Finalists
2006 Stockholm
Junior Water Prize

The Stockholm
Junior Water Prize
Water and Young People – Linked to the
Future
The international Stockholm Junior Water
Prize contest aims to encourage young
people’s interest in issues concerning
water and the environment.
The award is given annually for an outstanding
water project by a young person or a small groupof young people. With this, the competition
seeks to inspire young people to a continued
engagement in water and related subjects.
While the global water environment remains
in peril, the future depends on our ability to
manage this life-sustaining resource. Today’s
youth are indeed tomorrow’s leaders and must
be encouraged to pursue water-related careersor our scarce supply risk further erosion.
The ﬁnalists at the international Stockholm
Junior Water Prize competition are the winnersof national SJWP contests. The national andinternational competitions are open to pre-university people between 15–20 years of age whohave conducted water related projects focusing
on local, regional, national or global topics ofenvironmental, scientiﬁc, social or technologicalimportance.
The winner of the international Stockholm
Junior Water Prize receives a USD 5,000 award
and a blue crystal sculpture in the shape of awater droplet. The national competitions haveinspired young people around the world tobecome active in water issues.
H.R.H. Crown
Princess Victoria
of Sweden is
the Patron of theStockholm Junior
Water Prize.

Finalists 2006

By Santiago Jesús Cardozo, Sergio Daniel Legal,
Lucas Josué Leiva and Francisco Javier Lezcano
Vector transmitted diseases are a main cause of death indeveloping countries. The prevalence of mosquitoes andﬂat snails (of the Biomphalaria genus) is high in the ﬁnalists’home province. These vectors pose a serious regional andlocal health threat. The situation is aggravated by deﬁcient
health and sanitary services due to the low socio-economic
status of a large portion of the population. Biological treatment methods have been increasingly recognised in recent
years as a viable alternative to more harmful, traditional
chemical methods for controlling vector populations.
The Argentinean group sampled and evaluated two
types of native ﬁsh, Phyrrhulina australis (masked ﬁsh) andCichlasoma dimerus (little pig), with regard to their efﬁciency as bio-controllers for invertebrates of medical concern.
Samples of these species were fed with mosquito larvaeand snails and the results show that they both constitute animportant alternative to controlling vector populations, butthat no remarkable accomplishment will be made without
community involvement.
The Sustainability of the Brisbane River for
Recreational and Commercial Use
By Alex de Sousa and Linda Van
The Brisbane River is not only an important aesthetic
feature but it is also an imperative water resource for thecity of Brisbane. The river has high recreational values andwater sports such as canoeing, rafting, jet skiing and swimming are appreciated activities for people living in the area.
It is also essential for commercial use, since Queensland’s
major shipping company, the “Port of Brisbane”, is based at
the mouth of the river. These are all important reasons why
the Brisbane River’s water quality should be sustained.
Alex de Sousa and Linda Van analysed the Brisbane
River at several locations to evaluate the water quality.
According to their results the water quality was satisfying,
but there was still room for improvement. Possible pollution
sources were identiﬁed as well as two strategies for pollution reduction. “Urban runoff containment” and “pollution
minimisation” were the strategies recommended by theﬁnalists in order to minimise the risk of pollution increase.

BENIN“Bio-controlling Fish”– An Option to Control Vector Transmitted Illnesses

CAMEROON

AUSTRALIA

ARGENTINA

Finalists 2006
Every Drop is Important
By Mohammed Coudous Makinde
Every Beninese uses a considerable amount of potablewater on daily basis, of which only a fraction is used for
drinking. The rest is used for household purposes such as
cleaning and personal hygiene. During a visit to a neighbourhood where the water supply had been cut off because of
unpaid bills, Mohammed Coudous Makinde discovered thatthe community suffered from excess consumption becauseof equipment and faucet leakages.
He then initiated an awareness campaign, focused on
young people, with the aim to change behaviour and habits
as well as to inﬂuence their parents to reduce their water
consumption. Sixty households were included in a targetedfollow-up study to the campaign. Their consumption patterns were obtained though information from their water
bills and collaboration with a local plumber. The awareness campaign was successful, and as much as a 50–70%
reduction of water consumption was observed.
Community Health Education and School
Sanitation (CHESS) Project, Cameroon– A Youth Audience Approach
By Elizabeth Atang, Yannick Ngembus andEverette-Kelton Ngwane
Clean and safe water and adequate sanitation are criticalfactors for human health and for protection against a wide
range of diseases. The competitors from Cameroon are
members of the International Centre for Education, Youth
Orientation and Mobilisation (ICEYOM). ICEYOM involves
Cameroonian youths in raising public awareness in order tocontribute to improved health in communities throughout
the country. Important focus areas for ICEYOM are the promotion of health and hygiene education in schools and toraise the aspect of gender related to water issues.
The main objective of the Cameroonian student’s
project was to point out the social, cultural and economic
issues faced by Cameroonians due to the lack of access toclean and safe water as well as adequate sanitation. The
team developed and introduced education, coordinationand information programmes, linking sanitation and healthissues to the UN Millennium Development Goals.

