We are looking forward to an exciting – and safe – ACE21 in San Diego. After a great deal of careful consideration and consultation, AWWA has determined that circumstances do not permit us to host in-person competitions at ACE21 in San Diego. We know this is a tremendous disappointment for so many of you, as it also is to the many AWWA staff who work with you to support competitions each year. 

Our first concern throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been the protection of public health. Public health and safety guidance set forth by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and the San Diego Convention Center indicate that hosting the competitions is not feasible today and likely will not be feasible in June. 

Because planning for ACE competitions begins several months out – including planning and hosting competitions at Sections -- we are announcing the cancellation of in-person Pipe Tapping, Meter Madness, Hydrant Hysteria, and Top Ops competitions at this time. The Best of the Best Water Taste Test is currently under evaluation, and an update regarding the status of this competition will be provided at a later date. 

AWWA staff consulted with Section Chairs and staff, volunteers, donors and other stakeholders before arriving at this difficult decision. While we wish circumstances were different, it’s heartening to know how much you love and look forward to the competitions at ACE. A few additional words to AWWA competitors, donors and volunteers are included below. 

• Competitors, we recognize the tremendous effort you put into preparation for the competitions. You are a source of pride for all of us at AWWA. We encourage each of you to submit videos and photos of yourself and/or team competing and to show off your team, utility, and swag! We hope that you can participate virtually with us and tag @awwa and use #awwacompetitions when posting to social media. 
• Sections, we encourage you to help keep the momentum going by sharing your past and present competitions successes and posting photos and videos to social media. Please reach out to your Section Relationship Manager to further discuss ideas. 
• Volunteers, we understand the amount of work and effort each of you contribute in helping make these competitions successful. We hope that you continue to stay engaged with staff as we navigate the coming months and look forward to when we can host competitions again, in-person, at ACE. We also invite you to write articles, for the AWWA Connections Newsletter or for Opflow, to keep the spirit going. 
• Donors, thank you for all you do to make AWWA competitions a success. Please be on the look-out for calls to discuss next steps regarding the future in-kind donor rotation.
• Sponsors, we appreciate the support you provide, which is essential to the success of AWWA Competitions. We look forward to seeing you in person at a time at which it is safe to do so. 

At this time, a “Breakfast for Champions” event is tentatively planned for ACE21 to celebrate the achievements and contributions of everyone involved with competitions – especially operators, whose work is so essential to public health protection. Additional information about this event will be available in the spring of 2021. 

If you have additional questions about competitions, please review the below FAQs or reach out to competitions@awwa.org.