A little common sense goes a long way
by Gary Armentrout, KRWA Tech Assistant

Since I began working for Kansas Rural Water Association one year ago, I'd have to sum it up in this statement: "It's been quite an experience!"

I've met many great people this past year. The odometer on KRWA's burgundy Astro that I drive showed I drove 39,088 miles reaching systems in 2000. I've seen lots of Kansas. There is nothing such as a `routine' working for KRWA. The unexpected is what is expected.

One day I'm in a surface water plant. The next day may bring an emergency call on a water main break at 2:30 a.m. Later that day, I'm helping an operator determine what size chemical feed pump his system needs.

I don't mean to be bragging for KRWA, but one reason that you see so few headlines of water system problems in local newspapers -- especially with headlines that the system has been without water or some other problem-- is partially due to KRWA staff being there, when and where needed. Many smaller problems that could erupt into crises for systems are averted because of the help that systems receive, not only from KRWA but KDHE and other service providers as well.

Basic, common sense

I've come to realize that common sense is one of the most important things that an operator or for that matter anyone in the water works business can possess. Now you may think that everyone has common sense. However, some of the things that I have seen in the past cause me to wonder.

Random House College Dictionary defines "common sense" as "sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge or training; normal native intelligence." Just what does that mean? Native intelligence? Well, it means you don't put your hand in a pot of boiling water, or your head in the mouth of a lion. Also you don't install new mains down a stretch of roadway without putting in any tracer wire or mapping the project when it's completed.

You ask what does tracer wire and good mapping have to do with common sense. Think about it. Common sense would seem to dictate that if you are installing new lines, then you WOULD also install tracer wire along with it. Putting the wire in is necessary because as we all know, those system maps that were made years ago often have errors. For that matter, the ones made last week are not always the most acceptable.

Get it in writing -- and right!

Your maps show the lines on one side of the road, while the lines are really on the other side of the road? You say, "That's crazy!" Yet it's not uncommon in Kansas. You say, "But we watched them put that line in. We saw where they put the valves in, how many, and on which line they were placed! We remember it all; we even paid our engineer to draw as-builts!"

Same old story, same old song! Too many times what happens is that when the present operator departs employment, guess who takes everything he/she knows along? Or there's the rural water district board member who worked loyally to help sign up customers, got the easements and watched the construction. Everyone knew that "Joe knew everything."

No one else bothered to even extend a basic courtesy to suggest that Joe sit down and remap or document all the information that he stored in his head. Too many towns and water systems don't believe they should spend money on upgrading maps. Well, what happens when Joe is no longer there to help?

New ideas for mapping

Today, newer technologies can help water and wastewater systems upgrade their mapping. KRWA is working to find an economical and efficient way for utilities to accomplish mapping. The goal is to help utilities know where their facilities are located and then to be able to update those maps at reasonable costs. Watch these pages and KRWA's Web site for more information as it may happen. And hold off on redoing paper maps until you talk to KRWA.

In the meantime, install tracer wire where it's feasible to do so. It's cheap and it's easy. Just run it from one valve to the next. There's no rocket science involved.

More valves, please

Heard the one about the engineer who told a client that the only reason they installed valves was so that the contractor could pressure test the pipeline system? Wisely, the contractor retorted, "Well, we'll just dig them up then when we're finished testing and take them along to the next project!" It's unfortunate that the engineer didn't place a higher value on the valves. He wasn't going to have to operate that water utility; fact is he probably never turned a valve wrench in his life.

I recommend a valve at least every mile in rural water districts. At a minimum, place them on major branch lines so that you don't have to shut down the entire system just to fix one leak or make some other extension. You think this is not the case? There are many systems in Kansas where it's necessary to shut off the entire system to make any repair.

Exercise valves annually. We all know that every valve should be exercised at least once a year. Yet, we will put it off forever. Then comes the night in a cold rainstorm or during the heat of a hot summer day and you need to shut down a line for repairs. Guess what? The valve won't operate. You go on to the next valve, and the next and the next but none work.

Not too many years ago, KRWA was unable to help a city that has a population of about 5000 with a water loss survey because the operator was paranoid about operating any valve. His comment was that he was sure whatever valve he'd try to operate would break and start to leak. That's incredible! A major fire and a line break at the same time in another part of town could have resulted in half the town burning.

All because the lead operator was so complacent that it did not adopt a maintenance schedule, stay on it and to establish a valve replacement program to eliminate the inoperable valves. Think of all the water loss, costs and wasted labor expense all because someone didn't follow basic maintenance and exercise valves at least once per year. Oh, that operator is no longer employed either.

Records make all the difference. Keep a record of where that valve is. How? Draw a diagram of the intersection showing to the inch location of the valve. Measure the distance from the valve to something that is not going to move, like a power pole or fire hydrants -- something that's going to be there for a long time. Use that common sense!

If you have a valve box out in the middle of a field somewhere, take a weed eater out there and cut around it. Cut an area around the riser or valve box so that when the bush hog comes near, the operator won't wreck your valve box and his machinery. Mark the valves; use whatever method works from painted tops, to markers, as-built drawings and GIS mapping in the future. It's common sense to install a steel fencepost with a 6-inch metal square welded at the top with a large "V" painted on it in reflectorized paint.

Master meter installations need test ports

I have seen some good master meter installations but most of the designs do not provide for any testing of the meter. Where's the common sense? Why not demand that test ports be incorporated? Whoever is designing or approving plans need to pay a little more attention to the operation of the system. How about a valve on either side of the meter at the proper distance from the valve? Meter testing is going to become more and more critical and yet we have new, near new and older installations all over the state that cannot be tested because there are no testing ports. Water loss reduction, water conservation and maintaining good system efficiency will demand that master meters be tested frequently.

When there's no meter on the wells, determining pump operating efficiency is difficult. If you are selling water to another system, an under-registering master meter can be financially devastating. If you don't test the meter for four or five years, your system has lost a lot of money. Just one more example of where a little common sense would have paid off dividends for decades.


From March 2001 issue of The Kansas Lifeline © 2001 KRWA

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