The Georgia Association of Water Professionals Student Design Competition Committee is currently accepting Team Entries for the 2025 Competition! Please be sure to review the competition rules portion of this page for changes to the 2025 competition.

Registration Deadline: February 7, 2025. To enter, please scroll down and complete the online submission form.

Competition Date: April 15, 2025 in Columbus, GA

GAWP is hosting a Student Design Competition as part of their 2025 Spring Conference. We would like to invite students from programs across the region to participate in this exciting opportunity. Student teams participating in the GAWP SDC will submit both a written report and an oral presentation to a panel of judges in a special session during the 2025 GAWP Spring Conference on April 15, 2025 in Columbus, GA. To enter, please scroll down and complete the online submission form by February 7, 2025.

GAWP’s Student Design Competition (SDC) promotes real-world design experience for students interested in pursuing education and a career in the water and wastewater field. The scope and requirements for participation in the SDC are similar to a senior design project or capstone project typically included in undergraduate science or engineering degree programs. Eligible project topics may include, but are not limited to sustainability efforts in design and infrastructure, stormwater management, water resource recovery facility design and expansion, water reuse, constructed wetlands, remediation of contaminated environmental sites, collection system and pump station design, etc. Furthermore, we are working with utilities and engineering firms to provide some problem statements for student teams or facilitate student team’s with existing problem statements and connect them with a mentor.

This year the competition will be limited to 8 teams. The Student Design Competition Committee will select the 8 participating teams from the pool of applicants. Not selected teams can be alternate teams in the event of cancelations. The selected teams will be announced on February 14.

Teams may consist of more than four members. However, a maximum of four team members shall be permitted to present at the GAWP SDC. One additional team member may be present but shall be dedicated solely to advancing the presentation slides. If desired, additional team members may participate in the question and answer portion of the presentation. GAWP can accept up to 8 members in a team, but encourages teams of 4 to 6 members.

Team members receive a complimentary registration to the GAWP Spring Conference, but are required to become Student Members of GAWP. The GAWP Student Member Dues are $20. Students can join at this link https://www.gawp.org/page/JoinGAWP. Team members can join GAWP at any time before the 2025 SDC.

Student members who have graduated at the time of the GAWP Student Design Competition will be allowed to participate if they were a registered student within the last 12 months.

Lastly, the winning GA student team of the GAWP SDC will be sponsored by GAWP for competition at the Water Environment Federation (WEF) SDC held at the annual WEF Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in Chicago during end of September/beginning of October 2025. GAWP will sponsor up to $6,000 for travel expenses for the winning GA team (4 team members and its faculty advisor).

The top team in the non-winning category can also compete at the Water Environment Federation (WEF) SDC if they can secure a sponsorship.

More information about the international WEF Student Design Competition can be found HERE.

For questions, more information, or to express general interest, regarding participation in the GAWP SDC please contact the SDC committee Chair, Samuel Boyce, at samuel.boyce@jacobs.com.