1)    Answer:

Yes, teams are allowed to add ingredients to their 8 gallons of wastewater ONLY during the Free Period which is the first 2 minutes of the 10-minute Pouring Period. Please make sure to include the cost of the materials added to the wastewater in your total cost of your treatment system. Also, any tampering with the wastewater during the Free Period must not significantly reduce the 8 gallons of wastewater. This means that the amount of wastewater poured through the system should be very close to the original 8 gallons given to each team and a judge may choose to deduct points if he or she believes the amount of water being poured through a team's system has been reduced by what they decide is a substantial amount.