TEAM MEMBERS
Ivana Vera Sanchez, Sruthi Pereddy, Michael Ettlinger

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

University of Michigan

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

WELs has developed ThermaMound, a data center cooling system that applies physics concepts such as Archimedes' principle and buoyancy to eliminate the need for mechanical chillers and pumps. Working at the water-energy nexus, the design significantly reduces electricity consumption while conserving local freshwater. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Andrew Bacchus

TEAM MEMBERS
Ziyu Wang, Bo Peng, Guorui Zhang, Xueyan Lin

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

Concordia University

FUN FACT

This team brings together interests from AI, environmental sustainability, and precision agriculture—and they realized that some of their best project ideas started during casual conversations about climate resilience, satellite data, and farming technologies over coffee!

TEAM MEMBERS
Alessio Fortin, Devendra Pal, Zi Wang

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

McGill University

FUN FACT

This team has been to 28 different countries.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
AquaHQL delivers continuous, in-situ monitoring of nanoscale emerging contaminants, including nanoplastics and nanometals, that current monitoring systems cannot detect. The platform provides particle-level intelligence to track contaminant dispersal toward drinking water intakes in real time. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Sabrine Sayadi

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

UQAM | Université du Québec à Montréal 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
CelluPure is developing a modular, cellulose-based filtration technology that uses advanced functionalized fibres to remove multiple contaminants in a single treatment step, helping industries meet regulatory requirements while reducing treatment complexity, sludge generation, and operational costs. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Marc Chason, Dan Gamota, Prof. Marcia Silva, Prof. Christos Takoudis, Prof. Gregory Jursich, Rick Latella

FUN FACT

Their university–industry partnership is so lively that half of their meetings turn into accidental stunt shows.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DMRI-UIC AquaTech Ventures has developed PurAsure™, a NOVEX-AMG®-powered passive in-line water remediation platform that continuously reduces pathogens and disrupts biofilm formation as water flows through existing infrastructure. Designed for stormwater, municipal, agricultural, aquaculture, and cooling-water applications, it offers a scalable retrofit that requires no electricity, chemical dosing, or complex operation, and has demonstrated greater than 6-log (99.9999%) pathogen reduction through laboratory and university validation.  

TEAM MEMBERS
Haolun (Allen) Tian, Luke Schmidt

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
Queen's University

FUN FACT

This team is named after both the cute monotreme from Australia and the mother of monsters from Greek mythology!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
EchiDNA Environmental has created a high-volume, pumpless, reusable, room-temperature-stable eDNA filter that makes environmental DNA (eDNA) biomonitoring accessible beyond academic settings, enabling anyone to collect samples at low start-up cost. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Nicolas Betancur

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
University of Michigan

FUN FACT

For this team, this whole project has been an example of how building with AI empowers the engineer to expand beyond their specialty to make an interdisciplinary impact.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Lake Monitor is a harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring program that uses field robotics, autonomy, and limnological methods to generate high-density bloom maps supporting operator decision-making and research, including in shallow-water HAB risk zones that monitoring boats cannot reach. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Jessica Reemeyer, Aaliyah Lahai, Ashleigh Addison

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
University of Regina

FUN FACT

This is an all-woman team!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Limnetic Optical Solutions has built an AI-powered underwater camera that makes freshwater monitoring simple, affordable, and non-invasive. The camera automatically detects fish and records only when wildlife is present, helping researchers and communities collect meaningful data while using less storage and power. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Aman Gurmani, Grishma Bakhedi, Hadiyah Arif, Karanveer Sidhu, Preksha Sood, Yusra Ahmed, Faria Islam, Anika Khan, Yusriyah Rahman

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
University of Windsor

TEAM MEMBERS
Patrick Li

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
University of Michigan

FUN FACT

This team started from a real aquaponics project at the University of Michigan, where they first experienced how difficult it can be to monitor dissolved oxygen and protect fish health in real time.

TEAM MEMBERS
Matis Garbez, Rin Baudelet, Karim Bouzid

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
University Laval

FUN FACT

The idea for this project was born 16 years ago, back in 2010, when one of their team members first dreamed it up in high school!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This team has developed a portable, affordable device that autonomously identifies and monitors aquatic microparticles directly in the field, tracking algae and microplastics between 5 and 500 micrometers. The device alerts users to emerging risks such as harmful algal blooms, eutrophication, biodiversity loss, and invasive species, enabling early intervention that protects ecosystem health and reduces costs for local communities. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Hemanshu Viswanathan, Aditya Ambarisha, Raghavendra Suswaram

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
Novi High School

FUN FACT

This team was featured on the local news (WDIV) alongside Brittany VanderBeek in an interview advertising the AquaHacking Challenge! The segment got thousands of views. Watch it here!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
WaterSentinel is a modular buoy that removes microplastics and other small particles from local freshwater systems through a four-step process: intake, electrocoagulation, cyclone filtration, and excretion. 

TEAM MEMBERS
Adeze-Irene Chukwu

TEAM MEMBERS
Samaneh Yaghoobian, Wonjun Lee, Mingxin Qu, Qiang Hu, Zhihan Wang, Tavayogeshwary Thangadurai 

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
Concordia University

FUN FACT

This team brings together expertise in electrochemical sensing, materials development, machine learning, mapping, and business strategy to turn complex laboratory-based PFAS testing into a field-friendly tool that communities and water managers could use more easily.

TEAM MEMBERS
Andrew Kamal

FUN FACT

This team got a shout-out from the Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE).

TEAM MEMBERS
Stanley Madziyire, Aliyu Saifullah Vandana

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
University of Windsor

FUN FACT

Their go-to spot for meals during work is Osmow's Shawarma (taking advantage of those student deals, of course).

TEAM MEMBERS
Daniel Cirimwami, Nathan Kennedy

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
McGill University

FUN FACT

Both team members speak three languages!

TEAM MEMBERS
Brandon Kulow

TEAM MEMBERS
Samantha Arcilla, Luis Guardiola Meza, Lizeth Ospina, Laura Teran Simancas, Jaden Irving, Efrain Deulofeu Castaneda

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

Toronto Metropolitan University

TEAM MEMBERS
Catherine Mburu,  Shrey Mahida

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

Western University

TEAM MEMBERS
Daniel Wentchoko, Jordy Gervil Kanga Ngbo, Prosper Mapepa, Elias Ngbana

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

University of Sherbrooke, École de technologie supérieure ÉTS, Central Michigan University

FUN FACT

This team can pinpoint the drought risk of any well in Québec down to the coordinate, but they still argue about who makes the best coffee during late-night coding sessions.

TEAM MEMBERS
Elham Soleimanian, Alireza Shahvaran, Hamid Arzani

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

McGill University

TEAM MEMBERS
Tsaiping (Hannah) Liao, Yeuhyun Kim, Yiqian Wu, Youjin Kim, Amreen Kaur Randhawa, Karim Bouzid, Maya Juratli

ACADEMIC INSTITUTION

York University, University of Toronto

FUN FACT

No two team members share the same background. This team brings together expertise in engineering, chemistry, health sciences, environmental microbiology, social science, policy, and community engagement, which allows them to tackle water challenges from technical, environmental, and societal perspectives.