The problem we chose to investigate was the tremendous waste of potable water being used for watering lawns and gardens.
There is an amazing NEW innovation coming out of Tyner Middle Academy! Today is the day you stop wasting potable water to hydrate your lawn or gardens! Its finally, here! Not a “green” option but a “grey” option!
Today, we can vacuum our homes with the roomba; lock doors, turn on lights and start coffee pots with Alexia; make calls, book reservations, and make friends with Siri. We say it’s time to water lawns and gardens with robots as well. We call our robot, DEWS: The Dockable Electronic Watering System.
With DEWS you can now reuse laundry water from your home to water your garden or lawn by remote control. Imagine, if you will, an electronic “gray water” containment unit that consists of four 50-gallon reservoirs, a battery charging port, a filtration system, and a remote controlled docking transport system.
When the transport unit is activated it can carry two reservoirs at a time either in line, or one on either side, as you can see. This water transport delivery system will move and steer remotely or can be pre-programed to certain movement patterns. Once engaged, the unit drives out of the home with the specified amount of reservoirs. From the remote you can determine how you want it to water, using the center holes only, the outer holes only or all of the holes. From the remote you can also control how much the holes are opened.
Our unit comes with an inside sensor that is installed next to your washing machine. It tells you how many gallons you’ve collected in the tanks. When it reads “full” simply flip the switch and your laundry water will simply drain into the sewer system. Once you have watered your lawn and garden you can switch the D.E.W. back on to capture water.
In our system, a net is used to catch lint and larger debris from the washing machine. Limestone rock and charcoal are used to neutralize the soap, bleach and softeners that are used. A bio wheel is used to produce millions of bacteria that can help to break down more of the unwanted particles. The water is not drinkable but certainly filtered enough for irrigation.
Why laundry water you might ask? The average family of four, washes nine loads of laundry per week generating approximately 225 gallons of “gray water.” As our world populations continue to increase, the waste of potable water will not be a luxury that any of us can stand.
We read many different websites and articles that explained ways you could re-route the laundry and shower water in your home so that it could be reused instead of going into the sewer. All of the current methods are expensive and require not only specialized plumbing and large containment units but pumps, filters,and hoses that take a lot of time and expertise to construct and maintain. Quite frankly, there is just not enough benefit to the average homeowner to make it worth their while. Our solution, while requiring a good deal of space in the area beneath the home, is very easy for consumers to use. It allows people who are willing to spend money upfront to effortlessly conserve water over the course of their lifetime.The Dockable Electronic Water System is the robot that will have everyone wanting to recycle as they think "Gray" - not "Green".
The DEW is for you!
We will be sharing our research at Barnes and Noble Bookstore at Hamilton Place mall on December 16 during our school's yearly Book Fair.