Durham’s own World Champs: meet the Sludgehammers

We all know Durham Region is home to some of the best tap water in the world. But did you know that a team of Durham’s experts, who treat our wastewater and protect our rivers and lakes, is literally the best in the world at what they do?   

The winning four-person team proudly goes by the name Durham Region Sludgehammers, led by coach Andy Griffin, includes Matt Moffat, Kevin Round, Kirk Gonsalves and captain Adam Hubers. The name ‘Sludgehammers’ is a playful nod to sludge—the thick stuff left over as part of wastewater treatment.

The winning combination

Their success is built on a shared commitment to excellence, with team members dedicating personal time to train and prepare for competitions. “The Sludgehammers are a team of competitive operators who get to compete against other municipalities, basically for bragging rights,” says Matt Moffat, Instrumentation and Control Technician at Durham’s Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). “It’s a lot of fun!”

The Sludgehammers have accumulated dozens of awards and trophies to back up those bragging rights. “They’re not only the top team in Ontario but the reigning top team in the world,” Mike Hubble, Director of Environmental Services, proudly shares at a Durham Region Council Meeting.

Since 2021, the team has reigned supreme at the Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) Operations Challenge, where municipalities compete in five real-world events designed to test the skills needed to operate and maintain real wastewater treatment facilities effectively. One such event is Pump Maintenance, where teams race to take apart and fix a broken pump—just like they would in a real facility—to prove they can quickly restore equipment that’s essential for moving wastewater safely.

“Our strength is that our team is very well varied,” says Kevin Round, Maintenance Operator at Durham’s Corbett Creek WPCP. “So some of us are better on the computer or better at exam writing, and some of us are better with tools.” 

At the 2025 WEAO conference in London, Ontario, the team won gold in the Process Control and Safety challenge, and placed second in the Laboratory, Collections and Pump Maintenance challenge – making them the overall event champions for the fifth straight year.

“The lab event is cool because there’s a lot of stuff that I don’t normally do,” says Moffat, who’s been with the Region for 13 years. “We go to WEAO specifically for the challenge,” adds Adam Hubers, Chief Maintenance Operator at Durham’s Uxbridge Brook WPCP.

Making waves internationally

Being provincial champions means the team earns the right to showcase their incredible talent and represent Ontario on an international level. In 2023 they did just that, placing first in their division at an operations challenge held in the United States, where they faced off against teams from countries including Columbia, Denmark, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.   

Winning that competition opened the doors for the Sludgehammers to compete in the highest division – reserved for the top 10 teams in the world. “It’s the biggest and the best and we’re in that number,” says Hubble.

The accolades don’t end there. As the best of the best, the Sludgehammers were invited to compete at the 2024 International Water Association (IWA) Operations Challenge, held every two years. And you guessed it, the team came first overall, making them first in the world! “We are so very proud of our team,” says Hubble.

As the team to beat, the Sludgehammers are keen to keep their winning streak flowing. “The team is hoping to defend their ‘number one in the world’ title at next year's event,” says Hubble confidently. Until then, the team continues to feel like winners everyday as they take tremendous pride in serving our Durham Region community.