Pupils from Fort Pitt Grammar School in Chatham, Kent were crowned winners of the Water Design Challenge 2011, scooping £8,000 in prize money in the process with their entry demonstrating how their solution would reduce the amount of water used in the school’s toilets by a third, saving around £5,000 on the school’s annual water bill.
Their design centred on the concept of having two different types of toilets to reduce the amount of water needed for flushing. The urine only toilets were fitted with a special float device so that they only used 2 litres of water per flush, whilst the other toilet had a standard 6 litre flush.
Peter Courtness, a teacher at Fort Pitt Grammar, was delighted that his team won. He said: “I’m really, really pleased – chuffed with them! I think that they’ve done a really excellent job and I’m really proud of them.”
Melissa Bowen, a pupil at Fort Pitt, added: “I’m ecstatic that we‘ve won, The Water Design Challenge has been so much fun and really inspirational too.”
Fort Pitt Grammar School were awarded £8,000 in prize money to develop their idea further, as well as £1,000 for the school to spend on educational resources of their choice.
The four other schools in the final were The Sholing Technology College in the second position awarded £2,500. Midhurst Rother College, The Thomas Aveling School and Thomas Bennett Community College were all allocated £1,500 to develop their ideas further. All 5 schools were awarded the additional £1000 to spend on educational resources.