When people ask what I do, I tell them I’m an editor. If they ask what I edit, I tell them it’s a publication for the water and wastewater industry. That’s where the conversation gets interesting, at least for me.
Most people aren’t blown away by how cool that sounds. But it’s fun explaining what I do and giving a little insight on an industry they’ve typically never given any thought. By the end, they usually find it a lot more interesting, too.
I like understanding how things work. I like knowing the backstory. Once when I was a daily newspaper editor I had the great fortune of working with an art director from National Geographic on a full redesign of the paper. He played a part in developing the How It’s Made series, and it was interesting talking to him because we both shared a sort of fascination with how the everyday things around us — from doorknobs to vacuum pumps — are designed and constructed.
When I came to COLE Publishing, that fascination fueled my water and wastewater education. Much of it was new to me, and that made it interesting. And with new approaches and technology constantly emerging, it’s easy to stay engaged.
If you approach problems with that same desire to understand how it works, what’s going wrong and how it can be improved, you’ll keep your utilities on the right track. New approaches, better tools, and advancing technology give you an ever-evolving slate of solutions to the problems you encounter in your systems.
This month’s Better Mousetraps and Supply Side installments feature some technology that can answer important questions. How do we protect our waterways? How do we keep our sewer cleaning crews safe?
The latter is of special significance right now since June is National Safety Month. If you’re running a wastewater utility, you have people routinely cleaning and maintaining your collections system, and they’re regularly coming in contact with dangerous pathogens. Hydro Products, featured in this month’s Supply Side column, addresses those concerns with the Vanguard Pathogen Defense System.
For the Florida Keys Aquaduct Authority, the question of how to better protect sensitive waterways was answered by ReignAir ARV monitors from Reign RMC. Debris in the wastewater flow was clogging floats on air release valves and causing leaks. Finding them immediately was difficult, but a new monitoring system has enabled immediate response and prevented leaks.
I’m not saying either one of these products are automatically going to revolutionize the way you maintain your collections systems, but either one could. More important, I think, is keeping your eyes on the industry as a whole, to new developments and methods you can bring in-house to make meaningful progress. It’s good for your utilities, and it keeps the job interesting.
In fact, the most interesting people I meet in this industry are those who are constantly looking for better ways and new solutions to the issues their utilities face. I enjoy those conversations, and I like to keep them going in these pages.
Enjoy this month’s issue.
