Virginia Team Wins Operations Challenge Competition

Terminal Velocity of the Virginia Water Environment Assn. took the top honors for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time Oct. 8, 2013 at the Operations Challenge competition held in Chicago during WEFTEC 2013.

Elijah Smith and Bobby Williams coached Terminal Velocity team members Steve Motley, Steve Poe, Jason Truitt and Captain Donnie Cagle. The team competed against 40 teams from across the U.S. and Canada in Operations Challenge, a test of the essential skills needed to operate and maintain wastewater treatment facilities, their collection systems and laboratories—all vital to the protection of public health and the environment.

“The level of professionalism exhibited throughout this event was outstanding,” said John Trofatter, Operations Challenge committee chair. “What the teams learn here is taken back into their communities and benefits society, the environment and their own careers.”

Now in its 26th year, Operations Challenge has grown from the original 22-team event to this year’s 41-team, two-division format. Teams are judged on the best combination of precision, speed and safety, and winners are determined by a weighted point system for five events including collection systems, laboratory, process control, maintenance and safety.

The top teams for the 2013 competition include:

Division 1
First Place: Terminal Velocity
Virginia Water Environment Assn.
Cities of Franklin and Virginia Beach, Va.

Second Place: Jersey Devils
New Jersey Water Environment Assn.
Cape County Municipal Utilities Authority

Third Place: TRA CReWSers
Water Environment Assn. of Texas
Trinity River Authority, Dallas

Division 2
First Place: Team HRSD
Virginia Water Environment Assn.
Hampton Roads Sanitation Districts

Second Place: Blueridge Brawlers
Virginia Water Environment Assn.
Western Virginia Water Authority

Third Place: Sewer Rats
Illinois Water Environment Assn.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Source: Water Environment Federation