentally beneficial. 

Living in India, I witnessed the water crisis that goes on first-hand and the impact it’s having on our environment and community. With so much unclean water in our country, water access for not only drinking purposes but also sanitation purposes has become extremely limited. 

Water runs out in the middle of showers, drinking water is barely available on days, and it’s massively inconvenient. According to reports, the water demand will have increased to 101% of the supply of water. The reasons for scarcity are as follows: 

• Overexploitation: Groundwater is overexploited for agricultural and industrial purposes. This depletes aquifers faster than they can be replenished, thus scarcity. 
• Pollution: Industrial waste pollutants and agricultural runoff contaminate the water sources. This disallows the water from being suitable for consumption. 
• Poor Infrastructure: The leakages and bursts in pipes carrying water not only have impacts on the contamination of water (through sewage pipes leaking) but also the lack of access to water by people due to leakages making the water run out. 
• Climate Change: Unpredictable weather patterns disrupt the monsoon cycle, making rain come at random times which exacerbates the scarcity of water.

Furthermore, the water sources around the country cause health distress and multiple diseases, when they are supposed to provide life to people. According to the WHO, 1 in 3 people do not have access to drinking water. However, as water is necessary for our lives, people use the contaminated water for their daily utilities such as drinking, and sanitary uses such as washing hands, showering or cleaning clothes and vegetables. 

This situation is being exacerbated every day, with more urbanisation, more industrialisation, and therefore more water contamination. This cannot be continued. For this reason, I have decided to create this water filtration system which can target areas of high water contamination, start off there, and eventually help the country in achieving significantly more clean water for drinking and sanitary purposes. I ensure to use the of technology to build a sustainable water filtration system that the communities can manage, as this will improve people's lifestyle and most of all their health. I hope to ensure this impact resonates across the whole country for a significant amount of time to ensure the people of our country are healthy. 

The water crisis in the city I am situated in, Bangalore, faces the worst consequences. Several reports have said the city is drying up, which is true. Therefore, since my company is situated here in Bangalore, we are experiencing the magnitude of the water crisis first-hand. This gives us perspective and therefore helps us to develop a piece of technology that will combat the worst situations in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible. 

Our water filtration system will ensure to decontamination of the rivers and the lakes of Bangalore, the main source of our drinking and sanitary water. This will counteract the lack of sewage management and help remove pollutants, improving people's wellbeing and benefitting the environment. 

There have been multiple prototypes made of the water filtration system, however, none of them has been put to actual commercial use. I aim to try and create more prototypes that are of higher cost and energy efficiency. This will contribute to its sustainability. After which I hope to put it to commercial use in the pilot stage and grow it country-wide in the growth stage. However, currently, the solution is still in the initial stages. 

I believe the technology developed, water filtration system, is truly a meaningful, technical and useful piece of technology which is aiming to solve one of the most prevalent issues in the country, the water crisis. However, I realised, being only 16 years old, I am not experienced enough nor am I credible enough to be able to scale my project by myself. For which I need mentorship, technical and financial help to ensure the solution does not just stay in the prototype stage, but reaches the pilot and growth stage as well, impacting the entire country. 

The country is going through a hard time with its water crisis, and with SOLVE’s help the company can impact the entire country at a much more accelerated pace and address an issue in a technologically unique manner, as well as an energy and cost efficient manner. 

At such a young age, my ability to run a business by myself is a difficult task, balancing school and other extracurriculars. Therefore, some mentorship on how to run this business, technical help on the prototype to accelerate it to the pilot stage, connections to investors and mentors that will help me expand my business model and grow this company and scale this project to impact the entire country. 

Currently, the pilot stage of the solution will be focusing on serving B2C clients, individual communities and helping them decontaminate their water and ensure they have clean water access. However, for growing the impact of this project, I must also target B2B clients. 

The technology for this solution is tough to figure out by myself, however with the help of mentors and professors, I was able to. With SOLVE’s connections, this will be accelerated and the technology will be more efficient for impact. Alternatively, trying to establish these water filtration systems will require a lot of logistical decision making, for which SOLVE can help provide information for. 

Financially, I am not able to fund the entire project therefore SOLVE’s grant will provide a lot of help with funding which will help with the establishment of the project and the running of the operation. 

The already existing solutions, other water filters, mainly have one problem: they are very cost inefficient and require a lot of energy. This makes these water filters only useful for certain places however not all places. All rural places do not have the same amount of energy to spend or the same financial situation to try and afford the water filtration system. Another problem existing solutions have is that they are highly mechanised and are complex to operate. These complex operations mean that only experts can operate it, not the locals. I want to make sure that my solution is simple to operate and is operable by the locals of the rural area. This will ensure that they can be independent and ensure a convenient experience with the water filter. 