34

By Joanna McNeil
The Sydney Tar Ponds is North America’s largest toxic dump
site, created by what was once North America’s largest steel
mill. The ponds, at the heart of the city, have for decades
had a detrimental effect on the health and lifestyle of the
Sydney residents. No facility for collecting the contaminatedwater has been established, and it ﬂows freely into the
Atlantic Ocean or percolates through the soil, hence polluting groundwater. Sydney has the highest rates of some
types of cancer in Canada.
In searching for a way to combat this problem, Joanna
McNeil tested the efﬁciency of a biological abatement process, in which micro-organisms decompose toxins into moremanageable substances. Through a microbial community
analysis on microbes found in the tar ponds, she discovered
an interesting pattern where the microbes’ activity was limited by temperature. Thus Joanna found that bio-remediation
was not only possible, but could also be improved further
through an increase in temperature and oxygen levels.
Cultivating the Desert with Seawater
By Víctor Arredondo and Jimmy Galleguillos
The quinoa plant, Chenopodium quínoa Wild, was thestaple grain of the indigenous people in the Andes before
the Spanish arrival. Quinoa is rich in amino acids, and iscapable of withstanding a number of stressful conditions,such as salinity, frost and water deﬁciency. The Food andAgricultural Organisation has projected that the grain has apotential to enhance food security in Chile.
Víctor Arredondo and Jimmy Galleguillos come from
Iquique in Northern Chile. The city is surrounded by sea
and desert and has little vegetation due to scarcity of freshwater. In this arid region agricultural activities are limited
and there is a need for a drought and salt tolerant grain
species which can provide vitamins and proteins to the local
people. The team have tested if it is possible to make thequinoa seeds germinate when irrigated with seawater. Theirresults indicated that seawater irrigation is a viable option- the germination rate after 96 hours showed no signiﬁcantdifferences between the three samples utilising distilledwater, 50% saltwater and 75% saltwater respectively.

CHINA

Living in the Sydney Tar Ponds– an Analysis of the Microbial Community

DENMARKCHILE

CANADA

Finalists 2006
Application, Research and Practice ofa Comprehensive Technology for Restoring Urban
River Channels Ecologically
By Hao Wang, Jie Weng and Yi Xiao
The Shanghai area includes many severely polluted river
channels. The Chinese ﬁnalists have explored several feasible
treatment methods originating from the concept of “urban
pre-tank engineering technology” – a combination of dredging, irrigation and spraying. The Chinese team have developedand improved several methods, facilities and technologies, ofwhich four inventions have been patented in 2006.
Tests performed in the Caoxi River indicate that thesenovel ideas integrated with comprehensive technology
can have substantial positive effects on the water quality.
Previously dark and odorous water has become clear after
treatment, and the general water quality has reached or
exceeded the domestically recommended standard for surface water. The technology has provided another highly efﬁcient low-cost ecological treatment scheme for improved
water quality and restored the self-cleaning capability ofsmall and mid-sized urban river channels.
Farming Against Global Warming
By Fateh Warraich and Nagina Warraich
Global warming is a serious threat to our future and anissue that has to be addressed and attacked from several
angles. One such perspective is the issue of carbon sinks.
The oceans have great potential in this respect, a fact whichconstitutes the starting point of Fateh and Nagina Warraich’s
project.
The overall purpose of their study was to examine therole of phytoplankton in regulating the content of CO2 in theatmosphere. The basic idea is that an increase in the amountof phytoplankton in the oceans would be possible through artiﬁcial mineral additives, thereby enabling a higher production ofphotosynthesis. This would lead to a decrease in atmospheric
CO2 concentrations as carbon is stored for centuries whenplankton sink to the sea ﬂoor. The team examined how much
CO2 the phytoplankton could absorb under optimal conditions(puriﬁed seawater) and found that the uptake depended on
the amount of nutrients available. They concluded that algae in
puriﬁed seawater could absorb up to three times more carbon
dioxide than algae in ordinary seawater.

