Winners of the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Comp
When looking for future talent to join the water industry, the water professionals at the Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) start at home by targeting Henry County students, even those in middle school.
In fact, there may be some future water professionals among the Henry County Middle School students who participated in the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition regional event held recently at the HCWA Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant. These students submitted functioning model water towers, which were graded and judged by HCWA staff, with the winner advancing to the state competition next spring.
The Authority presented gift cards and prizes ($300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place) to the following winners of the 2022 Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition:
* First Place – the “Aquatica” water tower by Trinity Yates, Diana Guaderrama, and Maya Bailey, students of Dawn Parker at Hampton Middle School.
* Second Place – the “Mr. Jaws” water tower by Auden Ing, a student of Misty Givens at Woodland Middle School.
* Third Place – “The Adams Ale” water tower by Serenity Guth and Hannah Ramos, students of Dawn Parker at Hampton Middle School.
* Best Presentation/Judge’s Award – the “Disco Inferno” water tower by Essence Bobo, a student of Dawn Parker at Hampton Middle School.
* Best Engineering Design – the “Plummer Twins” water tower by Yamiina and Yazmin Plummer, students of Misty Givens at Woodland Middle School.
* Most Artistic – the “Up” water tower by Carter Ivey, a student of Christy Collier at Locust Grove Middle School.
The first- and second-place winners of the Henry County Competition – the “Aquatic” and “Mr. Jaws” towers – will compete against winners from eight other regions at the finals of the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition to be held in Buford on April 29, 2023. This is the 10th anniversary of the event, although it was postponed the last two years due to the pandemic. This is the first time regional winners will compete for best Model Water Tower in the state.
The Georgia Model Water Tower Competition was founded to provide information to young students about water resources engineering, infrastructure, water treatment, and conservation, in hopes that some will become future water professionals. The event’s mission statement is: “From today’s youth come tomorrow’s leaders – let’s lead some to the water profession.” The event is organized by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) and the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA).
The Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition also increased awareness among these Henry County Middle School students, teachers, and parents, about the role the HCWA plays in the community and the value of clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.
In addition to going through the judging process, students participating in this year’s Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition enjoyed a tour of the Tussahaw Plant, activities reflecting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) curricula they are studying in school, as well as “Meter Madness,” which challenges students to assemble a standard residential water meter while being timed for speed and accuracy.
“Henry County Schools is committed to expanding STEM opportunities across the district, and the Model Water Tower Competition provides such an opportunity for middle school students to engage in STEM learning,” says Kaneice Bembry, Coordinator of STEM/Science for Henry County Schools. “Building the towers and designing solutions to problems inspire and encourage interest in science and other STEM-related subjects and careers. In addition, engaging students in engineering design and introducing them to water professions makes them aware of the importance of reliable drinking water and the STEM opportunities available in the water industry.”
The Georgia Model Water Tower Competition challenges middle school students to design and build water towers with specific size and height requirements, just as water professionals do within the industry. The student model water towers are judged based on three criteria – structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency, and design ingenuity. In addition, participating students complete interviews with a panel of industry professionals to answer questions about their science project.
The model water towers may be designed and constructed from any materials. However, students are rewarded for using creative designs and recycled materials, such as everyday household items. The year, the HCWA received help from Colby Still and Scott McCrary of Consolidated Pipe, who served as sponsors of the event by donating supplies for use during the Competition.
Captions for photos (top to bottom):
Hampton Middle School students Diana Guaderrama (left) and Maya Bailey (right), along with teammate Trinity Yates (not pictured), constructed the “Aquatica” water tower, which won first place in the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition.
Woodland Middle School student Auden Ing won second place in the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower competition for his “Mr. Jaws” water tower.
Hampton Middle School students Serenity Guth (left) and Hannah Ramos (right) won third place in the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition with their “The Adams Ale” water tower.
Henry County Middle School students present their model water tower for judging by HCWA water professionals according to three criteria – structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency, and design ingenuity.
Photo galleries from this year's Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition are available via this photo gallery link.
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Media Contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D.
Phone: 770-757-1681
Email: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu