Bragging rights at stake in ACE25 competitions

The Exhibit Hall filled with roars and celebrations as water pros competed in several events at the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE25) in Denver.

Former and defending champions as well as newcomers competed fiercely for the 2025 titles and bragging rights for their sections in several crowd-pleasing traditions at ACE.

Below is a summary of ACE25 contest results:

Hydrant Hysteria: Two-member teams race to assemble a specified hydrant
Men
1st: Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, Okatie, South Carolina Section, 1:07.00
2nd: Lake Meridian Water, Pacific Northwest Section, 1:07.09
3rd: Union County, North Caroline Section, 1:15.68
4th: Bristol Water & Sewer, Connecticut Section, 1:30.62

Women
1st: Elsinore Valley Hydrant Belles, California/Nevada section, 1:18.18
2nd: Union County, North Carolina Section, 1:26.97
3rd: Oak Creek, Wisconsin Section, 1:36.25
4th: Region of Peel, Ontario Section, 1:41.56

Meter Challenge: Individual contestants race to reassemble working water meters from parts
1st: Craig Dalton, South Carolina – Time 28.09 sec
2nd: Michael Sherwood, Virginia – Time 31.97 sec
3rd: Kiley Rodriguez, California/Nevada – Time 40.07 sec
4th: Nick Webb, Alabama Mississippi – Time 49.47 sec

Pipe Tapping: Three-member teams race to tap a cement-lined, ductile iron pipe
Men
1st: Alamo Drillerz, San Antonio Water System, Texas Section, 1:10:87
2nd: BWWB Blue Team, Birmingham Water Works, Alabama-Mississippi Section, 1:16:38
3rd: Servicios de Agua y Drenaje de Monterrey Apodaca, Mexico Section, 1:17:31
4th: Michigan Tappers, Lansing, Michigan Section, 1:22:82
5th: Big Blue Tappers, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Chesapeake Section, 1:32:21

Women
1st: Grit City Grind, Tacoma Water, Pacific Northwest Section, 2:29:47 (Returning Champions)
2nd: Alamo City Tappers, San Antonio Water Systems, Texas Section, 2:57:75
3rd Place: Lansing Lethal Ladies, Lansing, Michigan Section, 3:08:31

Top Ops: Teams of operators and lab technicians compete to score the most points answering scientific questions and math problems
1st: Turbidity Chasers, City Utilities, Indiana Section
2nd: City of Elgin, Illinois Section
3rd: Str8 Drippin’, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Chesapeake Section
4th: City of Alcoa, Kentucky-Tennessee Section

Best of the Best Tap Water Taste Test – A panel of experts determines which AWWA Section taste test winner is “best of the best”
1st: Henrico Water, Laurel, Virginia Section
2nd: Taylorsville-Bennion Valley, Taylorsville, Utah, Intermountain Section
3rd: City of Ames, Iowa Section

People’s Choice Tap Water Taste Test – ACE participants at tasting stations vote on their favorite AWWA Section taste test winner
1st: Denver Water, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Section
2nd: City of Appleton, Wisconsin Section
3rd: City of Bloomington, Minnesota Section