MEHAA AMIRTHALINGAM

 Capetown's water reservoirs were utterly depleted. 

I jumped into a rabbit hole, rolling through accounts of the issue. I discovered that by my 36th birthday, there would not be enough water to meet global needs. I was appalled by this grim reality. The overlapping prospect of a mid-life and global water crisis haunted me as I researched techniques to conserve water. Seven billion gallons of freshwater are flushed daily. Are we using fresh, drinkable water in toilets when millions recycle the same bucket of water for bathing amongst an entire family? Struggling to find an excuse, I set a new course for myself to solve a real-world problem.

I started investigating various designs of toilet flushing systems, starting with the original patent of Sir John Harrington. I could immediately identify how the buoyant force had been effectively used in almost all toilet flushing systems. I also realized that despite the advancement of technology, the robust qualities of the traditional mechanical system was unmatched. I decided to look into current techniques to save water. “Shower over sink toilet design, Greywater usage for irrigation in plants”— I started illustrating designs where both greywater and freshwater were to fill a tank simultaneously, and established the principles I wanted my system to encompass: Mechanical, robust, high efficiency, and dependable. I started splurging on several ceramic-cutting tools, experimenting with each size and mechanism, gradually sparking my hobby of spending my free-time visiting hardware stores. After multiple iterations and failed experiments, I achieved the optimal design for my toilet flushing system. 

Focusing on greywater recycling and purification, I developed a dual-water toilet flushing system. After long months of testing and analysis, I found that my mechanical system saves 100% freshwater.