The Water Council announces winners of 2022 Tech Challenge

Jan. 17, 2023
This year’s Tech Challenge, seeking solutions for contactless water quality sensors and in-situ hardness monitoring, awarded $10,000 prizes to a Slovakia-based company and a Texas-based company.

The Water Council has announced the two winners of its fall 2022 Tech Challenge, chosen by industry leaders to help solve challenges in the water sector.

The Water Council’s Tech Challenge connects water innovators with leading water technology companies, facilitating potential partnerships and helping new ideas and technologies gain exposure in the industry. The fall 2022 challenge sought solutions in the areas of contactless water quality sensors and in-situ water hardness monitoring.

The challenge’s sponsors, A. O. Smith, Badger Meter and Watts Water Technologies, chose the challenges and selected the winners to receive $10,000 prizes:

  • Meratch, of Slovakia, won the sensor category with its wireless smart device that measures water parameters such as quantity, velocity, acidity and more. Its technology can be used to monitor wastewater systems, wells, flood prevention systems and water pollution.
  • Atlas Sensor Technologies, of El Paso, Texas, U.S., won the water hardness monitoring category for its electronic sensor that provides real-time data for water softeners at a low cost.

The Water Council received applications from seven countries representing North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

“The Tech Challenge uncovers new innovations and helps young companies connect to established water leaders,” says Karen Frost, The Water Council’s vice president of economic development and innovation. “We are proud to discover previously unknown emerging innovation for our sponsors through this program.”

The Water Council is a global hub dedicated to solving water challenges by driving innovation in freshwater technology and advancing water stewardship.