This year’s Operator Expo had everything the Orange County water community has come to expect from OCWA: a strong slate of training sessions, a wide array of spirited competitions, and a delicious barbeque lunch. Everyone had a great time as they earned Certified CE training units, interacted with dozens of vendors, and enjoyed watching or partici­pating in the contests. Plans are already underway for next year’s event.

Special thanks are due to the many Sponsors and Exhibitors who participated in this year’s event. Twenty-eight Exhibitors joined us to display their products, demonstrate their uses, and answer all the operator’s questions. In addition, Sixteen Sponsors stepped forward to help ensure the success of the day. Links to the names of all our Sponsors and the Vendors are listed below. Without the generous support of our Sponsors, and the dedicated attention of the Exhibitors, our event would have been nowhere near the success we all enjoyed. We are especially indebted to Irvine Ranch Water District, for once again generously hosting our event at Rattlesnake Reservoir.

Photos of all the days events,
and a listing of all the Sponsors and Vendors,
are available on the OCWA website.
Click here for the photos
and click here for Sponsors and Exhibitors.

There was lot to learn and even more fun to be had at this year’s annual event. We had over 230 operators, representing 25 water agencies from Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties, sign-up for the event, and the training sessions were well-attended. Each participant earned 1 contact hour for each training session attended.

In the first hour, Mario Orlando of Spears Manufacturing Company, provided the group a thorough view of the intricacies of Assembling PVC Pipe by Solvent Welding and Threading.

This presentation was followed by a spirited presentation on Solutions for Control: Distribution Maintenance & Repair Techniques to Avoid System Shutdown. Led by Michael Urwin, with Hydra-Stop, attendees were given a comprehensive overview of these critical tips for system support.

At the conclusion of the Continuing Education classes, it was time for the day’s competitions.

Before the Pipe Tapping Competition began, we had a special treat, a demonstration of Hydrant Hysteria by two of the premier teams in the nation.

Hydrant Hysteria pits teams of two water workers against each other in a contest to assemble a hydrant as fast and as accurately as possible. With parts of the hydrant weighing over 100 pounds, multiple nuts and bolts, and two distinct segments, Hydrant Hysteria challenges both the physical stamina and the dexterity of the contestants as each team rushes through the assembly, mindful throughout how the segments must properly align when finished. The coach of one team described it as “an intricate dance” as the teammates work their way around the hydrant multiple times, each focused on their specific tasks.

We were fortunate to have two of the best teams in the nation exhibit their skills for us. From the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, we had the Hydro Maniacs, a men’s team who finished third in the recent competition at ACE 24 in Anaheim, while from Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, we had the Hydrant Belles, a women’s team who in their first year of competition took first place at ACE 24.

If anyone is interested in forming a Hydrant Hysteria team, Boyd Schultz with Laguna Beach County Water District is happy to provide assistance in getting started.

For this year’s Pipe Tapping Competition, four teams were prepped and ready to go. Remarkably, both the first and second place teams this year bested the OpExpo’s all-time Championship Rankings!

The winning team, the LA Tappers, from LADWP, finished in First Place with a blistering time of 1:12.15. This was good enough to earn them first place on our all-time leaderboard. Close behind them, in Second Place with a remarkably close time of 1:12.31, were the Santa Ana Tap Kings. As with the winning team, this score earned the team second place on our all-time leaderboard. This was unprecedented, to have two teams so completely demolish our event’s long-held records.

Other teams that competed included West Coast, from Santa Ana, and the Irvine Ranch Water District’s Ranch Tappers. There were a few teams unable to join us this year because of injury to their competitors. We expect they’ll return in full-form next year, eager to test themselves against our new champs.

Special thanks to Boyd Schultz with Laguna Beach County Water District who organized and ran the Pipe Tapping Contest. Set up for the event was done by crews from both IRWD and LBCWD. Afterwards, we were grateful to the many attendees who stayed behind for a few minutes to assist with the dismantling and cleanup of the event. It was very appreciated.

In the morning’s other competition, almost two dozens teams signed up for what turned into a spirited Horseshoe Competi­tion. Ably organized and run by Freddie Ojeda from Yorba Linda Water District, the event was a real crowd pleaser, with many close matches. First Place was taken by a team from Irvine Ranch Water District, while Second Place went to a team from Yorba Linda Water District.

The morning’s educational sessions and competi­tions were capped off with a delicious lunch catered by Blake’s Place of Anaheim, followed by an opportunity drawing with a wide range of prizes donated by the sponsors and vendors, every­thing from tools to gift cards.

All agreed it was a great day of education and compe­ti­tion, and every­one left look­ing forward to 2025’s event. Should you have suggestions for improving next year’s OpExpo, contact anyone on the OCWA Board. And be certain to make plans now to attend next year’s event!