A team from Hudson’s Bay proved it can solve real-world problems. The team won a Best Project Award and a Global Impact Award at the Imagine Tomorrow problem-solving competition at Washington State University Pullman in May. This year’s competition challenged high school teams across Washington to address energy sustainability.
Team members Chariah White, Meghan Field, Abby Stutzman, and Romel Taruc Sarchi are part of the Hudson’s Bay ACES (Architecture, Construction, Environmental Services) magnet program. The ACES students designed and built a fully functioning waste water treatment plant on campus. Bay’s Off Grid Waste Water Treatment Plant is powered by hydroelectric, solar, and wind energy. It employs a system of reservoirs, biofiltration systems, gardens, irrigation, and turbines to purify waste water.
The project demonstrates that a small, portable, self-contained waste treatment bio-disk, powered by solar or wind energy, can provide immediate benefits following a catastrophic event. The system can produce drinkable water and reduce waste contamination when traditional power is disrupted.