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Courage, strength, perseverance. These are the things legends are made of – and tucked away in a corner of our distribution center, the “Lady Legends” of Louisville Water have been hard at work for months.
Emergency turners Toni Estes and Jesse Jewell, Field Technician Taya Burrell, and Distribution Associate Devinn Tytus have put in the grit, sweat, and tears to represent Louisville Water in the tapping team competition at the KY/TN Water Professionals Conference next week in Louisville.
So, what is a tapping competition? Teams have to open a ductile iron pipe and install a water tap and they’re working against the clock.
“I don’t care how many times you do it, every time it’s different. You don’t ever get used to it. You’re still gonna be nervous and you still gotta beat the clock,” Estes said.
She should know. She’s competed in four competitions herself, helping Louisville Water earn a spot in the national competition. This time around, she’s on the sideline, coaching and cheering.
“If it wasn’t for Toni, we wouldn’t have a shot in the world,” Jewell said.
Three of the four Lady Legends are tapping into the competition for the first time. That includes Tytus on the company side, meaning she is not in the field every day like her Local 1683 teammates.
“I’m nervous and excited at the same time. This is a foreign area to me, so the fact that I was able to come in, learn, everybody’s been real patient with me,” Tytus shared. “I wanted the learning experience. I can actually identify tools, I know what certain parts are of the (water) main, the equipment we’re using.”
“To come out of the office and be willing to attempt to do such a physical job and to be a part of it, it really speaks volumes,” Jewell said.
Everyone has their own defined role, but they all work together and rely on each other to set themselves up for success. Tytus is the ‘setter’ who gives the ‘cranker’ the solid base she needs to do a water cap.
“The cranker is the muscle of the operation. She is who drives the drill bit into the ductile iron water main,” Jewell explained.
“To them, you would think I’m just the strongest woman ever,” Burrell said with a laugh, but admitted, “To actually have to do this by hand, manually, it’s different. It’s a challenge, a little bit.”
That leaves Jewell who is also fast at work while Tytus and Burrell are cranking it out, literally.
“(My job is) to flare copper. I connect the copper tubing from the water main to the metered yoke,” Jewell explained.
Estes summed it up like this, “The setter is the brains. The cranker is the strength. The copper person is the speed,” and told the group, “It’ll be the fastest two minutes of your life.”
Stepping up to coach the Lady Legends has been a labor of love for Estes.
“It was a challenge with three new people. Just to see them do it and learn and know what’s going on is a great feeling.”
Operations Supervisor Patrika Barlow got a front row seat, helping coach during a few practices herself.
“It’s empowering. Just sitting here watching and learning these steps, it’s very empowering, and I think it will bring a whole new respect to what the women do.”
With the clock ticking down to the competition, emotions are flowing as fast as Louisville Pure Tap®.
“I’m in a good space so I feel like I know what I’m doing, it’s just the nerves kicking in,” Tytus said.
Burrell was quick to lift up her team.
“I’m nervous but I’m also proud of us at the same time because Devinn does not do what we do. We don’t have it to where all females get to work together here, so it’s kind of like we’re a little crew doing this.”
Jewell echoed those sentiments.
“This is a team effort. This whole competition, there is no ‘i’ in team.” She added, “It means the world that I get the opportunity to do it (this competition). We’re in a male-dominated industry and if I can do anything to help the women of Louisville Water stand out any better, then I’m gonna try. That’s something to be proud of.”
And Estes couldn’t be prouder watching them crush toward their goal and hoping they’ll carry on the women’s tapping team for years to come.
“They don’t expect us (women) to do it”, she said pushing the women across the finish line. “When you all win and y’all go to nationals, you’ll deserve every bit of it.”
The Lady Legends will compete on Monday, September 9.
Louisville Water and Louisville MSD are co-hosting the KY/TN Water Professionals Conference which brings dozens of utilities to Louisville to learn, collaborate, and connect on various issues in the water and wastewater industry.
