Detecting E. Coli in Indiana's Waterways: A Young Inventor's Quest

News 8 first met University High School student Vidhari Iyer in 2023, when she was a freshman being honored for her impressive work in nanoplastic detection. Today, she's being recognized again - this time for developing an app that predicts E. coli bacteria contamination in Indiana water streams.

"I'm really passionate about ensuring people have access to clean drinking water," Vidhari says. "As someone who wants to become a physician, I know how important it is to have healthy communities."

Vidhari's quest to detect E. coli in Indiana's waterways began when she realized the importance of monitoring water quality. She spent countless hours researching and developing her app, which uses data from various sources, including weather patterns and water flow rates, to predict where contamination might occur.