Using makeshift materials to craft water filters, College of the Canyons students formed a special connection to their creations.

Andro Tashian and Kate Woo, part of the Micronauts team, crafted a giant water filtration tube that Tashian wanted to continue working on to incorporate into his garden in the Antelope Valley.

A rumor about  jet fuel from Edwards Air Force Base leaking into the AV groundwater prompted him to work on the Totem-pole like filter, Tashian said.

If it can filter out fluoride, he explained, with a little more work on the device, “It could filter out jet fuel,” he hoped.

Although the challenge did not include jet fuel as a required portion of the water to filter out, the water included green food coloring, salt and vinegar.

On the other side of the ring was Olivia Ivy Regalado, the secretary and sole representative from the COC Chemistry Club.

Creating a more portable water filter within the span of 16 hours — including a 3-hour nap, she said — Regalado incorporated a pump and a much smaller tube into her device, in order to combine the filter with a backpack.

Her inspiration was the need she saw for having a water-filtration device while backpacking.

“On my first trip, (my filter) broke,” said Regalado. “So it struck me how important it was.”

After pouring the green water solutions into each tube, the judges measured the particulate matter, pH and saline content of the water, then proceeding to perform a subjective taste test.

After the judges reported the samples tasted like mud and stale pickle juice, they declared the Chemistry Club the winner of the competition.

Despite the murky waters that came out of the spouts of their filters, both sides of competitors said it was a learning experience.

“I have a greater appreciation for water,” said Regalado. “Now, I know what goes into (cleaning) it.”