By Marek Karja and Heilika Leinus
Cultivation of berries is an agricultural activity that can havenegative consequences, especially if plantations are situatedadjacent to marsh lands, which generally have high biodiversity. Leakage of fertilisers from the berry plantations could
result in water pollution affecting the marsh ecosystems.
Heilika Leinus and Marek Karja were concerned about
the fact that the most favourable areas for cultivation of
Vaccinium – blueberries – in Estonia are peat milling ﬁelds
situated in marsh areas. They analysed the water quality in pristine marsh lands as well as in marsh lands withadjacent berry plantations to compare and then be able toquantify the fertiliser leakage from the plantations. Theirresults showed that the amount of nutrients in the water incultivated areas was higher than in uncultivated areas. Repetition of the tests showed that the levels were increased
over time. The ﬁnalists suggest that ecological farming andchanges in fertilisation timing should be considered in orderto decrease the negative impacts of fertiliser leakage.
When CO2 Cares About H2O– Learn About Water While We Learn Our Trade
By Fabien Levillain and Mathieu Urvoy
As part of a course in Industrial Vehicle Maintenance, Fabien
Levillain and Mathieu Urvoy read about how their personal andprofessional actions affect the water environment. Having studied internal combustion engines, students in their school weregenerally more concerned about the contribution of exhaust
fumes to the greenhouse effect than about water issues.
This perspective was somewhat changed with Fabienand Mathieu’s project, whose aim was to spread knowledge to students, professionals and companies about water
responsibility in the car industry. They wrote and distributed
a newsletter as well as took part in an exhibition, which
attracted 1500 young apprentices from various courses at
CIFAC – a leading training institute in Caen. The newsletterhas become an ideal help in their information campaign
aimed at companies and professionals in the sector. The
ﬁnalists are dedicated to remain involved in making thetransport sector more aware of problems related to waterpollution. They are also involved in the environmental certiﬁcation work taking place at their current workplace.

GERMANY

Water Quality in Blueberry
Plantations and Natural Bog Areas

INDIA

FRANCEESTONIA

Finalists 2006
Annual Invasion of ”Blue Poison Dwarfs”– Algal Blooms in the Lake Banter See
By Christina Kronenberg, Marielouise Sander
and Kim Annchen Tappe
Algal blooms occur more frequently in the leisure lake called“Banter See”. The annual blooms of toxic cyanobacterium
Nodularia spumigena constitute a major inconvenience forthe population of Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony, since
they cause annual swimming bans.
To ﬁnd a starting point for research on prevention of algal
blooms, the German group conducted growth experiments
focusing on temperature, salinity, nutrient salt concentration,and light in combination with temperature. Their results
revealed that the conditions typical for early summer in the
Banter See are ideal for the initiation of algal blooms. They
further established that the lake salinity was lower than preferred, and that the proposed opening of a “Grodendamm”(frog dam) probably would make the conditions more favourable for algal blooms, since increased levels of nitrogen andphosphorus would favour algal growth. A “free jet method”
for destratiﬁcation has been discussed as a possible algal
bloom remedy, but is still in a trial phase.
Ou Lota (a Liane of Tetracera sarmentosa )– An Alternative Source of Potable Water
By Antora Borah and Rohan Borah
Supply of potable water is one of India’s greatest challenges,
and governmental policies have not yet been successful
in this regard. Alternative sources of water have therefore
become increasingly signiﬁcant. In bedtime stories duringchildhood, Antora and Rohan Borah were told about a plantwith remarkable water storing capacity, called Ou Lota. It isa climbing plant which grows to a height of 60–65 feet andis found in abundance in Australia, the Amazons, India, andmany South-East Asian countries.
For their project the team ventured into NamborDoigrung Wild Life Sanctuary and found plenty of Ou Lota.
Samples were extracted and analysed – establishing that theplant water is indeed suitable for drinking. In comparison to
general groundwater and commercial mineral water, the Ou
Lota exudates are rich in permissible minerals. Since thestems and barks of the plant can be used for various otherpurposes like preparation of cosmetic articles, agricultural
tools, etc., Ou Lota could become an alternative source of
potable water while commercial usage extended.

