Tussahaw Plant hosting Model Water Tower Competition

Tussahaw Plant hosting Model Water Tower Competition

The Henry County Water Authority (HCWA), in partnership with the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA) and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP), will be hosting the annual Henry County regional Georgia Model Water Tower Competition at its Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant on Friday Nov. 4, 2024.

Those Henry County Middle School Students participating in this year's engineering design competition include Hampton, Stockbridge, Impact Academy, Ola, Dutchtown, Austin Road, McDonough, Woodland, and Locust Grove. This Henry County regional is one of several events across the state affiliated with the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition.

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.

"We're excited to have nine schools participating this year, which is the most we've ever had," says Lindsey Sanders, HCWA Communications and Regulatory Coordinator, who organized the event.

During the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, students learn there are three main components to a water tower - an elevated tank, a riser pipe, and a structure to elevate the tank. Participants are 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 are judged based on three criteria - structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency, and design ingenuity.

In addition, contestants will complete interviews with a panel of water professionals from the HCWA, while answering questions about their model water tower. The Georgia Model Water 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 winners of this Henry County regional event will advance to compete in the statewide Georgia Model Water Tower Competition on April 12, 2025.

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Contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D.

P: 770-757-1681

E: [email protected] or [email protected]