Pumpkins and Plumbing Don't Mix
October/28/2010
- Never put pumpkin pulp or seeds down the toilet, sink drain or in the garbage disposer. The stringy, sticky gunk hardens and clogs drains and disposers.
- Carve pumpkins on a thick bed of newspaper. Wrap up pumpkin-related materials and throw away in the garbage can or compost pile.
- Separate the seeds, then roast for a tasty treat. (See the recipe below.)
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
(Source: www.allrecipes.com)
- Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. This is easiest just after you’ve removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.
- Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat.
- Sprinkle with salt (or try cayenne pepper or garlic salt) and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until toasted, about 25 minutes. Check and stir after 10 minutes.
- Let cool and store in an air-tight container.
Have a happy and safe Halloween!
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BP Oil Spill: 'Mystery Plumber' May Be Brains Behind Containment Cap
July/21/2010
We have a poster hanging in our office that reads “The Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation” and this story reminds us of this phrase. This is not just a cliche saying; it comes from the fact that potable water systems, as well as waste disposal systems, need to be designed and installed correctly to prevent a possible failure that could result in personal damage or health hazards. We believe that our industry is critical to the health and safety of the public. Plumbers protect the health of the nation every day and, as this story shows, in more ways than just in our homes and offices.
Read the full ABC News article here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/bp-oil-spill-mystery-plumber-brains-containment-cap/story?id=11182225
Happy Earth Day!
April/22/2010
1. Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat.
2. Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water. In fact, reuse everything at least once, especially plastics.
3. Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets.
4. Start a compost in your back yard or on your rooftop.
5. Buy foods locally. Check out Eat Local Challenge and FoodRoutes to get started. Buy locally made products and locally produced services.
6. Buy in season.
7. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. You'll find more on energy-efficient products and practices at Energy Star.
8. Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room. Unplug your cell phone charger from the wall when not using it. Turn off energy strips and surge protectors when not in use (especially overnight).
9. Recycle your newspapers.
10. Car pool. Connect with other commuters at eRideShare.
11. Consider a car sharing service like Zipcar.
12. Ride a bike.
13. Walk, jog, or run.
14. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
15. At holidays and birthdays, give your family and friends the gift of saving the earth. Donate to their favorite environmental group, foundation, or organization.
16. Get off junk mail lists. Precycle can get you started. They’ll even plant a tree for you!
17. Buy products that use recyclable materials whenever possible.
18. If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
19. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Given a choice between plastic and paper, opt for paper.
20. Buy locally. Find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food near you at LocalHarvest.
21. Consider organic cleaning products like vinegar, borax, and baking soda.
22. If you have a baby, consider using cloth diapers. To sign up for a diaper service to do the dirty work, check out the National Association of Diaper Services.
23. Consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid.
24. Landscape with native plants. Check out the article on the EPA website.
25. Opt into a clean energy program. Check out the Green Power Network at the US Department of Energy.
26. Go paperless. Consider reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions online. Switch to electronic banking and credit card payment, too.
27. Teach kids about the environment.
28. Take your batteries to a recycling center. Earth 911 gives you the scoop.
29. Turn your car off if you’re going to be idle for more than one minute.
30. Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse cycle to “cold.”
31. Recycle. If you’re not at home, take the extra steps, (literally), to find that recycling can.
32. Reuse. Plastic food containers make good crayon and marker holders. Use padded envelops more than once. Give away clothes that don’t fit to friends. Goodwill or the Salvation Army can help.
33. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
34. Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth. Learn about water scarcity.
35. Wash towels after several uses.
36. Purchase one case of water and provide clean water to 24 people (for over twenty years).
37. Give away your goods and find new ones at FreeCycle.
38. Recycle your technology. Dell, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and IBM, among others, offer recycling programs.
39. Go zero! Log on to the Conservation Fund’s Carbon Zero Calculator and in less than five minutes, you can measure and then offset your carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees.
40. Put your money where your mouth is—invest in green investments. Web sites like Co-op America's National Green Pages™ can help.
41. Learn about threats to ocean life and help Greenpeace take action.
42. Whenever you can, try using green cleaning products. Check out Cheap, Clean, and Green.
43. Find your local watershed and learn how to protect it.
44. Build a greener home.
45. Opt for eco-friendly and holistic health products.
46. Good to the last drop. Switch to fair trade coffee.
47. Go paperless at work. Distribute company information and post company material online.
48. Eliminate junk mail at work. For no fee, the EcoLogical Mail Coalition will eliminate the junk that former employees receive at work.
49. Plant a forest and feed a family while you’re at it.
50. Shop smart. Choose eco-smart products.
What other Earth Day tips do you have? Share them in the comments below.
Fire Hydrant Flushing
April/20/2010
It serves the following purposes:
- Flushes sediments from mainline pipes (which enhances water quality)
- Verifies the proper operation of fire hydrants and valves
- Helps find weaknesses in the water system
- Checks for closed valves and weak flows in the water mains
- Verifies ample flow for fire fighting
Public Works crews will post notices on barricades at intersections to inform residents of flushing in their neighborhoods.