5

JA PA N

I TA LY
6

A System for Elimination of Oil Slicks on the Sea Surface
By Grigory Lisochenko and Alexey Vanyukhin
One of the most acute problems related to oil exploitationis contamination of the sea surface and coastal areas by oil
slicks. Finding a remedy to this problem is of utmost importance from an ecological as well as an economic point ofview. Current methods of abating sea pollution are tailored
toward speciﬁc ecological problems and damage limitation,such as pollution levels and disastrous after-effects.
Instead, Grigory Lisochenko and Alexey Vanyukhin haveaimed at developing a system of barriers to reduce thespread of crude oil on the surface of the sea and to collectthe spilt oil. The system is based on a combination of a ﬂoating barrier and magnetic receivers that collect the spilled oil.
A prototype tested experimentally in a laboratory wave tankproved to be 100% efﬁcient. It remained stable in the presence of sea waves and had sufﬁcient elasticity to follow the
movement of the water surface. The system may be of greatuse for maritime oil transportation companies, as well as forprevention of ecological disasters along sea shores.
Water from the Hills – Hydrological Study of Minor
Streams in the Alba Area
By Viviana Ambrosio, Elia Blangero and Elena Costa
The area surrounding the town Alba is full of small rivers
and streams whose erosive action has sculptured the surrounding landscape. Most of the year the streams are dry,but in spring and autumn, following thaws, heavy rainfall orsummer storms, they convey water to the drainage channels downstream. Intense, short storms have repeatedly
resulted in ﬂooding, which have affected inhabited areas.
The Italian ﬁnalists have through elaborate calculations
assessed the risks of ﬂooding and suggested a series of
preventive actions in order to limit damage to people andproperty. In their risk assessment they have calculated river
ﬂow rates, rate of ﬂow through hydraulic constructions suchas channels and bridges, slope gradients in and surface areaof the drainage basin. The critical sections of the downstream
drainage channels have been identiﬁed and proposed to be
widened. Moreover, some changes in the actual design of thedrainage channels have been suggested, for example raising
the level of the stream and river banks.
A Tiny Case with Big Possibilities– Environment Friendly and Water Conserving
Nursing Method for Rice Seedling Production
By Satomi Kosho, Sae Nishino and Naomi Sugimoto
In the agricultural sector there are few possibilities for disabled people to earn their living. Concern about this minorityof labourers motivated the Japanese ﬁnalists to ﬁnd new
methods to germinate and nurse seedlings which could
then be sold at a market.
Through modiﬁcation of the Wardian Case, which isa plant life-sustaining invention used for transportation ofplants, the team created their own Katsura Nursery Case
(KNC). Based on the same principles as the Wardian case,
the KNC effectively nurtures plants with little effort andminimal water usage. To enhance the KNC’s ﬁeld of use, thegroup tried rice production. The traditional rice cultivation

practices require large amounts of water in the initial stage,something that the KNC managed to reduce by about 93% .
The total water reduction, for the whole rice production process, amounted to 39% . The conditions inside the Nursery
Case also shortened the sprouting stage by four to sevendays and improved the overall quality of the seedlings.

L AT V I AISRAEL

Finalists 2006

The Investigation of Jugla Lake Water Composition
By Andris Rudzinskis
There are plenty of lakes with high recreational values in
Latvia. To the inhabitants of Riga, the nearby Lake Jugla isan important destination for excursions and leisure activities.
However, the water quality of Lake Jugla is deteriorating due
to eutrophication aggravated by anthropogenic activities in
the area. Although lake quality conservation is listed as one ofthe primary goals of Latvia’s environmental protection plan,
there is currently no programme for lake supervision at thestate level. In order to control and abate increased pollution
levels it is important to monitor water quality continuously.
Andris Rudzinskis has conducted four months of observation and analysis of the Jugla lake water and compared his
results to previous studies. He has suggested regular surveysof the water condition and lake treatment activities such as
reed and mire removal. From an economic perspective themost efﬁcient activity would be to remove the mire layer.

Elimination of NOx Through Fe(0) Reactive Barriers
By Jenny Díaz Centeno
During the last century it was found that high concentrationof nitrates and nitrites in water and food is a factor contributing to certain illnesses, such as metahemoglobinemia. Since
there are no cost-efﬁcient methods for removing nitrogencompounds from wastewater – discharge from industrial
and municipal waste as well as agricultural run-off are main
sources of these compounds in surface and groundwater.
This water is commonly used for household purposes andonce inside the human body, the nitrogen ions react withiron in the blood, thereby obstructing oxygen distribution.
Jenny Díaz Centeno evaluated a remedial strategy thatmakes the nitrogen compounds harmless to the humanbody. The process is based on metallic iron reactive barriers
which in combination with active micro-organisms cause thenitrogen ions to react and degrade. She found that this combination process could speed up degradation considerably.
The Roles of Youths and Children in Water Supply
and Management in the Peri-urban and Rural Areasof Anambra State, Nigeria
By Stanley Obinna Okafor, Maureen Chidera Okika andStephen Chukwuemeka Umeh
In peri-urban and rural areas of Anambra State, Nigeria,
youths and children face a lot of difﬁculties and challenges
resulting from a lack of clean water available for consumption and domestic use. This predicament results in a spreadof water-borne diseases, leading to increased mortality andhigh morbidity, especially affecting children. In this area it iscommon that youth and children have to work very hard to
supply water for household needs. In rural areas they often
have to walk long distances to collect water, while in otherareas the only alternative is to wait for rain which can becollected and harvested off buildings.
The Nigerian team have been involved in activities tosecure water resources, such as well digging and channel
constructions for ﬂoodwater draining. The group were also
concerned about water quality issues and initiated a money
raising program to purchase stream covering nets in orderto prevent vegetation and other unwanted debris from falling into the fresh water reservoirs.
Rovebekken – Who Should Take Responsibility for
the Environment in the Rovebekk?
By Marianne Dahl, Silje Holm Karlsen, Eivind Gullestad
Storm-Olsen and Ming Kit Wong
The little stream Rovebekken is polluted, but the main contributing factor is not known. The Norwegian group collected
and analysed water samples from the stream and found thatthe upstream part has a higher pollution content compared
to downstream areas. The upper part of the small river issituated close to the local airport, and the results of the tests
indicates that glycol from the airport could be a major sourceof pollution. However, the evidence is ambiguous since thecreek also receives run-off containing nutritive salts and otherpolluting substances from surrounding agriculture.
Based on their results the group presented both local
farmers and the airport management several preventive

