This prize competition identified five ideas to reduce seepage in canals and help in the future to provide more water for crops.
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Reclamation selected five winners of the Water for America's Crops Challenge for their ideas to improve water delivery by reducing water seeping from canals. Each winner will receive $50,000 and continue in phase 2 of the competition to develop their idea into a laboratory-scale prototype.
"Reclamation's 8,000 miles of canals deliver water across the Western United States," said Chief Engineer David Raff. "It is important that we reduce seepage in canals to not only conserve as much water as possible but also to ensure the integrity and extend the operational life of these canals."
The program supports the Biden-Harris administration's Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad as it increases a community's resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The proposals submitted by the winners describing their solution included expected performance, effectiveness, durability, maintenance requirements, installation requirements, and cost. The five winners are:
- Nylon reinforced geopolymer composite mix membrane, Zlatko Rozic, Australia
- Integral Waterproofing of Concrete, Jan Beetge, United States
- Low Cost Long Life Elastomeric Canal Liner, John Newport and Peter Murdoch of Team Chemventive, United States
- StickyCrete Canal Liners, Michael McBride, Mexico
- Bendable Concrete for Seepage Resistant Canals, Duo Zhang, United States
The phase 2 winner of this prize challenge will receive $90,000. Reclamation is partnering with Bonneville Power Administration, NASA Tournament Labs, and HeroX on this prize competition. The Water America’s Crops Challenge is seeking cost-effective methods to minimize water seeping from canals. To learn more about this competition, please visit its website.
Reclamation supports innovation to target the most persistent science and technology challenges through prize competitions. It has awarded more than $4.5 million in prizes through 30 competitions in the past six years. Please visit Reclamation's Water Prize Competition Center to learn more.
