Force Maine Wins Again at WEFTEC '06
Dallas, Texas
Written By André Brousseau
Opps Challenge Chair
Force Maine, the Operations Challenge
team from Maine, competed this past October at the WEFTEC annual
conference in Dallas, Texas. There were a total of 42 teams from North
America and 1 team from South America (Argentina). 10 teams were in
Division 1 and 32 teams in Division 2. NEWEA sent three teams from New
England. New Hampshire’s Seacoast Sewer Snakes challenged other
Division #1 teams, while Force Maine and the Rhode Islands Quahogs
both competed in Division #2.
The Operations Challenge is held over a two day period. Day one
consists of all teams taking the same process control test (similar to
an operator certification exam). This event consists of many different
scenarios wastewater treatment operators and design engineers face
every day in our work place. The test includes multiple choice, fill
ins, true & false, and three activated sludge word problems. Teams
must show their arithmetic or the answers will be counted as wrong.
On Day 2, all teams compete in the maintenance, lab, collection and
safety events. This year’s Maintenance Event was to set up and perform
Preventative Maintenance on a 4” Goodwin Dri Prime trailer mounted
pump. The Lab Event was to prepare a 5 day seeded BOD test, and
perform final calculations of results of a completed test. The Safety
Event involved rescuing a fallen victim from a manhole. The teams had
to erect a man lift (tripod) with fall protection and winches so two
team members can enter the manhole. The team members entering the
manhole must use appropriate PPE. Entrants must safely remove the
victim (manikin) from the manhole. The Collection Event, the
Challenge’s fastest, represents a failed 8” gravity sewer. The team
must cut out the bad section and replace it with ”Ferncos” plus a new
house connection. At the end of the event, judges pressurize the pipe
to check for leaks. Every drip equals a one second penalty.
Force Maine practiced 1-2 times per week for two months prior to the
WEFTEC show. Many of the other teams have players that work together
at the same facility day in and day out, but Maine’s team trained very
hard, after work and on their own time, to represent both MWWCA and
NEWEA. The overall results are: for a second year in a row, Force
Maine took a first place in the Process Control Event. (Lab 11 th,
Safety 15 th, Maintenance 22nd, & Collection 28th) .
I am very proud of their commitment, knowledge, teamwork and
accomplishments . Force Maine team members are: Captain Brian Cataldo
(Wright & Pierce), Mary Anne Peck (OMI Biddeford), Travis Peaslee (
City of Saco WWTP), Dan Laflamme ( Laflamme Electric), and coach Skip
Clough ( South Berwick WWTP).
Congratulations Force Maine!
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