The General Maintenance Department of Pinellas County (Fla.) Utilities serves a county with the state’s highest population density, at about 3,300 residents per square mile.Maintaining that area’s water and sewer systems is a challenge in the best of times, and budget constraints brought on by a declining economy make it tougher still.But department director Alan Bollenbacher and his team have adapted, putting in place a rigorous sewer inspection and maintenance cycle that relies more than ever on in-house employees and equipment.The county’s cost studies to date have shown that in-house teams can do routine, scheduled work more cost-effectively than outside
