Water community demonstrates top-notch skills during ACE23 competitions

Amid cheering and high-fives, the water community’s top-notch competitors demonstrated their advanced skills, knowledge and experience during the past week’s exciting contests at the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE23) in Toronto.

Following is a summary of ACE23 contest results:

Hydrant Hysteria: Two-member teams race to assemble a specified hydrant
Men

• 1st – 1:12.44, LADWP, California/Nevada Section
• 2nd – 1:15.98, Bristol County, New England Section
• 3rd – 1:21.46, NWO Wacounda-Des Plaines, Illinois Section

Women

• 1st – 1:51.56, Region of Peel, Ontario Section
• 2nd – 1:53.19, Battle Creek, Michigan Section
• 3rd – 2:20.66, Toronto, Ontario Section

Meter Challenge: Contestants race to reassemble working water meters from parts

• 1st – 41.78, Carlos Camancho, Pacific Northwest Section
• 2nd – 42.00, David Marinella, Ohio Section
• 3rd — 49.03, Samuel Murguia, Texas Section

Pipe Tapping: Three-member teams race to tap a cement-lined, ductile iron pipe (pictured right)
Men

• 1st – 1:15.19, SADM Apodaca, Mexico Section
• 2nd – 1:21.50, Alamo Drillerz, Texas Section
• 3rd – 1:29.34, Denver Water, Rocky Mountain Section

Women

• 1st – 1:59.15, Big D Lady Tappers, Texas Section
• 2nd – 2:26.41, Grit City Grind, Pacific Northwest Section
• 3rd – 2:53.13, Lansing Lethal Ladies, Michigan Section

Top Ops: Teams of operators and lab technicians compete to score the most points answering scientific questions and math problems

• 1st – Turbidity Chasers, Indiana Section
• 2nd — Straight Dripping, Chesapeake Section
• 3rd — East Bay MUD, California/Nevada Section
• 4th — Purcerville Mud Dogs, Virginia Section

Best of the Best Tap Water Taste Test – A panel of experts determine which AWWA Section taste test winner is “best of the best”

• 1st – City of Miramichi, New Brunswick, Atlantic Canada Section
• 2nd – City of Grand Junction, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Section
• 3rd – Raleigh Water, North Carolina, North Carolina Section

People’s Choice Tap Water Taste Test – ACE participants at tasting stations vote on their favorite AWWA Section taste test winner

• 1st – City of Emporia, Kansas, Kansas Section