COMPETITIONS Operations Challenge
Exhibit Hall 2 See full event schedule on page 23. Watch the nation’s best operators and maintenance staff compete in the Operations Challenge Competition at Texas WaterTM 2022. The competition returns in person this year with seven teams competing! The competition takes place in the Exhibit Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday. This multi-day competition showcases each team’s knowledge and skills in Process Control (Sponsored by Freese and Nichols), Laboratory Event (Sponsored by Hartwell Environmental), Maintenance (Sponsored by CP&Y), Collection System (Sponsored by AECOM), Safety (Sponsored by Carollo), and our three exhibition events: Electrical (Sponsored by Gupta), Vaughan Exhibition Event (Sponsored by Vaughan), and Victaulic Exhibition Event (Sponsored by Victaulic). Awards for the Operations Challenge Competition, as well as the Three Municipal Treatment Plant of the Year awards and Operator of the Year Award will be handed out at the Operations Awards Ceremony at 2:45 pm in the Exhibit Hall. Non-Utility teams and any person in attendance at the show can sign up and compete in the Exhibition Events where two divisions are available. Division I represents past teams who have competed in all events, and Division II represents new teams competing in any event for the first time. Competitors can receive up to 14 TCEQ wastewater hours, t-shirts, entry into the technical sessions and exhibit halls, and bragging rights! The top Texas Teams earn a free trip to the National WEFTEC competition, which will be held in September in New Orleans.
TUESDAY, APRIL 5 1 pm-2:30 pm, Exhibit Hall 2 The Junior Meter Challenge Contest matches students from high school environmental programs, for a test of their meter-assembling skills and dexterity in the Exhibit Hall from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Please support these “future water professionals” by attending on Tuesday. 2:30 pm-4:30 pm, Exhibit Hall 2 Contestants race to assemble a 5/8-inch meter from loose parts and test for leaks. The winner represents Texas at AWWA ACE22 in San Antonio in June.
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3:30 pm-5 pm, Exhibit Hall 2, Ops Challenge Area Who is the fastest draw on cutting a piece of 8-inch SDR 35 pipe with a hand saw? It’s time to show who really has the quickest hands in Texas at the annual Texas Shoot Out. This competition is designed to demonstrate elements of the Operations Challenge’s Collection event. The event is open to all. The $5 entry fee proceeds go to Curtis Smalley Memorial Fund. First place in all events will receive a plaque. Contact Grace Sober at gdsober@ lan-inc.com for more information and to sign up.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 Top Ops
9:30 am-1:30 pm, Exhibit Hall 2 Water operations personnel can impress their coworkers and dazzle their bosses with their technical knowledge by competing in this quiz show-style event. The winning team advances to the National Top Ops Competition in June at AWWA ACE22 in San Antonio.
Hydrant Hysteria
9:30 am-4 pm, Exhibit Hall 2 Hydrant Hysteria is a fast-paced competition where twomember teams assemble a specified hydrant as quickly as they can. The Section winners will compete at AWWA ACE22 in San Antonio in June.
Pipe Tapping Contest
9:30 am-4 pm, Exhibit Hall 2 Four-person teams from across the state compete to determine who will represent Texas at the National Pipe Tapping Competition at AWWA ACE22 in San Antonio.
Best-Tasting Drinking Water Contest
Junior Meter Challenge
Meter Challenge
Texas Shoot-Out Competition, Open to All!
1:30 pm-3 pm, Exhibit Hall 2 The Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest brings together entries representing utilities across Texas. A panel of celebrity judges—including April Mae Monterrosa, CEO & social media influencer; Justin Horne, meteorologist and reporter for KSAT 12 News; and Heather Collins, AWWA Vice President—will grade the samples. Along with Texas bragging rights, the winning entrant competes at AWWA ACE22 in San Antonio in June.
TEXAS WATERTM 2022
