HCWA announces winners of Model Water Tower Competition
The Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) hosted the regional event of the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition at the Tussahaw Water Plant recently, with 39 students from eight Henry County Schools constructing 21 water towers battling for top prizes and the opportunity to go on to the state competition in the spring.
The winners of the 2023 Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition included:
* First Place – “The Dawg” Water Tower designed and constructed by Mason Dillard of Ola Middle School and Ms. Jones’ class.
* Second Place – “The Tower of Ghosts” designed and constructed by Tyahnna Mathers of the Impact Academy and Dr. Dixon’s class.
* Third Place – The “Rocket Ship” Water Tower designed and constructed by Kaidyn Jones of Austin Road Middle School and Ms. Parks’ class.
* Most Artistic/Creative Design – “The Winter Wonder Tower” designed and constructed by Rilyn Yetman of McDonough Middle School and Ms. Doss’ class.
* Most Imaginative/Outside the Box – “The Biggest Bird” Water Tower designed and constructed by Rayden Nguyen of Woodland Middle School and Dr. Givens’ class.
* Best Interview and Presentation – “The Watering Plant” Water Tower designed and constructed by Allana Pham of McDonough Middle School and Ms. Doss’ class.
* Best Engineering Design – The “McDonalds Crushers” Water Tower designed and constructed by Zahria Henderson, Jordyn Thomas, Jaylin Shields, and Jamiya Jackson of Stockbridge Middle School and Ms. Ellison’s class.
The First and Second Place water tower winners of this Henry County competition qualify to compete in the statewide Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, which will be held Saturday, April 13, 2024.
The Henry County schools participating in this regional competition hosted by the HCWA included Austin Road, Dutchtown, Eagles Landing, Impact Academy, McDonough, Ola, Stockbridge, and Woodland Middle Schools.
“This was the first time my class participated in the competition, and my students learned how the structure of a water tower works,” says Lindsey Jones, teacher at Ola Middle School, whose student Mason Dillard won the Henry County competition. “This event provides great exposure and hands-on learning for students. It was an eye opener because it’s real life.”
During this event, students learn there are three main components of a water tower – an elevated tank, a riser pipe, and a structure to elevate the tank. Participants were challenged to design and build water towers with specific size and height requirements from various household materials, while being rewarded for creativity and engineering excellence.
The student model water towers were judged based on three criteria – structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency, and design ingenuity. In addition, contestants completed interviews with a panel of HCWA water professionals, answering questions about their model water tower and the science of water storage and distribution.
“We had more schools take advantage of this great opportunity this year, because I think more teachers are realizing how it aligns with our standards for science and STEM curricula, and how it supports our district strategic plan,” says Kaneice Bembry, Coordinator of Science/STEM for Henry County Schools. “During this event, students learn 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, how to work well with others, and more. This is an awesome partnership with the Henry County Water Authority, because they do a great job with everything they host.”
The HCWA and Henry County Schools formed the Henry County Outdoor Education Partnership in 2003, which helped facilitate the annual “Cubihatcha Kids” third grade field trips to the HCWA Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center in Locust Grove. These annual field trips were just completed in September.
The partnership between the Authority and Henry County Schools has grown to include the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, as well as other initiatives throughout the year.
“It was great to see the students so excited about their water towers, as well as the increased participation that we had this year,” says Lindsey Sanders, HCWA Communications and Regulatory Coordinator. “Several of the student teams said they would be participating again next year!”
The Georgia Model W
ater Tower Competition requires students to develop an idea into a functioning water tower, just as water professionals do within the state’s water industry. The competition ultimately engages students in hands-on learning of STEM curricula – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The Georgia Model Water Tower Competition was founded to provide information to young students about water resources engineering, infrastructure, water production, storage, and distribution, as well as to advocate for the importance of water conservation. The event also is designed to introduce students to job responsibilities and career opportunities in the water industry.
The event’s mission statement is – “From today’s youth come tomorrow’s leaders – so, let’s lead some to the water profession.” In addition, HCWA officials hope the event helps to increase awareness among Henry County middle school students, teachers, and parents, about the role the Water Authority plays in the community, as well as the value of clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.
Captions for photos (from top to bottom):
Ola Middle School student Mason Dillard (center) won First Place in the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, while Impact Academy student Tyahnna Mathers (right) won second place and Austin Road Middle School’s Kaidyn Jones (left) won third place.
HCWA judges Johnny Basler (left) and Patrick Kelly (center) check the dimensions of student model water towers during the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition.
Ola Middle School student Mason Dillard explains the details of “The Dawg” water tower during his interview with the panel of HCWA judges.
Lindsey Sanders, HCWA Communications and Regulatory Coordinator, marks the scores of the 21 middle school student water towers during the Henry County, Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, held recently at the Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant.
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Media Contact: Dr. Chris Wood
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu