Coventry University student, Kia Sandhu has been named the first Severn Trent Wavemaker!
Wavemakers is an annual innovation challenge launched by Severn Trent, with participants asked to find a solution to one of the key issues facing the water industry.
Designed to nurture entrepreneurial talent in the community, the challenge is open to anyone aged 16 or over who lives in the Severn Trent area.
For the inaugural challenge, participants were asked to develop innovations that will help to improve water efficiency around the home. Kia took the title with her innovation ‘Bath 2 Bog’, which sends water from the shower drain which would otherwise go into the sewer, to be reused to flush the bathroom toilet.
Kia's entry beat stiff competition from the rest of the cohort and impressed judges, Severn Trent CEO, Liv Garfield, chief engineer, Bob Steer, and water innovation technology architect, Kieron Maher, alongside representatives from Aston and Coventry Universities.
Wavemakers winner, Kia Sandhu, said: “I’m over the moon to be the first Severn Trent Wavemakers winner. The skills that I’ve learned and developed as part of Wavemakers will be really helpful as I complete my university course and start to think about my career.
“How we use water at home wasn’t something that I’d really thought about before, but with climate change and population growth putting pressure on supplies, it’s really important that we all think about how we can save water and use it more efficiently.”
Head of Asset Intelligence and Innovation, Rich Walwyn, said: "The entries for this first Wavemakers has been absolutely fantastic and Kia’s entry really blew away the judges with a really innovative but straightforward simple approach to addressing water efficiency at home. This is one of the main issues facing the sector today, with climate change and a growing population putting additional pressure on this precious resource.
“Through Wavemakers we can engage directly with our customers, encouraging them to think about ways to tackle some of the issues that we’re facing as an industry, while giving them the opportunity to develop their skills and ideas and demonstrate how as a collective, innovation can make a huge difference. Wavemakers will definitely be returning in 2023, so people can keep their eyes peeled for more to come.”
Wavemakers participants attend a one-day bootcamp to equip them with entrepreneurial essentials such as building their personal brand and running a business. They then put their skills to the test in responding to the specific challenge, with industry experts on-hand to offer advice and support. Winners can choose from either a free university course, or £2,000 cash prize towards supporting their development.
