Pasco County's water utility maintenance team claimed its third consecutive state championship at the Florida Rural Water Association Zenner Meter Competition, with two employees finishing first and second individually at the July event in Daytona Beach.

The county announced the win Thursday, Aug. 13, naming employees Kevin and Clint as the top two individual finishers and Mike as a third team member who competed. The three beat competitors from utilities across Florida in a timed, single-elimination bracket tournament that tests how quickly and accurately a worker can assemble a functioning residential water meter.

Competitors have no more than five minutes to put together a meter that is then checked for leaks and verified for completeness, according to the WaterPro Conference competition page. The FRWA's event page describes the contest as measuring speed, accuracy and total assembly of a working meter. First place at the state level earns a $500 gift card; second place takes home $300.

The win qualifies Kevin and Clint for the National Championship at the WaterPro Conference in Phoenix on Sept. 14. The grand prize there: a fully paid trip for two to Hawaii.

Mike Mirek Makuch: "Well done guys! Nationals in Phoenix, AZ next! Glad I got to compete with you guys, I was hoping for 3rd but got knocked out by Kevin in the first round."

Makuch identified himself as a team member in a comment on the county's Facebook announcement.

The three-peat carries practical weight for Wesley Chapel residents. Pasco County Utilities is the sole water and sewer provider for the unincorporated area, where rapid residential growth continues to add hundreds of new connections to the system each year. Accurate meter assembly and maintenance directly affect billing and leak detection across the network.

The county's operations and maintenance crews have been upgrading potable water lines across subdivisions, including replacing older pipes with polyethylene in the Oaks Royal area.

Jonathan Sondregger, also of Pasco County Utilities, is listed as a past individual winner on the FRWA's competition page, extending the department's track record beyond the current three-year team streak.

The FRWA Annual Conference ran July 27–29 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. Kevin and Clint head to Phoenix for the national finals on Sept. 14.