measures to improve the environmental status of thestream. The airport is working on improving the collectionof glycol used to defrost the airplanes, as well as the drainage system for taxi- and runways. They are also extending
their control on general environmental impact.

POLANDNORWAYNIGERIAMEXICO

Finalists 2006

Water Shortage Concerns You – Let’s Help
By Klaudia Nowicka
To Klaudia Nowicka, the water crisis is not a problem only
concerning certain people or communities, but drought, ﬂoods
and water contamination may happen to anyone, anywhere
and at any time. She points out that also people in developed
countries have to be prepared to encounter freshwater problems in the future. Another issue raised by Klaudia is that we allcontribute to the deterioration of potable water resources andthat joint efforts of communities, institutions and governments
may prevent aggravation of the approaching crisis.
In order to relieve drinking water shortages in developing countries she has planned to set up her own aid
organisation. Her idea is to ﬁnance the aid activities throughfundraising in the society as well as corporate sponsorships.
Schools in particular will play a signiﬁcant role in the fundraising strategy, which includes advertising in news papers
and magazines, setting up a website, initiate workshops,
community fairs and other public outreach activities.
78

Following the construction of large water reservoirs, hundredsof thousands hectares of land were submerged – transforming
the most elevated parts of the affected landscapes into small
islands. These islands are excluded from the state land regulations because they are referred to as “non-existent” and are
therefore not legally protected by Russian land legislation.
Kristina Barsheva analysed the legal status of 36 islandsin the tideway of the River Volga, near the city of Kazan,
with high recreational values. The analysis of local andfederal regulatory policies showed that the state effectively
refused to recognise any social or economic responsibilities
for these islands. The undeﬁned or unclear legal status provokes extensive use of the islands’ natural resources, which
adversely affects the river ecosystem. The results of thisstudy helped to formulate proposals to restore regulatoryland-use mechanisms, aiming at increasing the protection
for land and biological resources of river islands.
Improvement of Grey Water – ”Plant Tea”
By Nompilo Mahlobo, Thobile Mbanjwa
and Thokozile Mbanjwa
Water shortage is a severe problem in many parts of South
Africa, especially in informal settlements. One way to partly
solve the problem can be to reuse household wastewater, so called grey water. The South African group haveencouraged the reuse of water in schools and surrounding
communities through promotion of their own innovation– “Plant Tea”. Plant Tea is a liquid fertiliser composed of grey
water and a variety of organic household wastes, which not
only saves water but also recycles plant nutrients.
The objectives of their project were to help people in
informal settlements to conserve precious water resources
and to determine the effectiveness of the Plant Tea as afertiliser. To test the quality of the mixture they compared
the effects on four agricultural plots using four different treatments; grey water with added fertiliser, Plant Tea, plain grey
water and regular tap water. The Plant Tea proved to be more
efﬁcient than both the plain grey water and tap water.

SPA INHow to Preserve River Island
Ecosystems for People and for Nature?
By Kristina Barsheva

