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“I don’t know if you ever get used to it 100%, but you at least know what to expect,” said Louisville Water Plumber Leader Craig Wyatt.
The dog days of summer arrived well before the first official day of summer!
One tell-tale sign of the season at Louisville Water is a surge in the amount of water our treatment plants pump to nearly a million people every day. On one particular day, we recorded 172 million gallons of Louisville Pure Tap® flowing, so people were likely staying hydrated by drinking more water as well as taking more showers, watering their lawns, and filling up pools.
Summer brings its share of challenges for Louisville Water crews working outside in the heat. Plumber Leader Shaun Reichert says, “Summer’s ‘split season’. It’s your worst (water main) breaks. They cause the most road damage; more of an extensive repair than wintertime. Summer’s a little more work, it tears the road up quite a bit.”
Reichert and his crew had their work cut out for them at a water main break at 27th and Muhammad Ali on June 20.
“Repairing a line is really not our biggest challenge, it’s getting to it. There’s always something in the way,” Reichert said. And on this day?
“Trolley tracks.”
The crew cut through and dug up the decades-old tracks before they could start repairing the break in the pipe. Despite the sun and 95-degree heat bearing down on them, Reichert remained cool as a cucumber.
“We’re trying to get these folks back with water,” he said, staying mindful to keep himself and the crew safe.
“Hydrate,” stressed Field Technician D’Mitris Brown.
They keep two coolers of Louisville Pure Tap® stocked on the truck.
Emergency Turner Brandon Waldrop said his cooler of Pure Tap, “Saves the day half the time. Ice and water every morning. I usually try not to run out.”
Waldrop often adds an extra layer of precaution by wearing a wet rag around his neck but is quick to empathize with his coworkers.
“Those guys have it harder than I do. They’re down in the hole where it’s even warmer,” Waldrop said.
The heat can easily take a toll which is why everyone tries to keep an eye on each other for signs of heat exhaustion.
“You can kind of tell, somebody slows down,” Wyatt said. “A lot of times, people seem to be red. You can tell they’re maybe overexerting themselves in the heat.”
With 25 years under his belt, Wyatt has found what works for him to stay cool.
“Drink plenty of water. It’s nice to have shade. We definitely try to take a break if we feel overheated. If you feel hot, get in the truck with the AC and cool down a little bit.”
“We’re out here just trying to do our job,” Brown said, adding that customers are “understanding most of the time.”
Hot, cold, rain or shine, Louisville Water works 365 days a year to keep the Pure Tap flowing.
Know the signs of dehydration and follow these Pure Tap pro-tips to safe and healthy this summer.
