From Today’s Youth, Comes Tomorrow’s Leaders – let’s lead some to the water profession!
Each year, the Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) gets middle school students excited to learn about the water industry with the Model Water Tower Competition (MWTC).
MWTC is an educational initiative that was designed by the Florida section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). The state of Georgia adopted it in 2011 and CCWSA has been hosting competitions in Cherokee County since 2018, growing from one participating school to seven.
“MWTC is designed to provide students with an awareness of our important industry,” said Will England, an Environmental Affairs Lab Analyst at CCWSA. “Like many other professions, the water industry is aging, and many of its leaders are near retirement. The goal of this competition is to help inspire the next generation to be part of the vital role we play in society.”
The initiative is hosted and guided by the MWTC Committee, which is comprised of employees of supporting utilities, engineers and consultants. England has been the committee’s Vice Chair since 2022 and will become the Chair this May.
“I’m excited to take over as Chair,” said England. “The Committee has grown greatly in active membership and engagement, and I hope to help it continue that momentum.”
In Cherokee, schools participating in MWTC are partnered with an engineering firm. Students have roughly eight weeks to work on building their water tower. The build is broken into three basic components: design, structure and hydraulics. The partnering engineers come into the classroom several times during the eight weeks to advise and teach students about structural efficiency, hydrology and the importance of planning.
“The more exposure we can give students to what we do as water and wastewater professionals, the greater the chances are that we will encourage some to pursue the water profession,” said England.
Students present and test their water towers at a county-wide competition, where they are judged on four main categories: design & materials ingenuity, structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency and interview skills. Winners have the opportunity to win cash prizes starting at $300 for first place.
This year’s 7th Annual Model Water Tower Competition was held on Saturday, March 9. CCWSA hosted 36 teams, representing 73 students and their parents. This year’s winners were:
- 1st Place – Paw Patrol by Andrew Warrick, Holt Wasdin and Arcadian Freund from E.T. Booth Middle School
- 2nd Place – Submarine Diver by Hunter Hamby and Sarah Vehar from Teasley Middle School
- 3rd Place – Piglet by Ava Villalobos, Nevaeh Hill, Gianna Apaloo and Lordless Brown from E.T. Booth
In addition, superlatives were awarded for Best Engineering Design, Most Artistic, Outstanding Presentation, Cost Effectiveness, Structural Excellence and Most Imaginative “Outside the Box.”
Beyond the judging component, students also get to meet various water professionals at the event, learn about the role of the utility, build a functional water filter, check out trucks and equipment used in the water industry, and participate in activities that teach topics like water scarcity, water pressure and water treatment. 
“This competition provides the opportunity to change student and parent perceptions of Water Professionals and help them grasp the magnitude of work that goes into providing safe, clean and reliable drinking water,” said England.
Last year was the first year the MWTC Committee hosted a state-level competition, which was held at the Water Tower in Buford, Georgia.
“I was asked in 2022 to serve as Vice Chair of the committee. Before 2022, the committee had only kicked around the idea of hosting a state-level competition. When I took the leadership role, my main goal was ensuring we had a state-level competition,” said England. “With a tremendous amount of help from the committee, vendors, consultants and staff, we pulled it off last year! It was rewarding to see the excitement of students, parents and everyone. Moments like that make the whole thing worthwhile.”
England hopes engagement in the program will spark interest in the water industry across the county and show students the variety of professions available. “I have high hopes for the future,” said England. “I would consider the sheer number of parents and members of the community that have taken an interest in what we do as a result of this competition to be a success.”
The motto of the committee is “From today’s youth come tomorrow’s leaders – let’s lead some to the water profession!”