Every day about a thousand plastic water bottles are distributed to the homeless population in Phoenix on behalf of the Human Services Campus. Being a desert city, clean water is a necessity but since COVID-19 spread, all drinking fountains were shut off, resulting in a shortage of water for the homeless.
A diverse team of six students studying different STEM fields will participate in the Environmental Competition by EPICS in IEEE, in partnership with the UEF, to design a solution to this community problem. They created Project Hydration Station, which is a solution to give out reusable bottles and create a 24/7 accessible water dispenser along with a sanitation station.
The team will be working closely with Human Services Campus, a large organization that offers services and assistance to the Phoenix homeless population. Their plan is to first distribute reusable water bottles to the large population, which will result in a cleaner environment. In order to ensure the people continue using these bottles, they will install a 24/7 water supply with a built-in sanitary station designated for cleaning the bottles. The team is currently brainstorming different solutions for the sanitation station.
This project is focused on making Downtown Phoenix a cleaner neighborhood, as well as providing a service for the clients of the Human Services Campus. EPICS in IEEE has funded Project Hydration with a grant of $2,000 in Phase 1 to help them solve this community issue.