Winner of the 2018 UK Junior Water Prize Announced

Krtin Kanna Nithiyanandam from Sutton Grammar School has won the UK Junior Water Prize, for his project titled “Employing Computer Vision and Cellulosic Biocomposites for Rapid, Automated and Cost-effective Water Analysis and Purification”.

The 17 year old blew judges away again this year with his project which looks at purifying contaminated water using cost-effective methods. The judges were thoroughly impressed with the technicality of the project report, and commended Krtin on his strong presentation skills and ability to answer the broad range of questions during the judging.

The UK Junior Water Prize is a national competition providing a global platform for the UK’s junior water innovators. Organised annually by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) in partnership with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the competition welcomes entries from secondary school students aged 15 upwards from across the U.K who have developed innovative scientific projects relating to water.

The judging took place in Cranfield University. Two of the finalists were commended for their projects. Leona Irwin for her project on “Investigating the hygiene of dispensing re-hydration therapies in developing countries in relation to infant mortality” and Olivia Winter for her Project titled “Rain, Hydro”.

2018 CIWEM President Angela Gray awarding two highly commended projects

Terry Fuller, CIWEM Chief Executive and competition judge said,

“We have had another fantastic year judging the UK Junior Water Prize. I was taken aback by the quality and complexity of projects this year, and inspired by the young people driving innovation for solving major global environmental challenges. The competition is a fantastic opportunity for schools to get involved with, and it provides great CV experience for student’s future careers.”

“Thank you again to Cranfield University and The Environment Agency for supporting this competition and helping celebrate the outstanding talent of our next generation.”

Paul Cross, Flood and Coastal Risk Management at The Environment Agency, and competition judge said,

“I was delighted to help judge the UK Junior Water Prize 2018. The competition provides a great platform for young people to demonstrate how they are applying themselves to embrace some of the world’s greatest challenges around water. I personally feel inspired by the young people who entered and encouraged that the emerging talent we are developing are equipped with the right skills and mind-set to help us embrace the challenges of today and the future.”

Jerry Knox, Professor of Agricultural Water Management at Cranfield University, said,

“We were delighted to once again host the CIWEM UK Junior Water Prize 2018 at Cranfield. The calibre of the students attending and their clear passion for trying to resolve some of the most complex global water and environmental issues was incredibly impressive. I hope these individuals continue to share their enthusiasm for water science with colleagues and receive the support they deserve to pursue careers in STEM – the next generation of UK water scientists and engineers looks very promising.”

Krtin will represent the UK at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, taking place in August, which brings together fellow competitors from over 30 countries during world water week. Participants meet with patron of the prize HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and take part in a week long cultural exchange including the chance to present their project at the international conference.

The UK Junior Water Prize is organised in partnership with the Stockholm International Water Institute. Find out more on their website here.