Aquafication uses a fraction of the energy required by the existing solutions for almost half the cost. The solutions uses carbon nanotubes which are very cost efficient, and the pores allow for unprecedented efficiencies of filtration. Our filtration system also uses desalination through shock electrolysis, which is another very energy efficient method of desalination. This filtration system is cost effective to install and to operate, while being must more effective than the rest of the existing solutions. 

In addition to an improved technology of the water filtration system, Aquafication aims to incorporate improvements in the infrastructure of the solution by making it easy to access but also easy to operate in different rural areas. The goal is to create decentralised projects all around India, therefore the solution must be able to operate not only in a specific place, but multiple different places. Which means the infrastructure should be able to cope with different environments. 

Theory of Change for Carbon Nanotube Water Filtration System

Problem: Rural areas around Bangalore, India, face significant challenges in accessing clean and safe drinking water. Waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid are prevalent due to contaminated water sources, leading to poor health outcomes and impacting the overall quality of life in these communities.

Solution: Implementing a carbon nanotube water filtration system designed to efficiently and effectively remove contaminants from water, providing rural households with a reliable and sustainable source of clean drinking water. Also to provide this service in energy and cost efficient means, so that the rural communities are able to afford the access. 

How the Solution Works

- Activities: 

1. Install carbon nanotube filtration systems in rural households and community water sources.

• • After developing the pilot model of the water filtration system, I will make sure to establish it in a rural area with a water body where they are exposed to and use contaminated water. The water filtration system will be used to provide them with clean drinking water and sanitary water. 

1. Conduct community training sessions on the proper use and maintenance of the system.

• • Training will be provided to the locals of the community the water filtration system has been installed in. This will ensure that they know how to use the water filtration system and ensure the longevity of this project. By these training sessions, they will be able to run this water filtration system by themselves and be self sufficient. Therefore the municipalities and the rural communities will not have to worry about technicalities nor energy/cost efficiencies. 

1. Work with local health officials and NGOs to monitor water quality and public health outcomes.

• • To measure the impact of the water filtration system, I will ensure to work with public health specialists and NGOs to monitor the overall water quality change due to the water filtration system and the overall health impact the filtration system has had on the community. This data can be used to either improve the filtration system, or scale it further across the country. 

1. Raise awareness about the benefits of using clean water and proper sanitation practices.

- Immediate Outputs:

  - Rural households and community water sources equipped with functional carbon nanotube filtration systems.

  - Residents trained in the use and maintenance of the systems, ensuring longevity and effectiveness.

  - Regular water quality testing and monitoring to ensure compliance with health standards.

- Short-Term Outcomes:

  - Improved access to clean drinking water for thousands of rural households, leading to a reduction in waterborne diseases.

  - Increased community awareness and knowledge about the importance of safe water and sanitation practices.

- Long-Term Outcomes: 

  - A significant reduction in the existence of waterborne diseases in rural Bangalore, improving public health and quality of life.

  - Several decentralised projects around the country that filter the contaminated water. 

  - Enhanced economic opportunities due to reduced healthcare costs and increased productivity.

  - Sustainable water treatment infrastructure that promotes environmental conservation and energy efficiency.

Impact Goals for Rural Development in Bangalore, India:

1. Enhanced Access to Safe Drinking Water:

   - Aim to equip rural households in the Bangalore region with a reliable source of clean water, targeting 10,000 households within the first year.

   - Ensure that the water quality meets or exceeds Indian Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

2. Reduction in Waterborne Diseases in Rural Communities:

   - Target a significant decrease in waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid in the rural areas around Bangalore.

   - Aim for a 30% reduction in these diseases in the first year after deploying the carbon nanotube filtration system.

3. Promotion of Sustainable Water Infrastructure:

   - Implement a low-energy, efficient water filtration system to support sustainable rural development.

   - Focus on reducing the reliance on energy-intensive or pollutive water treatment methods in rural areas.

Measuring Progress in Rural Development in Bangalore, India:

1. Access to Safe Drinking Water:

   - Indicator: Number of rural households with consistent access to safe drinking water through the system.

   - Measurement: Conduct field surveys to identify the number of households using the system. Track the volume of water filtered and analyze water quality reports from local authorities.

2. Water Quality Compliance:

   - Indicator: Compliance with Indian BIS and WHO water quality standards.

   - Measurement: Collect and test water samples from different points in the rural distribution network to ensure they meet safety standards. Document the presence of contaminants such as bacteria, heavy metals, and other pollutants.

