At this year’s Sanitation Technology Hackathon, take on the challenge of revolutionizing greywater recycling for eco-friendly agriculture and kitchen gardening.

The “Greywater Recycling for Sustainable Agriculture and Kitchen Gardening” hackathon aims to promote technological innovation and solutions for treating and recycling greywater from households to support sustainable agriculture and kitchen gardening. Greywater, which typically includes wastewater from sinks, showers, laundry, and baths, can be a valuable resource when properly treated and repurposed for irrigation, reducing water wastage and the need for freshwater in agriculture. Particularly this Hackathon 4 will entail four focus areas inclusive of: a) Grey Water Treatment Technologies; b) Smart Irrigation Systems, c) Sensor and Monitoring Solutions; and d) Community Engagement and Education

Key Areas of Focus on Sanitation Technology Hackathon 

Participants in this hackathon can choose from the following key areas of focus:

Greywater Treatment Technologies: Innovators can develop cost-effective and efficient greywater treatment systems that can safely clean and disinfect greywater for agricultural use. They could also explore innovative methods for purifying greywater, such as filtration, biological treatment, and disinfection techniques. Innovators could as well, under this focus area, consider sustainability, energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance in treatment system designs.

Smart Irrigation Systems: Under this focus area, innovators can create advanced irrigation systems that can be controlled and optimized to distribute treated greywater to kitchen gardens and small farms. They will explore possibilities of incorporating automation and data-driven solutions to optimize water distribution, enhancing plant growth and minimizing water usage as well as design user-friendly interfaces for controlling irrigation systems.

Sensor and Monitoring Solutions: Innovators will be invited to design and develop sensors and monitoring tools that help users track the quality of treated greywater while ensuring that the treated greywater meets the necessary standards for safe agricultural use. The innovation should explore real-time monitoring and reporting solutions to ensure ongoing water quality.

Community Engagement and Education: Under this focus area, innovators will be invited to develop outreach programs, educational materials, and awareness campaigns to promote the adoption of greywater recycling for agriculture within communities. This focus area further emphasizes the benefits of sustainable water use, environmental conservation, and resource efficiency. The innovation should provide for community involvement and cooperation in implementing greywater recycling practices.

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Prizes for Sanitation Technology Hackathon 

• Participants have the chance to win prizes and gain recognition for their contributions to water conservation, water treatment and sustainable agriculture.
• The Hackathon winner will be awarded € 5,000 (Five Thousand Euros). Furthermore, the first prize will be implemented in one of the FINISH Mondial countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda). The first runners up will be awarded with € 3,000 (Three Thousand Euros) while the second runners up will be awarded € 1,000 (One Thousand Euros). During the announcement of the winners there will be popular vote award of € 1,000 (One Thousand Euros)

Eligibility

• Open to Innovators with technological innovation and solution for treating and recycling graywater from household to support sustainable agriculture and kitchen gardening.

Partners and Sponsors

Key partners under hackathon 4 include: FINISH Mondial, SATO (part of Lixil) and Toilet Board Coalition.

In addition, the Technical working group continues to solicit and invite relevant organizations, government agencies, NGOs, and businesses to support and sponsor this hackathon to drive innovation and positive change. The list pf partners and sponsors may thus increase.

Application 

A panel of experts will evaluate your innovative solutions. Submissions will be evaluated based on criteria of innovation, impact, feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and community engagement.

Key Dates

20^th November 2023 – 28 February 2024 | Applications Open

 Kick-Off: 16^th November 2023

Applications Opens: 20 November 2023

Submission Deadline: 28^th February 2024

Judging and Evaluation: 1^st – 18^th March 2024

Winners Announcement: 22^nd March 2024