Students innovate in water software challenge

Durham University students tackle water challenges

IT students in north-east England have taken part in an exciting innovation event with the aim of developing software ideas that a water company might be able to use.

The students from the Computing Society at Durham University were challenged to create new software that they thought a water company would need, with no background information on the technology currently in use, or specialist knowledge about water. The idea was that they could do some truly out-of-the-box, innovative thinking.

A spokesperson for Northumbrian Water said, "Over 50 students took part, and we saw some interesting games and applications using all types of technologies. Within just 12 hours, the winners of the event had created an app that showed our system, with live water readings, and allowed engineers to add to the network easily.

"It even allowed customers to raise issues and see them on a heat map."

Impressive stuff!