Shot of MY Day -- Why Work is SUCH a Pain, Right Now
In case you didn't know this before, I work at a water company-- one of the largest and best known water utilities in the business, in the US. Established in the 1850s, the water company is continually updating facilities to take advantage of newer treatment protocols and methods, in order to deliver the "Best Tasting Water in America"-- in fact, we've won that award for several years!
However, all this "innovative technology" can be a pain, sometimes, when you work there. Plus, some of the little design flaws that have gone on for the past 40 years, are astounding to me...
For example, the plumbing in the ladies bathroom at the office where I work, has been weird for the past 40 years, since the plant was new-- not that I've been there that long. Our water supply, at the water treatment plant, comes from the 60" main, down by the road, about 1,000' from the plant where we treat the water. So, any time we have to shut of the 60" main, like for repairs or maintenance, we have no water at the water treatment plant. Oh, there is water there, but it isn't in the correct pipe to be able to get it out. Weird? Yep.
THEN, they just fixed this: The toilet flushed with hot water, yet no hot water is available at the sink. It is most discombobulating to be sitting there, and get steamed, and most frustrating to not have warm water for your hands in winter... Well, the guys finally hooked the right pipe to the right source, and now we have hot water at the sink-- but the water heater is located in the basement, 50' down, so it takes forever to get hot water, which was not a problem when the toilets were flushed frequently... Who designed this?
Now, they have dug down below my office, right up under my desk, cut a big hole in the wall, and are installing a nice new 12" line back to the plant, so the plant's water comes from the pumps right after the clear well, rather than the main at the road, which makes sense.
All day, cold air has whistled up through the hole into wall below my office, and weirdly timed bangs, vibrations, etc., have occurred. This will take 2-3 weeks, at least, to get the new valve installed, the pipe laid, the rest of the pipe run up under the parking lot, and more...
So, here is my "shot of the day":
Yep, that's my office window! The hole is now deep enough that a man's head sticks out-- but that's it. It's really strange to drive by my office and see a head sticking up out of the ground...
Hope y'all have a great day! 
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The noise it, at times, deafening-- very disturbing when I'm trying to concentrate on all this stuff... But, it sure is interesting to see how it's done!
That has to be distracting. I guess you could make faces at the guy in the hole for fun though
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I lifetime back (I swear I feel so old sometimes, but I'm not really that old) I worked for a uranium mill for a few months and they were repiping the plant because they were retrofitting it to mill high grade silicoln with uranium in it...
Anyway... some genious piped boiling sulfuric acid used for ore stripping into the line designated for plant steam. And during some maintenance, they turned the hot water off with the intension of working on the steam line.
An unfortunate man (who's son was a good friend of mine growing up) was first on the line and was wrenching a valve free on the line to break in and do some work. He was sprayed from neck to toes in boiling sulfuric acid.
Needless to say he was scarred for life and suffered massive chemical burns.
Shock story aside, it just goes to show that people do some stupid shit with pipes even when the consequences are a lot higher than hot water switched with cold.
Dowser, dear lady....
That certainly looks like a cause for hazardous duty pay! Hope all else is well with you, and your family back there. Take care, God bless, be well.
God in Heaven! I hope he is all right! That's awful!
I sometimes wonder about the people working on this project, too... You'll see them walk by the window with a section of 12" pipe, and then walk back with a section of 2" pipe. My question: Why does a water company need a water supply large enough to fill a 12" pipe? Most house serves are 2", or less... It's just kind of weird.
But then, I'm not an engineer. No telling what they are planning for, in the future.
Don, I'm so glad to see you! It's just weird-- it is usually so quiet in my office, which is good, because I can concentrate... but with all this, it startles me frequently!
And the general construction in the area is only going to get worse-- they are building a new bridge, between Indiana and Kentucky, and there will be a large tunnel on the KY side... There is no wonderful alternative way to get to work, without wandering into the next county quite a ways...
Oh well! Much love to you! I hope that you and yours are well too! Please give your dear doggie a hug for me!
