It took just over one minute for the SADM San Miguel Team to tap into a piece of ductile iron pipe and win top honors at this year’s National Pipe Tapping Competition. The tapping contest was held during the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) 2014 Conference and Exposition in Boston, Massachusetts, June 8-12.

In a pipe tapping competition, municipal water system tapping crews compete by “tapping” into a ductile iron pipe, simulating a water connection to a house. The team that performs a successful and leak-free tap on a pressurized pipe in the shortest amount of time wins. AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe provided all of the pipe used in this year’s national pipe tapping competition.

“Ductile iron pipe is used in tapping contests because it can be directly and safely tapped,” said AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe Marketing Services Manager Maury Gaston. “It provides a safe, strong and reliable connection.”

The winner in the men’s division, the SADM San Miguel team from the Mexico Section of AWWA, performed the tap in 1 minute, 9.53 seconds. (View the team’s winning tap.) Second place went to the Birmingham Water Works in Birmingham, Alabama, with a time of 1 minute 20.78 seconds. In the women’s division, first place went to the Lansing Lethal Ladies in Lansing, Michigan, with a time of 2 minutes, 28.06 seconds.

AMERICAN also provided the ductile iron pipe used in pipe tapping competitions at AWWA Section conferences.

Founded in 1905 in Birmingham, Alabama, AMERICAN manufactures ductile iron pipe, spiral-welded steel pipe, hydrants and valves for the waterworks industry and steel pipe for the oil and natural gas industry. AMERICAN’s diversified product line also includes static castings and high-performance fire pumps.