This Year at the 2025 NC One Water Conference

For a few days in early November, the City of Raleigh welcomed over 1,700 water professionals for the NC One Water, a water-focused conference. Think of it as bringing together great minds, passionate about providing safe drinking water, wastewater services, and more from around North Carolina.

Let's set the scene: The convention center was transformed with signs featuring large arrows directing attendees to classrooms and various halls to hear from speakers. In the main exhibition hall, rows of booths snaked through the room, each focusing on a different aspect of water. In addition to the numerous opportunities to meet other like-minded water professionals, several competitions were held among municipalities, including "Best Tasting Water," Hydrant Hysteria, and Pipe Tapping

Of course, our Raleigh Water teams participated in the friendly challenges, and here's how we ranked:

Hydrant Hysteria:
A fast-paced competition where two-member teams race to assemble a specific hydrant as quickly as possible. Teams are also judged on whether all parts are assembled correctly and function properly. Yes, a loose bolt can cost your team precious time.

This year, Raleigh Water's women's team was coached by Meriam Manuel, a five-year veteran of the competition, though this was her first time coaching. The two-person team consisted of Jennifer Anderson, who has participated for three years, and Sarah Calverley, a rookie this year. The women's team placed second.

The men's team was led by Josh Bennett, who has competed for two years and was also coaching for the first time. The team included Jeffrey Tennant, returning for his second year, and Jason Talton, a first-time competitor. The men's team placed third.

Pipe Tapping:
In this timed competition, teams of three workers and one coach compete to tap a pressurized ductile iron pipe and install a water service line.

Raleigh Water's team consisted of Kyle Bates (first-year competitor), Myles Dawson, Ricky Shanks (both returning for a second year), and coach Jeremy Isgrigg, who has been with Raleigh Water since 2005. The men's team placed third with a time of 2:18.3.

Isgrigg was proud of his team, saying, "Every team always puts in so much effort. It's clear to see that many members put in double duty outside of their everyday work to commit to the team and practice, going above and beyond."

Best Tasting Water Competition:
Utilities submitted two-liter water samples drawn from their distribution systems for judges to taste and evaluate against other utilities.

This year, the E.M. Johnson Water Treatment Plant secured third place in the state water-tasting competition.

Raleigh Water is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest standards of water quality, and we are proud of the hard work from our teams this year. Congratulations to all!