We're excited to announce our Grand Prize Winner for the Sprite Zero Sugar x Target HBCU STEAM Challenge, SiYanne H. representing North Carolina A&T State University!

We'd like to thank everyone who participated and voted in the HBCU STEAM Challenge!

Make sure you find a Sprite Zero Sugar at a Target near you!

Grand Prize Winner: SiYanne H. North Carolina A&T State University	×
LlUVia is a portable, heatless water filtration and disinfection system with the goal of making any water drinkable with no other tools or items—just the water source and LlUVia. It is primarily made of recyclable materials and household items, making many parts viable for substitution. Its most active parts are the activated charcoal, the solar powered UV-C light, and the 1 micron filters. Activated charcoal is charcoal heated at a high enough temperature to mildly change its structure, increasing its surface area and porosity, peaking its toxin and odor absorbing abilities. The UV-C light, at over 220 nanometers, has a high enough frequency to laser to death pretty much any living thing given enough time. The only things (in contaminated water, that is) that have a strong enough external structure to survive are the protozoa Cryptosporidium and Giardia, potentially life threatening parasites. Thankfully, they’re quite fat by microbiological standards, and can be stopped with a 1 micron filter, which LlUVia has two of for extra safe measures. The remainder of LlUVia’s parts serve as containment and facilitation, the sprite bottle(s) for water containment and direction, the punctured storage lid for even water distribution, and the coffee filter for stopping anything roughly 15 microns or bigger. The sprite can reflects and contains the UV-C light, maximizing efficiency, and the solar panel, is, well, for solar powering and removing the need for a heat or electrical source. These combined characteristics make LlUVia, and therefore clean, safe water, accessible to anyone, anywhere.