16-Year-Old Invents $12 Water Filter That Removes 99.9% of Bacteria

Amara Osei was 14 years old when she watched her younger brother get sick from contaminated well water. Two years later, at 16, she has invented a solution that is now providing clean water for her entire village of 800 people — and costs just $12 to build.

The filter, which Amara calls the "ClearWell," uses layers of locally-sourced materials — crushed charcoal, fine sand, coarse gravel, and a layer of crushed moringa seeds, which naturally purify water — inside a recycled plastic container. In independent tests by the University of Lagos, the filter removes 99.9% of bacteria and 98% of heavy metals from contaminated water.

"I didn't invent anything new," Amara said. "I just put together things that already existed and made them cheap enough that anyone could build one."

A high school junior from rural Nigeria has developed a low-cost biosand water filter that works without electricity and provides clean water for an entire village.

After winning the Nigerian Science Olympiad last year, Amara's design was picked up by Engineers Without Borders, which has now deployed the filter in 45 villages across sub-Saharan Africa. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded a project to manufacture 100,000 units.

Amara starts university in the fall, on a full scholarship to study engineering. She has filed for a patent and says any licensing fees will go to fund filter distribution.