SRI LANKA

SOUTH AFRICARUSSI A N F EDER AT ION

Finalists 2006

Sea Pollution by Zinc Chloride– Effects of Sea Pollution by Zink Chloride on the
Embryonic Development of Mytilus
By Irene García
Because many marine species reproduce by external fertilisation with the embryonic development taking place in the open
sea, they are often more sensitive to different kinds of pollution.
A zinc chloride accident outside the seaside town Blanes lastyear inspired Irene García to ﬁnd out what effects the pollution
would have had on marine life if it had reached the sea.
She conducted a series of experiments focusing on theeffects that zinc chloride has on the embryonic developmentof a mussel (Mytilus sp.). By looking at more than 1000
embryos she concluded that zinc chloride have negative
effects on the embryonic development of mussels. Not only
was the embryonic development disturbed and brought to anend, but also the number of defective individuals increased,causing a diminishing cell division frequency. Even at allowed
concentrations of zinc chloride she detected negative effects
on the mussels and she therefore extends a warning thatwater contamination should be taken more seriously.
Water Conservation in Paddy Cultivation
By A.P. Mihirani Kethumalika, G.D. Uthpala Rathnayake and
J.M.A. Chathurika Rathnayake
Water is becoming scarcer in Sri Lanka, partly due to inefﬁcient
agricultural practices and improper resource management.
Improved water conservation practices are urgently needed inorder to meet the increasing pressure on the limited resources,
especially from food production. As rice is the staple food in
Sri Lanka, paddy cultivation is a very important feature all overthe country. However, cultivation of paddy is water intense
and application of excess water is even recommended by agricultural authorities as a means to control weeds. Nearly nine
percent of the water is wasted through this practice.
The Sri Lankan project evaluates the effectiveness of applying “paddy straw mulch” on paddy ﬁelds as an alternative weed
control practice. They concluded that in addition to controllingthe weeds, and conserving water, this method is a meaningful
and effective way to minimise the problems associated withwater shortages locally, nationally and even globally.

USA

UKRAINE

The Quantity of Bacteria in Drinking Water
at Various Temperatures – A Comparison Between“Cooler” Drinking Water and Tap Water
By Joachim Westerlund
The introduction of water coolers in Joachim Westerlund’shigh school gave rise to the idea to ﬁnd out whether the water
which they contained was healthier than the community tap
water. Since Joachim suspected that outside air would carrybacteria into the container he wanted to compare bacteria
content in the water from the coolers to ordinary tap water.
At various temperatures, water samples were cultivated inorder to evaluate the bacteria content. The amount and themost common forms of colonies were assessed using nigrosin
solution staining, and a species classiﬁcation was made throughgram staining. Joachim’s results showed that after 24 hours
at 37° C there were no bacteria in the tap water, whereas theamount discovered in the packaged water was up to 10 000
bacteria/ml. According to the Swedish National Health Guidelines this ﬁgure should be no greater than 20 micro-organisms/
ml. After Joachim presented his results to the school management, the water containers were removed and water coolingsystems for ordinary tap water were introduced instead.
Device for Electrochemical Treatment
of Industrial Wastewater with Environmentally
Clean Inexhaustible Energy Source
By Maxym Dmytrenko and Roman Levin
Present industrial wastewater treatment methods requirelarge amounts of energy. Therefore Maksym Dmytrenko
and Roman Levin have developed a new wastewater
treatment unit. Their idea was to eliminate some of thedisadvantages of the electrolysis and electrodialysis units
currently used for removal of cyan and thiocyanogen fromwastewater. The innovative design uses wind power as analternative energy source in order to minimise the consumption of non-renewable energy.
In addition to designing the wastewater treatment unit
the team have constructed a prototype and thoroughly
tested the construction and its components. These components include a device for electrochemical treatment ofwater, a power supply unit which consists of a wind engine,an inductor generator with a stabiliser, and a rotation frequency generator. Some of their results were publishedin scientiﬁc journals and they received six patents for thewastewater treatment unit and its various parts.

bility of both oysters to the algae species Karlodinium in theirﬁrst growth weeks, which indicate major potential problems
for oysters as long as the water quality of Chesapeake Bay
remains poor. The study also suggest that there is a possible
difference in how the two oyster species are affected byphytoplankton blooms, implying that oyster managers must
identify where oysters would have the best chance for survival
when accounting for where algal blooms regularly occur.

VIETNAMSWEDEN

Finalists 2006

Proposed Solution for Improving Traditional
Water Filters in Combination with the Useof Cyperus inoolucratus and Flocculant
By Dang Phuc Long Nguyen, Van Thinh Nguyen
and Tuyet Trinh Nguyen
Guaranteeing safe water supply for domestic use is a criticalgoal for Vietnam, since only about 30% of the population inrural areas have access to clean and safe water. Most people
use water pumped from shallow wells – water that often
does not meet health standards on content of iron, magnesium, ammonium, or even heavy metals and bacteria.
In order to improve the water situation for people in therural areas, the Vietnamese ﬁnalists carried out experiments
to further develop a traditional water ﬁltration system. The
ﬁltration system is used especially for groundwater withhigh iron content and contains both physical, biological(wild plant – Cyperus inoolucatus) as well as chemical (ﬂocculant) substances. The water treatment method proved tobe effective with increased water quality for domestic use
and the authors plan to develop the ﬁltration system modeleven further to provide a reasonably priced water treatment
facility for household use.

