Water Testing & Conservation Challenge
Three challenges for students at six Isha Vidhya schools in rural Tamil Nadu: test the water around the school, build a water filter, and research water conservation.
Challenge 1: water testing research report
Write a research report on water quality in a few villages around the school. For example, collect samples from the same ten villages in different seasons and test for seasonal change, or sample bore wells at different depths (30, 50 and 100 feet) and compare. Teams were encouraged to come up with their own ideas and hypotheses.
Challenge 2: make a DIY water filter
Using easily available materials, make a low-cost, easy-to-carry water filter. Test some contaminated water, put the rest through the filter, and test it again. Give before-and-after data and conclude how well the filter works for different contaminants. Is the filtered water safe to drink? How can you be sure?
Challenge 3: water conservation research report
Research and answer these questions, naming reliable sources:
- How did Earth get its water? Explain the different theories.
- How much water is there on Earth? How much of it is fresh water?
- What is embodied water, and what is a virtual water footprint?
- What is biological water purification?
- How serious is the water crisis in India, and what solutions do experts suggest?
- Suggest some ways to conserve water.
Participating schools
Photo gallery
Winners
- Challenge 1: Isha Vidhya VanavasiRead the winning report (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- Challenge 2: joint winners, Isha Vidhya Tuticorin and Isha Vidhya Villupuram
- Challenge 3: Isha Vidhya TuticorinRead the winning report (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Thanks
To Navya, then a student at Cambridge University, and Manan, then a student at St Paul's School, London, for running some of the training workshops.
Run the challenge in your school
The tests used Tara Enviro's Jal Tara standard water testing kit. The brief above has everything else needed.
