A team of Water Resources employees competed in the Eastern Water and Wastewater Network Backhoe Rodeo at the Bell Arthur Water Corporation Operations Center on October 19th.  This annual event gives equipment operators from Eastern North Carolina the opportunity to display their talents in operating a variety of excavating equipment like rubber tire backhoes and small trackhoes. It’s also a great way for operators to test their ability in performing tasks safely and quickly.  

Six different events took place, and scoring was based on the time taken to complete each one. Penalties were added to the time if the operator dropped a ball, pipe, or chain, touched, or knocked over a cone, etc.  

Representing GUC this year were Water Resources Operations/Maintenance Technicians Michael Silverthorne, Bennie Pittman, Jason Owen, Chaz Hathaway, and David McKeel. Congratulations to Chaz Hathaway on placing 1st in the Pipe Walk event and Michael Silverthorne on placing 1st in the Pick & Roll event, 2nd in the Ball & Cone event, and 2nd in the Building Blocks event.