A Tale of Two Oysters– A Vital Management Issue for the Chesapeake Bay
By Emily Brownlee

The SJWP International
Nominating Committee

With the decline of the native oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in
the Chesapeake Bay due to disease and over-harvesting, ways
to increase oyster production are of great concern. One proposal that has stirred controversy is the introduction of a new
species of oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis, the Asian oyster. It is
however uncertain how the growth of newly set oysters would
be affected by the annual phytoplankton blooms in the bay.
Emily Brownlee examined and compared the effects of
two species of blooming algae on the growth rates of both
native and non-native oysters. Her results show high suscepti-

Dr. Magnus Enell (Chair), Sweden
Mr. Björn von Euler, USA
Dr. Nighisty Ghezae, Sweden
Prof. Petr Grau, Czech RepublicProf. Nuhu Hatibu, Tanzania
Ms. Linda Kelly, USA
Prof. Saburo Matsui, Japan
Ms. Mercy Dikito-Wachtmeister, Sweden
Associated Prof. Ines Restrepo-Tarquino, Colombia
Ms. Frida Lanshammar (Secretary), SIWI, Sweden
9

Stokholm Junior Water Prize Finalists, 2005.

Stockholm Junior Water
Prize Winners
2005
In 2005, Pontso Moletsane, Motebele Moshodi and Sechaba
Ramabenyane, South Africa, won the Stockholm Junior Water
Prize for their revolutionary solution to minimise the need forwater in small-scale irrigation. They developed a low-current
electric soil humidity sensor which uses light detection to control
water pipe valves and improve irrigation efﬁciency.

2 0 01
Magnus Isacson, Johan Nilvebrant and Rasmus Öman from Sweden
won the Prize for their innovative and relevant research on the useof natural materials to remove metals in leachate from landﬁlls.

2000
Ashley Mulroy from the USA won the Prize for a contemporary
project that investigated how inefﬁcient wastewater treatment
processes can lead not only to antibiotic contamination in American waterways, but also to progressive resistance among harmful
bacteria to those same antibiotics that once controlled them.

2004

19 9 9Tsutomu Kawahira, Daisuke Sunakawa and Kaori Yamaguti fromJapan won the Prize for the development and application of anenvironmentally friendly organic fertiliser for the Miyako Island.
The method is applicable to many places around the world.

Rosa Lozano, Elisabeth Pozo and Rocío Ruiz from Spain won thePrize for an innovative project that used sea urchins, starﬁsh andsea cucumbers to measure the effectiveness of an EU beachprotection program on Spain’s western Mediterranean coast.

2003

19 9 8Claire Reid, South Africa, won the Prize for an innovative, practical, easily applicable technique for planting and successfully
germinating seeds in water-scarce areas to improve rural andperi-urban livelihoods.

Robert Franke from Germany won the Prize for his design of the
Aquakat, a solar-powered, ﬂow-through reactor for the treatment
of industrial wastewater.

2002
Katherine Holt, USA, won the Prize for research that looked at
how foreign species could be introduced to beneﬁt the Chesapeake Bay while preserving the bay’s native oyster species andmeeting national environmental goals.
10

19 9 7
Stephen Tinnin from the USA became the ﬁrst international
Stockholm Junior Water Prize winner for research that investigated the correlation between the reproductive rate of sea urchins
and water pollution.

The Future of our World’s Water Depends
on our Water Experts of the Future.
There are challenges ahead for our world's water. Increased need, stressed supplies,
pollution and geopolitics seem to be muddying our future.
At ITT, we have a different outlook. We believe that how we use this precious
resource and return it for reuse will help define the future of humanity. We are deeply
involved in the cycle of water and are committed to the wise and sustainable
development and utilization of the world's water resources.
That is why we are a proud founding sponsor of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
We congratulate all of the State and National winners. It is their research anddiscoveries that will play an important role in the future of this most natural andcritical resource.
For more information on ITT and the cycle of water: www.ittfluidbusiness.com

