Sensors for Heavy Metals & Chemicals

Deadline: 2019-01-13
Award: $25,000
Open to: Everyone*

Spearheaded by The Water Council, a series of Tech Challenges are run throughout the year, and each Challenge is designed around a specific topic identified by corporate sponsors.

Tech Challenge: Sensors for Heavy Metals & Chemicals is looking for inventive individuals or companies with:

Solutions for detecting heavy metals (such as lead) and industrial chemicals (such as PFOA and PFAS) in water and wastewater
Sensors or sensing methods for the following analytes, or indicators:
PFOA and/or PFAS
Lead (to 0.015 mg/L)
Other heavy metals
Various Acids including Sulfuric

Key success criteria for the performance of the solutions include:

Durable
Low cost
Long lasting
Low energy usage
Rapid response
Non-toxic reagents or no reagents required
Minimizing false positives or false negatives

Challenge finalists will present in-person to the sponsoring organization to compete for:

Maximum total prize money of $25,000
If the technology is near commercialization, opportunities to jointly commercialize technology with a sponsoring company
If the technology needs more research, opportunities to continue research at the Water Equipment & Policy (WEP) Research Center in conjunction with a university professor and sponsoring company
Access to sponsoring companies’ R&D teams
Media exposure and communications boost to The Water Council’s water technology leadership network