Latam Awards Nominees

BOWNT Mechanical Filtration System
Company: Aiolia International Corp.
Stand: 1439
Product description: In collaboration with SMK and METITO, AIOLIA has provided a complete set of 23 FRP tanks ranging in volume from 10M3 to 150M3 for the Kendler Sea Desalination Plant in Kazakhstan. The innovative vertical assembly method for the large 150M3 tank, segmented into 8 sections, has significantly expedited the construction timeline. Prefabricated at the factory, the tank bodies are then assembled on-site.
This successful implementation not only reduces construction time but also introduces a new approach to the challenges faced by desalination plants worldwide, such as the difficulties in transporting and installing large tanks, as well as its lengthy construction periods.
Even more importantly, this solution maximizes the protection of the local ecosystem by avoiding the leakage and difusion of hazardous chemicals during transportation and production process. It showcases AIOLIA's strong sense of social responsibility.

EMF Technology
Company: E M Fluids Inc.
Stand: 1134
Product description: E M Fluids has developed an innovative technological solution capable of improving water quality on a large scale, using an autonomous system that temporarily modifies certain physical and chemical properties of the aqueous medium. This technology, powered by solar energy and without moving parts or chemical additives, significantly increases the rate of gas transfer across the air-water interface, generating immediate improvements in oxygenation and natural treatment processes.
One of its most relevant applications is the optimization of facultative lagoons for wastewater treatment. The system favors aerobic processes in both the water column and sedimented sludge, promoting more efficient in situ digestion. This translates into a progressive reduction in accumulated sludge and a substantial improvement in effluent quality parameters, such as suspended solids and organic load.
Each device weighs around 10 kg, floats on the surface, and can be deployed without additional infrastructure. The direct area of influence reaches up to 20 hectares in still waters. Control is carried out locally or remotely via mobile or web applications, and maintenance is limited to periodic cleaning.
Validated in multiple contexts, this solution offers an effective, sustainable, and rapidly deployable way to improve the management of existing water bodies and treatment systems without disrupting operations.

Microalgas for Resilient Soils: Water and Nutrient Retention for Sustainable Agriculture
Company: Gexus Mexico
Product description: The proposal consists of using live microalgae to regenerate agricultural soils, focusing on maximizing water and nutrient retention, reducing irrigation water consumption, and minimizing the loss of chemical fertilizers through leaching. Microalgae produce exopolysaccharides that improve soil structure, increase active organic matter, and strengthen microbial biodiversity.
Thanks to these functions, soils treated with microalgae show a substantial improvement in their ability to retain moisture, which allows irrigation to be spaced out by up to 20%.
In addition, nutrient retention is increased, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers by up to 30%, thus decreasing the risk of contamination from agricultural runoff.
This approach represents a sustainable and scalable solution for farmers facing challenges of erosion, degradation, and water scarcity.
This approach represents a sustainable and scalable solution for farmers facing challenges of erosion, degradation, and water scarcity. At the same time, it promotes more efficient, profitable agriculture that is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
Our innovation is not only a technological tool, but also a comprehensive strategy for transitioning to a regenerative and climate-resilient agricultural model.

Instafill bottle filler with anti-contact sensor
Company: Comercializadora Instapura
Stand: 505
Product description: INSTAFILL is a smart bottle filling station with water purification using UV-LED technology, developed by Instapura to offer an eco-friendly, safe, and efficient solution in public spaces. Its goal is to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles by facilitating access to high-quality purified water in high-traffic areas.
The system integrates three treatment stages: sediment filtration, activated carbon, and a UV-LED unit that eliminates microorganisms without the need for mercury lamps. This technology offers notable advantages such as a service life of more than 5 years, up to 80% reduction in electricity consumption, and instant start-up, without producing hazardous waste.
Thanks to a proximity sensor, the user has no physical contact with the equipment, making it highly hygienic. With a delivery capacity of up to 4 liters per minute, INSTAFILL is ideal for schools, hospitals, offices, and public spaces.
Its modern and robust design not only provides functionality but also encourages a change in habits in favor of the environment. Each use represents one less bottle in the ecosystem.
INSTAFILL is the result of a collaborative approach to engineering, design, and sustainability. It represents a real response to the current challenges of access to safe water and reduction of plastic waste, consolidating Instapura as a leader in responsible purification solutions with high social impact.

