On your marks, get set, drill

For those not familiar with the water industry's in-house 'sport' it is essentially high-speed plumbing and sees teams of two compete to connect a service pipe from the mains to household tap via a metering box in the fastest possible time.

IWEX will play host to the 20th annual competition in which as well as being a prestigious contest in its own right acts as the selection process for an international event in which teams from across Europe compete against the USA for the World Water Cup.

To the uninitiated, drilling and tapping has a rulebook that makes cricket look straightforward.

While it is at its heart a straight race, 30 second penalties can be imposed for a bewildering array of misdemeanours, from health and safety violations to sloppy pipework.

competition continues to show the high quality of teamwork, skill and camaraderie within the UK water industry, and has an impressive score history.

Last year Bournemouth Water won the 19th IWO Drilling & Tapping Competition at Sustainabilitylive! 2007, with a winning time of just 2 minutes 12 seconds. Come and see this year's competition.