"The caliber of students who participated was impressive," said WASD Director John Renfrow, P.E. "These students may very well be the next generation of professionals who are able to solve water use issues in the future."

First place winner Alejandro Santucoloma, a freshman at MAST Academy, was excited to participate in the event.

"I am really interested in engineering and this allowed me to get some hands-on experience," said Santucoloma. "In the future I would like to either go into robotics or build structures."
His teacher Melissa Fernandez thought this competition was a terrific tool to introduce her students to civil and environmental engineering.

"This was an excellent opportunity for my students," said Fernandez. "The dedication and commitment they showed throughout the building process was phenomenal. This experience will stay with them and inspire them, as well as opening up career options for their futures." The water towers were judged on such categories as Hydraulic and Structural efficiencies, as well as innovative designs that include using recycled materials.

The first place team received $300 and included: Jose Londono, Julia Godinez, Joshua Huggins and Alejandro Santucoloma.

The second place team received $200 and included Julieta Feltrin, Ashley Pino, Daniel Amat and Gabriel Echeverria.

The third place team received $100 and included Joseph Duque, Valeria Galvan, Lauren Taylor Baez and John Lageyre.

View the photo gallery.