Petropelo: Recycled Hair Absorbents for Cleaning Hydrocarbons and Contaminants in Water Bodies
Company: Matter of Trust Latam SA de CV
Product description: Petropelo is an innovation that turns an everyday and symbolic waste product, the hair we cut, into a powerful solution for cleaning water. Through a line of absorbents, this circular technology uses the porosity and lipophilicity of hair to capture hydrocarbons, heavy metals, fecal coliforms, PFAS, and other persistent pollutants in rivers, estuaries, and industrial environments.
Each kilogram of hair can absorb an average of 5 kilograms of contaminants. The products include floating barriers, sheets, drip pads, and cleaning kits that operate without energy, without chemicals, and without maintenance. Reusable, compostable, or incinerable with minimal ash generation, they are faster, more efficient, and more sustainable than synthetic absorbents.
In Mexico, more than 36 tons of hair are discarded each month, generating more than 162 tons of CO2 equivalents in landfills. Petropelo transforms it into a regenerative tool, produced locally, without relying on imports or complex logistics chains.
The business model activates a network of salons, recyclers, communities, and companies that finance ESG projects to restore contaminated water bodies. Each unit manufactured promotes green jobs, environmental education, and water regeneration, making the solution a shared task.
Petropelo not only cleans water: it activates circular economies, empowers communities, and demonstrates that even what we discard can save the planet.

Aquanova
Company: Navi Explorer Technologies
Product description: AQUANOVA is an autonomous system designed to assess water quality in lakes, lagoons, rivers, and reservoirs, providing accurate real-time data. Its main function is to collect and analyze parameters such as pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, sedimentable solids, and dissolved oxygen, complemented by meteorological information for a comprehensive diagnosis.
The equipment combines high-precision sensors, a GPS system to georeference each measurement, and wireless communication to send the information directly to a web platform. This platform allows you to view the results in interactive graphs, download reports, and keep a historical record of the measurements.
AQUANOVA can operate autonomously with programmed routes or under manual control, and automatically returns to its base station at the end of monitoring.
It is solar powered, ensuring sustainability, prolonged operation, and low environmental impact.
Among its benefits are reduced operating costs, immediate availability of data for quick decisions, the ability to prevent and control pollution problems, and transparency of information thanks to online access. Its versatile design allows it to adapt to different aquatic environments and user needs in sectors such as research, environmental management, industry, and water supply.
Overall, AQUANOVA represents an advanced, sustainable, and efficient technological solution that transforms the way water resources are monitored and protected, contributing to responsible water management and the well-being of the communities that depend on it.

TALR® (Trenchless Automatic Leak Repair)
Company: Relap
Product description: TALR® (Trenchless Automatic Leak Repair) technology offers a safe, efficient, and innovative method for repairing all block leaks (visible and invisible) in the section of pipe being treated, without the need for excavation. It can be used on secondary drinking water distribution lines with diameters ranging from 2“ to 8”. By injecting and then recovering a compound into the pipes, all leaks are sealed as the compound moves through, recovering lost water with an average efficiency of 93%. In addition, it is possible to identify the existence of illegal connections in the sections of pipe being treated. The seal that is formed is guaranteed for 7,300 pressure change cycles in the lines, which is equivalent to 10 years of service.
This technology is:
i. Excavation-free, no need to dig trenches or ditches, so it does not disrupt community life (street closures, interruptions to economic and social life).
ii. Sustainable, as it does not exploit new water sources, but simply “harvests” the water lost through leaks.
iii. High yields, recovering more than 90% of water lost through leaks, without the need for additional energy.
iv. Cutting-edge, breaking the paradigm of solving the problem of leaks with a safe, reliable, and economically viable methodology.
v. Transformative, converting water leaks into a new alternative water supply source. Contributing substantially to the reduction of water stress.

Sustainable water management in buildings in Mexico City
Company: Instituto de Ingeniería, UNAM
Product description: The research submitted to this competition presents the results of an analysis of water consumption and end use in buildings in Mexico City. Developed based on information provided by the Mexico City Water System, it defines the baseline for current water consumption by type of building, user, or inhabitant, in order to quantify potential savings through the use of rainwater and wastewater reuse, as well as high-efficiency or water-saving technology. Technologies play an important role in water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and wastewater treatment and reuse, accompanied by a regulatory and cultural framework, which is presented in the form of a catalog of technologies available on the market. Finally, it is complemented by an overview of international experiences in raising awareness and changing the water culture in the face of a serious outlook on water availability in Mexico and much of the world.

Zeolites Mobile Water Treatment Plant
Company: Zeolitas MX
Product description: Zeolitas e Insumos Nacionales S.A. de C.V. specializes in the design, construction, and installation of sewage and wastewater treatment plants, both domestic and industrial. In response to the need to treat water in temporary or remote locations, the company developed an autonomous mobile plant with treatment capacities ranging from 15 to 50 m3/day. This unit can be easily transported to sites such as camps, infrastructure projects, oil drilling sites, or military zones, where building a permanent plant is not feasible.
Its main advantage is its mobility, which allows for adequate water treatment without leaving permanent installations or causing environmental impacts. Thanks to its design, the plant complies with NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021, allowing for the safe discharge of treated water into natural bodies, thus preventing contamination. In addition, it helps companies comply with international standards and certifications.
The system uses a highly efficient physical-chemical process based on zeolites, eliminating up to 92% of contaminants in sewage and semi-industrial wastewater. This innovation responds to an urgent need in temporary projects, where previously water was discharged without treatment, causing serious environmental damage. The mobile plant thus represents a practical, efficient, and sustainable solution.