2025 WERC TASKS
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Real-world tasks - 2025
Proposed, designed, and sponsored by industry and government agencies.
Teams select one task.
Find non task-specific FAQs here.
Task 1: Post-Wildfire Watershed Restoration
Silver Sponsor: EPA ORD
Iron Sponsors: Souder, Miller, & Associates, Jacobs Engineering, LANL
Develop a watershed restoration project to mitigate water supply issues in an area that is burn-scarred by a wildfire. Your team may select any region of the world for this project.
Task 2: Hydrogen-based DERMS Grid-tied Technologies
Diamond Sponsor: El Paso Electric Co.
Gold Sponsor: Las Cruces Utilities
Task Developers: El Paso Electric Co., Plug Power
Integrate hydrogen generation and fuel cell storage to demonstrate how renewable energies can become firm dispatchable resources.
Task 2 FAQs: No FAQs yet.
Task 3: Fungi Bioremediation of Mining Waters
Platinum Task Sponsor and Developer: Freeport-McMoRan
Demonstrate the use of fungi in bioremediation of mining-influenced water.
Task 4: Life Support Systems: Mitigating Dust in Lunar Habitats
Diamond Sponsor: New Mexico Space Grant Consortium
Task Developers: NASA MSFC, JSC
Demonstrate a method for preventing dust from entering a lunar habitat.
Problem statement updated 10-21-24 to remove erroneous reference to "brine" in the document.
Task 5: Produced Water: Valuable Recovery
Sponsors: Chevron, NGL Water Solutions
Task Developers: Chevron, NGL, Coterra Energy, APATEQ PWT-S.A.
Brine Mining: Recover valuable constituents from produced water to offset the cost of water treatment.
Task 5 FAQs: No FAQs yet.
Task 6: Open Task
Silver Sponsor: DOE FECM
Task Developers: Your team.
Propose your own environmental challenge. The tasks require innovation and a bench-scale demo.
Make sure your Open Task is competitive. Not sure? Email werc@nmsu.edu and our judges will review your plans.
Task 6 FAQs: No FAQs yet.
General Contest FAQs
Q: What should we put in the social media post? (Posted 4/9/22)
A: Send out something friendly and exciting that thanks the sponsors and tells people what you are doing, like this: We are excited to be solving xxxx at the WERC Environmental Design Contest in Las Cruces, NM. We send a big "Thank you" to our sponsors: @XXX, @XXX. (But put it in your own words--you don't want everyone to use the same phrasing that you did.)
Include a photo of your team having fun working on the project.
Q: What is the deadline for submitting the technical report draft to our auditors? (Updated 2/26/22)
A: We suggest that you submit your draft to your auditors 3 weeks prior to the report due date. The date is a suggestion, not a requirement. See your Team Manual for more information.
Q: What is the Current COVID-19 Policy at the Contest? (Updated 2/26/22)
A: Masks are no longer required in the state of New Mexico. Please see COVID-19 Policies.
Q: Registration says "Gender for Style." What does that mean? (Posted 10/15/21)
A: Faculty and judges receive a gift of a jacket or vest. The Ladies versions are narrower in the waist and larger in chest and hips than the men’s versions. If you prefer it larger in the waist, select “Male.” If you prefer it narrower in the waist, select “Female.”
Q: What computer connections will be available for presentations at the contest? (Posted 9/29/21)
A: Please contact us to let us know your needs and we will be sure to have the connection devices you need.