When I saw a picture of a girl in Ghana being forced to drink contaminated water, I was motivated to look for a solution to our global water crisis. Over one billion people worldwide lack access to clean water, but the existing water filters are too complicated and expensive for developing countries.

Graphene is a two-dimensional form of carbon that improves water filtration, but costs millions of dollars to produce. I devised a novel technique, requiring just sugar and sand to cheaply create a graphene sand composite.

I enjoy military history and heard from a veteran about chitosan, a material that is used in bandages to clot the wound faster. Chitosan is created from crustacean shells, and I combined chitosan with the graphene I had created.  I used this new material in my integrated water treatment system, the NOGOS, costing just $2 to produce in developing countries.

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The NOGOS was able to remove all contaminants to the same quality as tap water, including faeces, organic waste, and iron oxide (rust). It also completely eliminated bacteria, which cause over three million yearly deaths from water-related diseases. Unlike existing designs, the NOGOS is constructed entirely of materials that are easily found in developing countries, and will be built by the communities who will use it.

I am aiming to test the NOGOS in field conditions within the next year, and implementation will eliminate over three million deaths from water-related diseases, while bringing clean water to almost one billion thirsty people.