Operators
Operators are the backbone of the public drinking water system and a critical part of all our water systems, delivering water safely and responsibly to both customers and the environment. We are excited to welcome all operators to ACE25.
Register for ACE
Elevate Your Career in Water
Attending ACE is a key investment in your operator career! Explore the exhibit hall, network with experts, and attend educational sessions tailored to your career path. The ACE educational program includes practical sessions focusing on high-priority issues that water operators face on the job. The ACE Exhibit Hall is the top place where operators can explore new products and innovation showcases, right alongside tried-and-true solutions for the water community.
ACE is the perfect place to network with peers and industry leaders from all around the world. The ACE competitions, such as Pipe Tapping, the AWWA Meter Challenge, Hydrant Hysteria, and Top Ops, are opportunities to showcase your skills or watch and enjoy the camaraderie. All competitions require an AWWA membership and only teams winning in Sections are eligible to participate.
AWWA offers Certificates of Completion for attending educational sessions. We have been approved for operator CEUs in many state and provincial operator agencies for ACE25.
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AWWA Provides Certificates of Completion
Operators can earn continuing education hours while at ACE! By scanning in and out of educational sessions, all eligible attendees can earn AWWA Certificates of Completion, which can be downloaded from your AWWA account in July. Additionally, we have been pre-approved for Operator CEUs in many state and provincial operator agencies for ACE25. See the status of your state here.
Be sure to read the important disclaimer and scan in and out of each session you attend to earn AWWA certificates. Final approvals are at the discretion of your licensing agency, and every state/province is different. ACE is an excellent learning opportunity for all our attendees, no matter your water profession. Elevate your journey while supporting a brighter future for you and our water resources.
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Calculate or Convert Credit Hours
ACE25 workshops and sessions span 23 educational hours. States and Provinces use all sorts of abbreviations and nomenclature to address continuing education for water sector professionals. The unit will vary for each state, each profession, and every agency. Operators should become familiar with your unique agency, and can see the status of your state here.
Here are some of the most common ways to represent “1 Hour”:
ONE HOUR = |
|||
1 PDH |
Professional Development Hour |
0.1 TU |
Training Unit |
0.1 CEU |
Continuing Education Unit |
1 TCH |
Training Contact Hour |
1 CEH |
Continuing Education Hour |
1 TC |
Training Credit |
1 CEC |
Continuing Education Credit |
1 TH |
Training Hour |
Pipe Tapping Finals
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m | Wednesday, June 11, 2025
The AWWA National Tapping Competition is a competition of skill in which water operators from across North America work against the clock to open a cement-lined, ductile iron pipe and install a tap. The competition begins at the local AWWA Section level and the winners are then eligible to compete in the national Tapping Competition. There are two divisions, Men’s and Women’s.
The Pipe Tapping Finals determine the winners of each division of the competition. They will be held on the last day of the conference. It is an excellent opportunity to watch (or compete with) the best of the best in operations.
Aurora Water’s Binney Plant Tour
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | 7:45 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.
Tour capacity is limited and will sell out – register early!
This system illustrates an innovative use of natural and technical treatment methods to recapture water from the South Platte River to enhance a supply through indirect potable reuse. Tour attendees will gain in understanding of the system’s processes used such as biological filtration, ultraviolet advanced oxidation, adsorption and finished water blending to make this urban source water indistinguishable from the mountain supply. This tour will discuss lessons learned and future plans for this high performing purification facility.
Register for the Tour
Make the Case to Attend ACE
ACE enables operators to sit in on professional development sessions, educational sessions, workshops, and more. AWWA provides a thorough justification toolkit for operators who wish to attend ACE to help you plan and budget for your trip to the conference. Our toolkit will guide you through selecting workshops, exhibitors, and other programming you would like to attend and how to justify the expenses to your employer or manager.
Download Toolkit
Workshops & Tours
ACE has a variety of workshops and facility tours in and around Denver scheduled, as well. You may register for pre-conference tours and workshops along with your registration to ACE. If you would like to add a workshop or tour to your existing registration, please email your request to service@awwa.org. A complete list of our offerings can be found at the link below.
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Track Spotlights for Operators
Build your dream agenda and see how you’ll elevate with us at ACE!
Distribution System Operations & Management
Aging pipe infrastructure is deteriorating to dangerous levels. Efficient design, management, and operation of your distribution system is vital to your utility’s performance. Come hear about the latest innovations, approaches and technologies for assessing, designing and managing the rehabilitation or replacement of distribution systems. Topics explored include plant safety, AMR/AMI, distribution system flushing and securing our drinking water with cross-connection control program.
Advances in Water Treatment
Explore the most recent developments in water treatment challenges and solutions by joining expert-led sessions. Topics covered include best practices for conventional/biological filtration, inorganic contaminant control, optimization of treatment system performance, and more. Engage with case studies that offer practical examples of successful solutions in action. Don’t overlook our highly regarded 101 Series, focusing on Conventional Surface Water Treatment for foundational insights.
The Latest on Lead & Copper
With the announcement of the Lead & Copper Rule Revisions, water utilities need targeted and credible resources to help craft the best lead reduction plan for their specific community, including strategies for corrosion control. This session aims to deliver the most up-to-date insights on the lead and copper ruling and its potential impacts on both utility operations and the community. By staying abreast of the latest developments in water regulations, stakeholders can better understand the evolving landscape and proactively prepare for any changes that may arise from the proposed improvements to the Lead and Copper Rule.
“This was my first ACE, and I am happy that I could experience it. I learned through the educational sessions. I was able to network with people to build working relationships that will help me in the future. The ideas and information gathered from vendors in the expo will help me to make future operation decisions.”
“Attending the conference with a scholarship was a dream come true for me.”
“ACE24 was great, there was a plethora of information, and there are so many vendors with different products, you are sure to discover something that you never knew you needed. Great times.”
