Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge

Description

Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge was announced. This technology-accelerating challenge is a federal partnership to demonstrate how nutrient sensors can be used by states and local communities to help manage nutrient pollution. Stage 1 of the challenge will close September 20, 2017.

The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge aims to help address nutrient pollution monitoring and data management for local nutrient management decision-making.  The challenge is a collaboration between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS®), and Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT).

The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge builds on the 2014 Nutrient Sensor Challenge, which helped accelerate the development of affordable, high-performing, continuous nutrient sensors and analyzers.  In this challenge, solver teams will compete for $150K in cash prizes by proving successful strategies for incorporating continuous nutrient sensors into existing water monitoring efforts.  The Challenge encourages innovative partnerships with sensor manufacturers and others to pilot the nutrient sensors, manage the data, and demonstrate how resulting data and information can be used to inform decisions. Stage 1 of the Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge closes on September 20, 2017.

Nutrient pollution, one of our most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems, is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water.

Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. This growth  causes major environmental damage as well as serious health problems in people and animals.

Nutrient pollution and resulting algal blooms cost billions, hurting industries and sectors that depend on clean water. Federal, state and local governments spend billions of dollars per year to combat nutrient pollution or prevent its effects.

CHALLENGE

The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge builds upon the 2014 Nutrient Sensor Challenge, which helped develop affordable, high-performing, continuous nutrient sensors and analyzers. The 2017 challenge calls for demonstrations showing:

• the effective use of low-cost continuous sensors,
• innovative partnerships to pilot the sensors and manage data, and
• how collected information can be used in state and local decision-making

By building successful strategies for incorporating nutrient sensors into existing water monitoring efforts, the Challenge can help states and local communities overcome barriers to preventing and reducing nutrient pollution.