Water professionals showcase skills in Cascade to Coast Competition
It was a bluebird day for the Cascade to Coast Competition held at Dorris Ranch on Thursday. Local water professionals, fresh off a winter working through the freezing cold and pouring rain, enjoyed an afternoon of light-hearted competition under sunny skies.
Representatives from local utilities competed to see who has the best-testing water, who can assemble a water meter the fastest and who find the most creative way to solve a routine problem that water utility professionals often face.
Eleven contenders vied for the title of best tasting water. The City of Corvallis, which treats water from the Willamette River, came out on top. The Marcola Water District was runner up and EWEB rounded out the winner’s circle in third place.
From left: Competition sponsor, Joe Davidson; Rob Robinson with the City of Corvallis; Jeff Morrison with the Marcola Water District; and Josh Bradley with EWEB.
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Scott Sieber, head brewer and co-founder of Falling Sky Brewery, was one of the judges who scored samples on scent, taste and aftertaste. “Water is the most important ingredient in beer,” said Sieber. Of judging, he said it is a good opportunity to “challenge the palette” when discerning between entries.
From left: Brewmasters Patrick Whiting of Hop Valley and Scott Seiber from Falling Sky score samples during the Best Tasting Water competition.
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The meter assembly competition saw individuals racing to assemble a leak-free meter. EWEB swept the category, as it did last year, with Timm Wagner taking the top slot with a completion time of 48.78 seconds.
From left: Dustin Dupay, Dan Azzato and Timm Wagner accepting their meter assembly prizes.
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Gimmicks and Gadgets went to the Rainbow Water District who showcased a custom tool to assess meter functionality in the field.
Charles Petersen explaining a custom gadget used by Rainbow Water field staff.
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The annual competition highlights the professionals whose work is vital to keep water flowing to customer taps 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Everyone who came out to compete plays a crucial role in providing clean drinking water to Oregon communities,” said Lisa Erkert, EWEB Environmental Specialist and President of the American Water Works Association Cascade to Coast Subsection. “Competition day is a fun way to get local water utilities together to celebrate their hard work and dedication.”
EWEB, along with representatives from the Springfield Utility Board (SUB) and Rainbow Water District organized this year’s event. Winners from this local competition may go on to larger regional and national competitions held through the American Water Works Association.
