Thirteen-year-old Marlton, New Jersey student Neha Blunt earned third place at the 2026 International Young Eco-Hero Awards for creating a web application that has helped save an estimated 20 million gallons of water worldwide.

A Leaky Tap Sparks a Global Solution

The journey began when Blunt examined an educational calendar from the Evesham Township Municipal Utilities Authority. A statistic revealing that a single dripping faucet can waste over 2,000 gallons of clean water monthly prompted her to re-examine resource conservation in her home state. Despite New Jersey receiving approximately 45 inches of annual rainfall, expanding population centers and heightened demand continue to strain local water supplies.

In response, Blunt launched the Water Savers campaign in spring 2023. She dedicated seven months to engineering Water Saver, a browser-accessible platform designed to make daily conservation engaging and actionable for households.

Self-Taught Engineering for Maximum Accessibility

To turn her vision into reality, Blunt taught herself MySQL to handle database architecture and user authentication. Rather than releasing a traditional smartphone app requiring downloads or paid software, she deliberately constructed a universally accessible web interface to reach lower-income communities across various devices.

The platform equips users with practical guides for building rain gardens and DIY rain barrels, alongside educational material regarding global water scarcity. To date, her initiative has educated more than 1 million people internationally and prompted over 100,000 residents to modify their daily consumption habits.

Academic Excellence and Environmental Leadership

Blunt’s achievements extend far beyond environmental tech. Programming since age three, she accumulated 22 college credits by age 13 and became the youngest student in her county to enroll in AP Calculus BC while in sixth grade. Her software development portfolio also includes Cair, an indoor air-quality monitor built alongside her sister, and an ongoing software internship at Project Refit developing peer-support tools for military veterans.

"When resources seem abundant, people slip into passive habits and waste water without ever realizing it. True environmental justice means everyone deserves access to clean water and a healthy living environment, no matter where they live."

Expanding Future Horizons

Recognition for Blunt’s work includes taking third place in the 2023 Congressional App Challenge as its youngest competitor, official commendation from the New Jersey General Assembly, and an appointment as Water Conservation Ambassador by the Evesham Environmental Commission.

She is currently collaborating with the Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority on Water Saver 2.0, which will integrate live household data into interactive usage charts. Looking ahead, Blunt aims to raise funds for a Charity: Water well project, study computer science with a cybersecurity focus, and eventually help protect critical national infrastructure at the U.S. National Security Agency.