National Organisers and Sponsors
Argentina: Asociacion Argentina de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Cienciasdel Ambiente (AIDIS- Argentina), Subsecretaría de Recursos Hídricos,
ENOHSA, Flygt, Sudamericana de Aguas SA, Coca-Cola, ERM, ECOPreneur, ESSO, EnerSystem, Barbella CB, AMCHAM Cámara de Comerciode los Estados Unidos en la Argentina.
Australia: Australian Water Association (AWA), ITT Flygt Limited
Benin: Kajola Centre, ADE YOUS AWAD International
Cameroon: Cameroon Vision Trust, The Water Environment
Science and Technology (WEST) Fund, Women International Coalition
Organisation (WICO), Africa Commonwealth Women’s Forum (CWF)International.
Canada: Western Canada Water Environment Association, Canadian Water
and Wastewater Association, Water Environment Federation, ITT Flygt,
British Columbia Water and Wastewater Association, Water Environment
Association of Ontario, Réseau Environment Inc., Atlantic Canada Water
Works Association
Chile: Dirección General de Aguas MOP, ANDESS, AIDIS Chile, Comite
Chileno del PHI, SOCHID, Embajada de Suecia en Chile, Museo
Nacional de Historia Natural, Escuela de Ingenería de la U. de Chile,
Escuela de Ingenería de la U. de Catolica, Faculdad de Ingeniería de la
U. de Concepcion, Fanaloza, Metro S.A., ALHSUD Chile, Ministerio de
Educacion, Educar Chile, ESSBIO, TetraPak Chile
China: The Center for Environmental Education & Communications ofState Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA CEEC), ITT
Denmark: Unge Forskere
Estonia: Estonian Institute for Sustainable Development, Tallinna Waterworks Ltd, Tallinn City Government, Estonian Institute for Sustainable
Development
Finland: Water Association Finland, The Land and Water Technology Foundation Finland, Kemira Chemicals Ltd., Uponor Finland Ltd.,
Ekokem Ltd., Helsinki Water Ltd.
France: Ofﬁce Francais de la Fondation pour l’éducation à l’environment
ITT Flygt France, Fondation VEOLIA, Agences de l’Eau ”Seine Normandie”
and ”Artois Picardie”
Germany: Stiftung Jugend Forscht e.V., Federal Department of
Education and Science, The Ernst Sobotha Foundation, Bundesanstalt
für Arbeitschutz und Arbeitsmedizin
India: Centre for Environment Education
Israel: Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University, The Iby & Aladar
Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, The Manuel and Raquel Klachky
Foundation, The Israel Water Commission
Italy: Federazione delle Associazioni Scientiﬁche e Tecniche (FAST), Foist,
CusmiBio, Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente, Quark, Sanoﬁ-Aventis,

Start People, with the patronage of Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università
e della Ricerca and Ufﬁcio Scolastico per la Lombardia
Japan: Japan Water Prize Committee (JWPC), Lion Corporation
Latvia: Education, Youth and Sports Department of Riga City Council,
SIA “Rigas Udens” (LTD “Riga Water”)
Mexico: FEMISCA (Mexican Federation of Environmental Engineering),
Swedish Embassy, the Mexico City Government, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, The
National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Mexican Academy of
Sciences, the Mexican Federation of Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences, the Mexican Association of Environmental Engineering, Swedish-Mexican Chamber of Commerce, Kemwater de Mexico,
Alfa Laval, ITT, Tetra Pak, Ericsson Telecom, Sandvik, Swedish Foreign
Trade Association
Nigeria: National Environmental Watch and Service (NEWS), Nnamdi
Azikiwe University, Intercontinental Bank PLC, CALTEC Nig., FUSE Nig.
Ltd., PINAC PHARMACY NY USA, OKAFOR & SONS Nig. Ltd.
Norway: Norsk Hydrologiråd, Norsk Vannforening, VA-yngre, AnoxKaldnes, Kemira, Fujitsu-Siemens, Norges Vassdrags og Energidirektorat(NVE), Norsk Institutt for Vannforskning (NIVA)
Poland: Polish Foundation for the Protection of Water Resources, The
Economic Chamber of “Polish Waterworks”, The National Fund forEnvironmental Protection and Water Management
Russian Federation: Environmental Projects Consulting Institute,
Russian Federation Country Unit of the World Bank, Coca-Cola HBC
Eurasia, Environmental Projects Consulting InstituteSouth Africa: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Departmentof Education, WRP Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd., University of CapeTown, University of Natal, Cape Technikon
Sri Lanka: ISB Environmental Services, ITT
Spain: AGBAR Foundation (Centre d’Estudis i Investigacio del Medi
Ambient), Kemira Iberica S. A.
Sweden: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), ITT Flygt AB,
Svenskt Vatten, SYVAB, Urban Water
UK: Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management(CIWEM), the Institution of Water Ofﬁcers and the Company of Water
Conservators, United Utilities
Ukraine: Ukranian Publishing House EKOinform, Swedish Institute,“WILO-Ukraine”, “Santekhplast”, NTON
USA: Water Environment Federation (WEF), ITT, The Coca-Cola Company
Vietnam: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency(Sida), Unilever Foundation, The World Conservation Union (IUCN)

Global Sponsor is

Drottninggatan 33, se-111 51 Stockholm, SwedenP +     ✦ F +     ✦ siwi@siwi.org✦

www.siwi.org

DESIGN: QUADRATA

S I W I, SIWI