Students make a splash in national water innovation competition

TWO aspiring engineers from a Derby school have made it to the final six of a national competition designed to tackle some of the UK's biggest water-related challenges.

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As part of a work placement with engineering consultancy COWI, year 10 students Zak Wood and Abdullahi Hamza from The Bemrose School, created an innovative presentation exploring how artificial intelligence (Al) could be used to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) spills - a major environmental issue where heavy rainfall causes sewers to discharge a mix of wastewater and stormwater into rivers and seas.

Their solution, which impressed judges in the UK Water Prize competition, involved integrating social media with Google Maps to provide real-time alerts about flood risks. The idea aims to empower communities to take action quickly and prevent the harmful impact of CSO spills on local waterways.