Top Ops is a contest between water treatment operators to showcase their talents by competing against each other in a competitive, fast-paced question-and-answer tournament. Questions encompass all aspects of water operations and treatment, comparable to the water operator certification exam. A moderator poses a variety of multiple-choice questions to a panel of teams, each of which attempts to respond correctly using a white board to write the letter corresponding to their response.

The team correctly answering the most questions in the final round is awarded a trophy and a chance to represent the Illinois AWWA Section at the national conference in June.  

Member Competitors who sign up ahead of time get a FREE Conference Registration.

COMPETITION - Tuesday, April 14th | Time 11:00am in the Exhibit Hall.

Participants Are Expected To Attend The Closing General Session For Awards Presentation!

Deadline for free conference registration is February 28, 2026
Sign up using the entry form at the bottom of this page.
Once you are signed up, we will process your WATERCON registration
and send you confirmation via email.

For more information on Top Ops contact
Lindsay Selfridge, ISAWWA Engagement Specialist | 866-521-3595 Ext. 6 | lindsay@isawwa.org

Reimbursement Information:

Participants requesting complimentary registration. 

A conference registration for dates chosen will be given to participants who follow the guidelines below.

1. Must be a current ISAWWA individual member or employee of an organizational member prior to Feb 28th deadline of early registration.   
2. Competitors must sign up to compete prior to Feb 28th. 
3.  Competitors that sign up prior to Feb 28th will receive full complimentary registration with meals.  

ACE - National Conference 

The Illinois AWWA Section assists with travel costs for the winning team to compete in ACE. To see the travel policy for ACE - CLICK HERE. 

Teams can consist of one, two, or three operators and do not have to be from the same utility. In order to complete locally, you do not need to be a member of AWWA. However, if you compete at the national level, you will be required to be an AWWA member, an employee of a utility member, or organization member of AWWA. You do not need to be from the same Utility, but team members must work full time as a water treatment plant employee, a water distribution system employee, or in a first-line supervisor capacity. They must also possess a valid operator, laboratory, or distribution certificate. To see the ACE rules for Top Ops - CLICK HERE

See historical Top Ops Competition Information