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University of North Georgia (UNG) student Emma Vail was part of the winning team in Georgia Tech’s Sustainable-X Entrepreneurship Program.

Vail, a senior from Rockwell, North Carolina, pursuing a degree in environmental spatial analysis, along with her teammates, pitched a project that focuses on water management.

The Sustainable-X Entrepreneurship Program supports student entrepreneurship with a focus on climate tech, environmental and social impact. It is hosted by Georgia Tech but serves the state of Georgia and is open to students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members.

Vail was introduced to the Sustainable-X program through UNG's Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental Spatial Analysis (IESA). Her teammates included Michelle Wong, assistant director of , and Georgia Tech alumna Isha Dogra. Together they were charged with creating a solution to clean water and sanitation, one of the United Nations' sustainable development goals. 

“Our goal was to find one of the biggest contributors to potable water waste in America. We targeted golf course water management since most courses use about 100 million gallons of water a year on average,” Vail said.

"Gulf of Golf," as they named themselves, brainstormed a few methods for improving water management, including the idea to move away from sole reliance on potable water.

“Using the natural topography of each course, we’d collect and harvest rainwater through drains and pipes made from sustainable materials. This rainwater would then be stored in a tank and redistributed on the course,” Vail said.

Their strategy also revolves around the goal to avoid overwatering. To do this, they investigated the potential of smart sensors implemented in sprinklers that will only water areas of the course without detected soil moisture. Additionally, they looked at drone application and how precision watering/fertilizing can be increased with the same sensors. 

“I’m working with Isha and mentors to continue developing this idea,” Vail said. “We would love to see the idea come to life and further the sustainability of future irrigation methods.”