Margaret River charity gets a helping hand from competition winners
Margaret River charity, River Angels, will be better able to support families impacted by cancer thanks to local Water Corporation employees who’ve donated prize money won during a niche industry competition in Perth.
Senior Operator Justin Burley and Operator Cullen Black made the $1,000 donation following their win in the annual WA Water Main Tapping competition at last month’s Water Industry Operators Association’s state conference.
Water main tapping is a specialised technique to safely connect properties to live water mains without disrupting service. It has been practised since the 1980s and even features an annual national championship designed to test operators’ speed and skill.
According to Justin, the decision to support River Angels came from a very personal connection to the charity.
“Cullen and I both know a young mother who received support from River Angels during her breast cancer journey. Their work made a real difference and continues to make a difference to many others in the community,” he said.
“For us, it was a very easy decision. If this donation makes even a small positive impact to River Angels, I think we’ll both be very happy.”
Justin and Cullen will now fly the flag for Western Australia at a national water main tapping competition in Melbourne in November, pitting the pair against operators from other states. During the competition, participants are required to:
• Install a tapping band and ferrule on a 100mm pipe
• Tap the water main
• Install one metre of polyethylene pipe
• Attach a ball valve at the end
At the WA event, Justin and Cullen completed the task in three minutes. The national record, held by Queensland, stands at 1 minute and 20 seconds – something the Margaret River pair will be out to better.
“It’s a tough competition, but I think we’ll definitely take some inspiration from River Angels and there’s no reason why we can’t bring that title back to WA,” Justin said.
For more information about the Water Industry Operations Association of Australia Awards and Recognition Program visit their website here.