COLLEYVILLE, Texas — Daniel Thomas is a 10th-grade student at Colleyville Heritage High School.
"I've always loved science," he said.
His curiosity for science extends beyond the classroom. On his own time, the 16-year-old wants to find tangible solutions for everyday problems.
His most recent invention, ClearWTR Portable, has promise of bringing affordable access to clean water across the globe. It runs off solar energy and uses a safe amount of chlorine to treat water.
"Do you remember the great Texas freeze in February 2021?" Thomas asked.
Thomas recalled losing power in his home that winter. He remembered stores having a limited supply of water.
"I didn't really know what to do because not only did we have no way of getting water, but we really couldn't do anything at our house because of lack of power. And we couldn't go anywhere because it was really cold and there was snow everywhere," Thomas told WFAA.
That's when Thomas realized how precious water is. As he did more research, he found the dire need for clean water.
"According to the World Health Organization, one in three people don't have access to clean drinking water, which is about two billion people," Thomas said.
Thomas' goal is to help people in disaster zones and developing countries. He has gone through three prototypes for ClearWTR Portable – each version more compact and efficient.
Most importantly, it only costs him $30 to make, so that it can be affordable and accessible to those in need.
Thomas is heading to Washington D.C. for the National STEM Festival, where he is one of the winners. He will present ClearWTR Portable to leaders, officials and peer inventors.
"Everyone needs water," Thomas said.
And he hopes to make it happen.
More Texas headlines: