Event Cover Image
Event Image
Join us for the fourth annual Water Tower Showdown in the Roanoke/Lynchburg/Bedford area! Middle school students (rising 6th-8th graders) from public, private, or home schools can participate in teams of up to four students. There are no entry fees to participate.

The challenge is to build a structurally efficient model water tower that holds one gallon of water and can be filled and drained quickly while also being aesthetically pleasing. Towers are judged on Structural Efficiency, Cost Efficiency, Design Ingenuity, and Hydraulic Efficiency. Prizes will be awarded to the top three scoring teams, with a top prize of a $75 Visa gift card for each member of the first-place team, a $50 gift card for each member of the second-place team, and a $25 gift card for each member of the third place team. In addition to the competition, a tour of the treatment plant will be offered to participants during this event.

In order to be prepared for the completion, please download the following documents: 

To register, please submit the registration form below which includes: 

  • Team Name
  • School Represented
  • Name of Team teacher/advisor and phone number
  • List of Team members and their grade level                
The deadline to register is July 2, 2026.  There will be a limit of no more than 5 teams per school.  
 
Want to spread the word about the competition? Here is a flyer with all the details!
 
 
 
Check out some of the fun from previous events.... 
 
 
 
 
 
This competition is organized by the VA AWWA/VWEA Student Activities and Water Awareness and Outreach Committees.
 
If you have questions or are interested in volunteering as a judge, please contact the event organizers listed to the right.
 
Special thanks to the following organizations for sponsoring this event:
 
           
          
 
Where
Smith Mountain Lake Water Treatment Facility
1500 Radford Church Road
Moneta, VA 24121
United States of America
Organizers

LM

Lilly Meighan
lilly@vaawwa.org