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Winter doesn’t officially start until this weekend, but that’s a moot point given we’ve already had three snowfalls and felt the blasts of arctic air in December. That can create challenges for Louisville Water crews working outside to keep Louisville Pure Tap® flowing.
“The simplest stuff becomes harder. Like our pump wouldn’t start earlier. We couldn’t pull the string. We had to thaw it out. Trying to get the valve caps off; it’s frozen. Everything is twice as hard,” said Plumber Leader Mo Brown.
Brown and his crew endured a high of 12 degrees on Sunday while they repaired a water main break in Jeffersontown. Plumber Leader’s Assistant Mitch Earles came prepared.
“I just layer up, make sure I always have warm clothes. I’ll have a spare pair of bibs (overalls) that I’ll wear down in the hole and that gets wet. Whenever I get out, I’ll put dry bibs on. I change out gloves two or three times a day,” he shared.
Earles’ job means he’s usually in the hole which is often considered the place to be when fixing a pipe during the brutal days of winter.
“It is (warmer), but you’re also down there with water a lot of times,” he said.
Plumber Leader’s Assistant Allen Banet reaped the benefits of being in the hole on Tuesday morning at a water main break on Kenwood Drive.
“I was sweating when I was down there. It was hot,” Banet said.
It’s a stark contrast to his previous job as a lead operator at the Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant. He traded longer shifts for being out in the field.
“I love cold weather. I like working outside,” he said adding that the key to staying warm is to “keep working, keep moving.”
And sometimes warmth comes courtesy of a random act of kindness. A customer delivered coffee and donuts to Banet and the crew.
“She said she was happy to see us down here. She thought that she didn’t pay her water bill, but she actually paid it,” explained Plumber Leader Mon’Shea Harris.
“That was nice of her! We appreciate the thought,” he said.
For those days that donut deliveries aren’t popping up, Brown relies on the portable torpedo heater to keep him and his crew toasty.
“It’s a pain in the butt sometimes filling it up with gas, but it keeps you warm,” he said which is absolutely worth the effort.
For Probationary Field Technician Robert Jones, “Just being in the warm truck is a break.”
Jones drives one of Louisville Water’s salt trucks which helps keep the areas where we’re working less slick and icy.
“The main thing is to keep track of our crews while I’m here. Then I go around checking some of the other ones as they come in, spot checking them and making sure (they’re good). It helps keep everyone safe and water from freezing.”
We appreciate our employees who are braving the conditions, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. The season is just getting started…
“Could be a long winter, we’ll find out,” Earles said with a grin.
Pure Tap Pro-tips to help prevent frozen pipes in your home.
