The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in conjunction with federal and private cosponsoring organizations, has developed two prize challenges intended to stimulate innovations that expand usable water supplies. The first challenge is to improve the means for measuring arsenic in water. There is an identified need for rapid, low-cost arsenic monitoring beyond methods that now are used to ensure regulatory compliance. The second challenge, “More Water, Less Concentrate,” aims to help inland communities use desalination to provide new sources of water. The winning concepts will minimize the volume of concentrate while maximizing fresh water production.
The prize amounts are $50,000 for the arsenic sensor challenge and $150,000 for the desalination challenge. Both competitions end March 13, 2017. This is the first stage of the challenge process, to be followed with stages for testing and demonstrating the most promising ideas. Prize money increases in subsequent stages.
For more information on the challenges and to register, click here.