I don't want to jinx anything, but this week has finally given me some hope for spring! The combination of 55 degree weather, fresh strawberries (ok, those came from a truck from Florida), and realizing we're halfway through March has really got me thinking that perhaps, just maybe, we will see spring and even summer this year.
A LOT of our customers have been really hurting in the last month because of the deep frost that just keeps on giving. Frozen water and sewer laterals are way too common, and have operators going for days on end without reprieve. This weather is wrecking havoc - check out what happened over the weekend in Janesville:
A LOT of our customers have been really hurting in the last month because of the deep frost that just keeps on giving. Frozen water and sewer laterals are way too common, and have operators going for days on end without reprieve. This weather is wrecking havoc - check out what happened over the weekend in Janesville:
Thankfully the warmer temperatures have given some reprieve on the equipment, and it's a lot more bearable to be outside. Since everyone is so busy dealing with crazy weather related problems, here's a reminder of some equipment related things that should be looked at in the spring.
If you have sludge level monitors, now is the time to make sure that they're in good working order. While it looks like hauling sludge might not happen for another month or so, if there's any problems we need to get them fixed right now.
With all the snow and ice build up, there's a lot of worries about flooding. As everything melts, your pumps are going to be working extra hard to keep up. If there are any pumps that have been acting up, let's do some preventative maintenance on them now to hopefully prevent any problems you might have when flows are really high and much harder to work around.
Finally, water controls have taken a beating this winter. First it's extremely cold, and then so many communities are on run water to keep the lines from freezing. This means that the controls have been working way harder than normal. Keep a very close eye for anything out of the ordinary. Any problems caught when they're small will be much more manageable then if they're left to get to be big problems.
Good luck with the rest of this winter! Hopefully this weather is giving you a little hope too. After all, the earth is physically getting closer to the sun - it's got to be over soon. And just think, we'll be talking about the winter of '13/'14 for years to come. Just no repeats please.
If you have sludge level monitors, now is the time to make sure that they're in good working order. While it looks like hauling sludge might not happen for another month or so, if there's any problems we need to get them fixed right now.
With all the snow and ice build up, there's a lot of worries about flooding. As everything melts, your pumps are going to be working extra hard to keep up. If there are any pumps that have been acting up, let's do some preventative maintenance on them now to hopefully prevent any problems you might have when flows are really high and much harder to work around.
Finally, water controls have taken a beating this winter. First it's extremely cold, and then so many communities are on run water to keep the lines from freezing. This means that the controls have been working way harder than normal. Keep a very close eye for anything out of the ordinary. Any problems caught when they're small will be much more manageable then if they're left to get to be big problems.
Good luck with the rest of this winter! Hopefully this weather is giving you a little hope too. After all, the earth is physically getting closer to the sun - it's got to be over soon. And just think, we'll be talking about the winter of '13/'14 for years to come. Just no repeats please.
