Go With the Flow Spring 2020 Purple Plow Challenge Winners
Check out the winning teams projects from this spring's Purple Plow Challenge!
The Foundation is so proud of all the students who participated in this season’s Purple Plow Challenge. The two winning teams came up with innovative solutions to the urgent problem of surface runoff. Learn about the winning projects below:
TechnoTitan’s
This group from Lake Zurich, IL created a rain garden filtration system called RainPad. The RainPad system created a garden that allowed for increased percolation and rejuvenated aquifers with filtered water. The materials used were sand, gravel, coconut husks, and perforated pipes.
The team tested the system and compared it to other rain water filtration systems and found that their RainPad was the most effective system and used natural materials.
The team met with multiple subject matter experts and learned a lot about the local ground water systems. The TechnoTitans shared their project at the Village of Lake Zurich Board Meeting and the Palatine STEAM Fair.
Please watch this “skit” of the team here! Congratulations TechnoTitans!
LeRoy Jr. High
The team at LeRoy Jr. High came up with a fence filtration system that would filter water as it passed from one side of the fence to the other. The filter was made using plastic straws and popsicle sticks with a t-shirt as the filter. The design is cost effective and could potentially be implemented in many yards.
After testing their prototype, the team found that the straws clogged during filtration. Improvements were made and the filtration improved.
The new Purple Plow challenge is now live! Be sure to check it out here! To learn more about Purple Plow and other Foundation projects, sign up for our e-newsletter here!
