Contact

Progam Contact

M. Ginger Scarbrough, PhD

Director, WERC Environmental Design Contest

 WERC Email | 575-646-8171

Find non task-specific FAQs here. 

2026 Tasks & Task FAQs

Yucca in front of Organ Mountains

Task 1. After RO: Brine Management in the Desert

Silver Sponsor: EPA ORD, Hazen & Sawyer
Iron Sponsors: Souder, Miller & Associates; Los Alamos Nat'l Labs

RO has become the "Go-to" for treating water, but what happens to the brine concentrate after RO treatment? In water-scarce areas, such as the arid desert southwestern US, disposing of the waste is a significant issue that often causes engineers to avoid RO. Small communities and manufacturers are most affected.

1: Overview
After RO

Task 1 Full Problem Statement: Coming soon.

El Paso Electric Co. Solar Modules and Cooling Towers

Task 2. Power Plants in the Desert: Recovering Water from Cooling Towers

Diamond Sponsor: El Paso Electric Co.
Platinum Sponsor: Las Cruces Utilities
Task Developers: El Paso Electric Co., Plug Power

Teams are challenged to devise ways of recovering water vapor from inland power plant cooling towers, where water is scarce. Your solution could save millions of gallons of water every year! The greatest challenge is how to condense this water vapor in the hot summer months.

2: Overview
Cooling Towers

Task 2 Full Problem Statement: Coming soon.

dew on moss

Task 3: Bio-inspired Critical Mineral Recovery

Platinum Task Sponsor and Developer: Freeport-McMoRan

Freeport-McMoRan is inviting you to explore innovative bio-inspired solutions to recover critical minerals from mining-influenced water. Your team may select from three scenarios: Acid Mine Drainage (ARD), Minteral Processing Waters, or Pit Waters.

Full task problem statement (below) uploaded on 8/1/25.

Task 3:
Critical Mineral Recovery

Astronaut on Moon

Task 4. Survive the Night - Lifecycle Logistics Supply Chain

Diamond Sponsor: New Mexico Space Grant Consortium

Task Developers: NASA MSFC, JSC

NASA is seeking innovative concepts for the Artemis program to deliver pressurized logistics (food, supplies, water, repair items, tools, etc) to the surface of the moon. Teams are challenged to design cargo containers that will maintain temperature and pressures through harsh lunar conditions. 

4: Overview
Survive the Night

Task 4 Full Problem Statement: Coming soon.

Splashing water

Task 5: Produced Water: Enhanced Evaporation

Sponsors: Chevron, NGL Water Solutions

Task Developers: Chevron, NGL, and Coterra Energy

Your team is challenged to design innovative ways to accelerate evaporation in PW impoundments. Solutions must scale to a 500,000 bbl/day flow rate. In addition to enhanced evaporation, teams may include innovative ways of storing water, rather than the traditional impoundment ponds. 

5. Overview
Enhanced Evap

Task 5 Full Problem Statement: Coming soon.

Hands adjusting a sensor strap

Task 6. Open-Source Environmental Monitors

Sponsors and Task Developers: HF Sinclair, NAVFAC EXWC

Your team is challenged to design your choice of open-source environmental monitors to answer a community need. Teams are encouraged to consider the needs of economically challenged communities that may be exposed to health and/or environmental hazards. The sensors should be easily reproducable at low cost.

Full task problem statement (below) uploaded on 8/1/25.

Task 6:
Open-Source Monitors

WERC-Red-Bucket-06

Task 7. Open Task

Sponsor: Jacobs Engineering Group

Task Developers: Your team.

Propose your own environmental challenge. The tasks require innovation and a bench-scale demo. Teams are encouraged to identify needs of economically challenged communities in their region. 

Make sure your Open Task is competitive. Not sure? Email werc@nmsu.edu and our judges will review your plans.

Full task problem statement (below) uploaded on 7/28/25.

7: Open Task

General Contest FAQs

Q: What should we put in the social media post? (Posted 4/9/25)
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 2/26/25)
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: Registration says "Gender for Style." What does that mean? (Posted 10/15/25)
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.”