3. Reduction in Waterborne Diseases:

   - Indicator: Incidence of waterborne diseases in rural Bangalore before and after the introduction of the system.

   - Measurement: Collaborate with local health clinics to monitor and compare rates of waterborne illnesses. Collect health records and community feedback to gauge the system's impact on public health.

4. Sustainability and Environmental Impact:

   - Indicator: Energy consumption reduction in water treatment in rural areas.

   - Measurement: Compare energy usage with existing water treatment methods. Assess the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the carbon nanotube filtration system versus traditional systems in rural Bangalore.

5. Community Engagement and Awareness:

   - Indicator: Level of community involvement and user satisfaction.

   - Measurement: Conduct interviews and surveys with rural residents to assess satisfaction with the system and gather suggestions for improvement. Track the participation in training and educational workshops about maintaining the filtration system and promoting water hygiene.

By focusing on these impact goals and measurement indicators, my solution aims to significantly contribute to rural development in Bangalore, India, by providing clean water, improving public health, and promoting sustainable practices.

This water filtration system will be built using a combination of carbon nanotube (CNT) filters and shock electrodialysis as two innovative applications of biotechnology in order to purify and desalinate water, respectively, in an energy and cost efficient manner and will be engineered in a way that is operable by locals of the communities we install it in. 

CNTs have cylindrical structures with diameters measuring 0.001 - 0.002 µm. They are made of strong carbon-carbon bonds, making them durable and less malleable. They are able to make overlapping networks with each other, once structured, which allows them to perform mechanical filtration well due to their high porosity and surface area. Filters work by having microscopic pores to allow water molecules to pass by and trapping toxins. In addition, CNTs have antimicrobial properties which allow safer drinking water.

When the correct diameter of a CNT molecule is used (0.8-1 nanometers), they are formed as a hollow tube with hydrophobic channels. The water molecules are therefore repelled from the walls, and the entropic effects cause the chain of water molecules to flow while trapping toxins. 

Currently, during the initial stages of the solution, I am working individually with the occasional mentorship of professors, but, mostly individually. I am a full-time worker. With SOLVE, I am hoping to make new connections and develop a team to make the scaling process more efficient. 

I have been working on this solution for some months. I realised the impact potential it had immediately, especially due to the water crisis in India, and started working on this project. Applying to STEM, I am aiming to gain mentorship in the early stage which can help me better scale my project. Especially since I am only 16 years of age without much experience in this field. 

Currently, I am not working in a team. However, in the future, I will be able to make a team with the connections I have with professors and other mentors. 

Once in a team, the three most important qualities we are going to be implementing in our team are diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion. 

Diversity: I will be making sure my team consists of people from all around the country, and from all around the world. Regardless of their gender or race, I will welcome them because in this company, and personally what I believe is, that these things that society uses to classify people (gender, race, to an extent age,) are not important when it comes to the work that is being done. Therefore I will be promoting diversity to emphasize that people of all races and all genders can contribute to a single good cause, as long as their intentions are right, and their qualifications have nothing to do with their physical factors. 

Equal Opportunity: Similar to diversity, I will make sure that everyone in my team gets equal opportunity. In the team, there will be managers and there will be people working under the managers. However, managers do not get special treatment and workers do not get underestimated because everyone's jobs are equally important and everyone has equal opportunities and equal rights. Therefore, in my team, I will ensure everyone gets equal opportunities for anything that arises and that there is little to no bias, regardless of the position the person is working in. 

Inclusion: Similar to the previous two qualities, I will promote inclusion in my workplace by making sure no one feels left out. Inclusivity of everyone boosts morale and brings together a community feeling among everyone in the company, which is what we require if we want to get the best work done. We are trying to make the world a better place, so we should start with trying to make the work place a better place, which is done with including everyone, and making sure everyone feels involved regardless of their jobs.  

1. Direct Household Sales

   - Sell the carbon nanotube water filtration system directly to rural households. Include installation, maintenance, and customer support in the package.

   - Generate revenue through sales and service contracts, providing households with a reliable source of clean water.

2. Community Partnerships and Distribution

   - Partner with local community centres and NGOs to distribute the filtration system, leveraging their networks for broader outreach.

   - Provide training and ongoing support through community-based hubs to build trust and ensure proper use of the system.

3. Subscription-Based Water Service

   - Offer a subscription model for filtered water, where households pay a monthly fee for access to clean water from centralized filtration stations.

   - This reduces the upfront cost for households and provides a consistent revenue stream for the business, with the flexibility to expand to other rural communities.