“I honestly wasn’t even at the awards ceremony when they announced our name,” Mahi said. “Another team member and I were extremely sick, so we went straight home after competing. At first, I had just woken up, so I didn’t process it right away. But once it really hit me, I felt extremely proud.”

For Junnare, the recognition was more than an academic honor; it was a validation of a project designed to solve a silent local health crisis. “It felt like confirmation that the work we were doing to provide clean drinking water was actually meaningful and recognized as something valuable,” she said.

A silent threat in the soil

The catalyst for the research was an October 2025 news report from KXAN regarding a chromium scare in Central Texas drinking water. For Mahi, who lives in Georgetown, the news hit close to home. The local soil naturally carries high levels of chromium, and a supply issue had allowed the metal to seep into the taps of residents.

In the world of water safety, chromium is a silent adversary. While bacterial contamination usually triggers a public boil-water notice, heat does nothing to heavy metals.

“If there are bacteria in the water, the city issues a boil-water notice and boiling makes it safe to drink again,” she explained. “However, with heavy metals like chromium, boiling the water is not enough to remove the contamination.”

The health stakes are high: long-term exposure to chromium is linked to kidney damage, stomach ulcers, and an increased risk of cancer. “We identified this as a problem that needed to be solved and decided to tackle it,” she said.

Innovation from the kitchen

To find an answer, the team focused on biomass-based filtration — a method that uses natural materials to capture toxins through chemical binding. They experimented with organic scraps, including orange peels, rice husks, coconut shells, banana peels, and coffee grounds.

Mahi noted the goal was a "global" filter that could be adapted anywhere. Rice husks could be utilized in Southeast Asia, coconut shells in the tropics, and orange peels in the United States.

Because chromium is highly carcinogenic, the team used copper sulfate as a safe chemical proxy to mimic its behavior. They spent months refining a system consisting of six centimeters of sand, cotton layers, and a two-centimeter biomass core.

To verify their findings, they sent samples to a Louisiana State University lab and utilized spectrometry at the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The data confirmed their success: the system removed more than 99-percent of the copper sulfate.

“That was when we knew the concept really worked,” Junnare said. “But we also knew the science alone wasn’t enough. It had to be applied.”

Engineering the 'ClearCap'

The transition from a laboratory hypothesis to a consumer solution resulted in ClearCap.

Fabricated from 100-percent biodegradable filament via 3D printing, the device is an attachment designed for standard water bottles. Its design features a central cartridge that houses the layered biomass filter. As water is poured or consumed, it passes through the filter, stripping away heavy metals in real time.

The team is currently working on patenting the design, a process aided by the Liberty Hill High School entrepreneurship club. The invention has already moved from the science fair to the professional circuit; the team recently presented their work to practicing geologists and industry veterans at an Austin Geological Society technical session.

“Being invited means a lot to me because it shows that our project is not just a student experiment, but something that has real value in a professional scientific space,” she said.

The discipline of focus

Junnare’s ability to navigate environmental engineering alongside competitive diving, DECA, and her nonprofit, SHINE-Together, is a product of what she calls "zoning out."

“When I’m working on something, I tend to zone out everything else,” she said. “This allows me to become extremely focused on the task at hand.”

This intensity is balanced by a deep gratitude for her support system, ranging from her parents to her mentor, Sameer Jain, and her teachers at Liberty Hill. She specifically credited her AP Environmental Science teacher, Ms. Brown, and administrator Mr. Eickbusch for their individualized guidance.

As she prepares to compete at the international Genius Olympiad and eyes a future career at the intersection of healthcare and business, Junnare’s definition of success has evolved.

“I used to think success came from chasing awards, rankings, and recognition, but over time I realized it actually works the other way around,” she said. “Awards and recognitions are not the goal but a byproduct, because when you follow your passion, they come on their own.