Aerial view of the Thousand Islands River, weaving through lush landscapes and vibrant communities.

AquaHacking Challenge

MILLES ÎLES RIVER 2021

Between January and September 2021, young innovative minds

- from across the Province of Quebec -

were invited to create groundbreaking solutions to critical freshwater issues facing the Mille Îles River.

HOSTED BY

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ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

 

The Mille Îles River, located north of Montreal is 42-kilometers long, extends across 9 distinct urban and agricultural areas, and provides drinking water to over 450,000 citizens. It is home to fragile flora and fauna which are essential to healthy river ecosystems but also faces environmental challenges caused by wastewater and other pollution sources. The developed solutions will meet local needs while having the potential to scale and have global impact.

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THE WATER ISSUES TACKLED IN THIS CHALLENGE

  Aqua-Hacking-Icons_Sewer-OverflowsSEWAGE OVERFLOWS

 Aqua-Hacking-Icons_Ice-Cover   ICE COVER ON THE RIVER

 

Aqua-Hacking-Icons_Avian-Fauna   AVIAN FAUNA AND WATER QUALITY

Aqua-Hacking-Icons_Aquatic-Habitats AQUATIC HABITATS

 

In the link below you can find a summary document about the environmental freshwater issues, with additional information and resources (in French).

 

MEET THE FINALISTS



 

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OTECH

O-Plast is a greywater treatment system designed to eliminate microplastics in water, which come mainly from commercial laundry. The solution combines membrane filtration with electrooxidation which results in the complete degradation of microplastics.

 

Team:

Yassine Ouarda and Alae Benguit | INRS-ETE

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ECOTIME

Oasis is an all-in-one rainwater harvesting and distribution system, which allows for the innovative use of rainwater in buildings and reduces the need to consume drinking water resources for non-potable uses.

 

Team:

Timothé Roy-Bouchard and Eddy Dureuil | Entrepreneurs

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ILOS - Public Choice Award

They propose a multifunctional floating platform, allowing for both new forms of ecotourism and the ability to measure water quality in real time with the use of probes.

 

Team:

Jean-Christophe Gosselin, Samuel Cante, and Maël Lahmar | ÉTS Montreal

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OVER ONE THOUSAND

They propose a versatile, multi-functional tool that leverages artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve planning, water management and decision-making in the context of sustainable development, such as the implementation of aquatic habitat protection and restoration of aquatic habitats.

 

Team:

Philippe Scalabrini and Ysael Desage | McGill University, Université Laval

ADVISORY COMMITTEE