I work with engineers.
Most of them are very good at their jobs but some are just dumbasses and I swear I could do a better job than they do. But I'm just a lowly environmental specialist so I'm stoopid.
DEAR hot Sasquatch-- I do understand, more than you know. I am the lowly geologist. Far be it from me to criticize what the Gods are doing...
However, I would think that it would be rather obvious that a water plant needs a reliable water supply...
Oh, and there is ONE, count it, ONE outside hose attachment, for 7 buildings. We have PLENTY of water going through our pipes, and we have ONE hose attachment. Several of our buildings have no water. At all. One of our buildings that has no faucets, has this wonderful porthole where you can look down 150' into the tunnel that transmits all the raw water to the plant. I mean, the water looks so close, but is so far...
We treat 65 MGD, but WE can't use any of it, now can we!
I wish my former supervisor could read this. He would shake his head. He's one of the good engineers that I know.
My boss is a good engineer, too! Thank God, I might add! I think the ones that designed all this weren't that bright, or have much common sense-- but I work with some good engineers, too!
Yet, I must admit, they don't really understand hydrogeological things that well...
Sigh!
when you get a good engineer you hang on to them!
I work in water, too, on the regulatory side. I'm the compliance and enforcement officer for our division. I used to work with a district and worked with operators to ensure they were in compliance. I liked that very much esp working with the water operators because most of them are really hard workers and take their jobs seriously. The job I'm doing now is a little harder because I'm the "hammer" and have to bring enforcement actions against non-compliant water systems.
At my old shop the hand sink for the men in the shop was served by the water heater for the office b/r's. What that meant is there was about 85' of pipe from the heater to the sink/lavatory. We installed an under sink tankless electric water heater. Problem solved. Full disclosure, we did plumbing, heating and A/C work.
Those tankless heaters are really economical for families of 2 or 3 adults. If there is a lot of kid and clothes washing I would recommend sticking with a traditional heater.
While I personally think this would be a great idea, and have made the suggestion before, the water company isn't going to spring for that... Public funds and all that-- it would be considered a luxurious accommodation, and we can't have that!
While I love my job, and love where I work, our office furnishings could be considered to be WWII surplus. Normal state of affairs for a utility!
Wow! I love our regulatory people, as they are very generous and kind to us-- but then, we almost never have violations, and are very very careful with compliance. Since you're in the business, you may know of the company's reputation. I live in Louisville.
Our operators are some of the best people to work with-- I am very fortunate to know them. As you say, they take their job VERY seriously and are truly concerned and dedicated about their responsibilities.
The water industry has always amazed me. Never have so many been paid so little to protect the health and well-being of the public. Most people have no idea what it takes to get the water to their faucets-- and only complain about the service that we provide. Yet, let them think something is in the water-- and you have riots in the streets.
Much of my job is public education about how all of us can protect our drinking water. I am often amazed and how little people understand about the water from their faucets.
Oh, really? I will keep that in mind! I don't know how tall the guy is, but that is one deep hole... I'm afraid my desk will cave in!
Thanks, rls8r! Thanks very much!
LOL!
We are a mix of surface water/well water-- I prefer the well water, because you can get a cold drink in the summer, and the slight hardness helps to buffer the water in aquariums... I think we last won the AWWA award in 2009... Anyway, it seems to work well! We use activated carbon, but not that much of it!
AWWA has some neat titles of things! LOL!
I go to Arkansas' AWWA conference almost every year! OMG! I've found somebody on an internet forum that knows what that is!
Well water is easier to treat than surface water. You don't have to worry about that pesky turbidity or those organics that cause your THMS or HAA5s to go sky high.
Most of the systems I dealt with when I was a district specialist were GW. They're biggest problems were iron and manganese. But with a good treatment system you can remove those nuisances.
Surely there is some maintenance guy around there who can locate a 'spare' heater somewhere. It doesn't have to be a tankless model. A little wiring, a bit of piping and there you go.