Things to Know During Hydrant Flushing
- There may be a temporary drop in water pressure at this time.
- Water may be rusty or cloudy. Discolored water is not harmful and will clear up in a few hours.
- Fill a bottle with water and store it in the refrigerator to use for drinking or cooking.
- Flush your hot water tanks after the cold water clears.
- Do not wash white laundry during this period (wait until cold AND hot water are clear before laundering whites).
Hydrant Flushing Frequently Asked Questions
WHY IS HYDRANT FLUSHING NECESSARY?
Hydrant flushing enhances water quality by flushing sediment from the water mains, verifies the proper operation of hydrants and valves, and maintains firefighting capability.
WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN THE CITY CREWS ARE FLUSHING HYDRANTS IN MY AREA?
If you see a crew flushing a hydrant on your street, avoid running tap water and using the washing machine or the dishwasher until the flushing is completed. If you see hydrant-flushing crews working in the area, please drive carefully and treat them like any other road construction crew.
WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER HYDRANT FLUSHING?
- If tap water is used during flushing, it could come out full of sediment that causes discoloration. If you encounter discolored water, shut the water off and wait several minutes. After waiting, check the clarity by running cold water for a few minutes allowing new water to work its way into your pipes. If the water is clear it’s OK to use. If not, wait a few more minutes and check again. In some cases, there may be slight discoloration for a few hours. This discoloration only affects the appearance of the water; it does not affect the taste or water quality.
- Avoid washing laundry during scheduled flushing times. Wait until the water runs clear at the tap, then wash a load of dark clothes first. Hot water tanks can hold discolored water for some time after the cold water runs clear.
- If pressure or volume seems low, check your faucet screens for trapped particles.
WHY DOES MY WATER LOOK FUNNY AFTER HYDRANT FLUSHING?
When a hydrant is opened, there will be temporary incidences of discolored water while fine sediment particles are flushed out. There is no health hazard associated with the discolored water. Allow a few hours for discoloration to dissipate. To verify water is clear, run your cold-water tap for a few minutes.
WHO DO I CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION?
For additional information you can contact your local water department or you can contact us with any questions.
Have any further questions or comments on fire hydrant flushing? Leave them below in the comments.
Water customers in Cleveland could see another rate increase next year
April/09/2010
Customers of the Cleveland Division of Water may see another rate increase next year. How much is yet to be determined.
A rate study is in progress, and the division could approach council with a request for a hike around the end of the year, officials said at a council committee meeting this week.
Customers are in the last year of an increase instituted in 2007 that pushed rates up almost 80 percent for city residents and 45 percent for suburban customers over four years. Council sets the rates for the city-run water division that serves 1.4 million people.
Water Commissioner Chris Nielson said revenues were $25 million below projections last year due to a decrease in consumption and a drop in interest earnings and fees. The cool, wet summer contributed to the drop in water use, he added.
The revenue decrease, overall maintenance and a proposed $86 million automatic meter reading system the division wants to buy will be factored into the cost analysis, division spokesman John Goersmeyer said.
The search for additional revenue comes not long after the division was barraged by customer complaints due to estimated bills, bad meters, long waits on the phone and rude customer service. The Plain Dealer chronicled the division's troubles throughout much of last year.
Residents continue to be critical of the department. Director of Utilities Barry Withers said steps are being taken to improve customer service, including extended calling hours and putting a new computer billing system online.
Nielson said the proposed automatic meter reading system is key to solving most of the remaining problems. "All of our customer service revolves around a good meter reading," he said.
Council, which put the brakes on the purchase last month, is now ready to move forward. Members wanted to investigate whether the radio-driven remote reading system could be used for other city needs such as safety-force communications and traffic cameras.
Councilman Kevin Kelley, chairman of council's Public Utilities Committee, said at the meeting this week that he concluded "meshing systems would be cost prohibitive" since the division's system extends into five counties, including all of Cuyahoga.
In the next several weeks, council is expected to approve legislation to allow the purchase. Nielson said the costs include $3.2 million for design and management; $17.8 million for meters; $42 million for technology; $23 million for installation.
The water division will pay for the network with $8.5 million of previously encumbered money; $12 million from 2009 operating capital; $15.5 million from future operating capital; and $50 million from bonds.
Nielson said the system will eliminate estimated bills. Radio devices strategically installed on places like buildings and utility poles will allow employees downtown to read meters remotely at any time. This could clear the way for monthly billing, he said. The division now bills quarterly. Consumption eventually could be broken down to daily and even hourly use, allowing for detection of leaks or water theft, Nielson said.
The division would save on the cost of vehicles and fuel when the system is fully functional in three years, he said. Installation would begin this fall. The first year, 10 percent of residential meters will be replaced along with 40 percent of the commercial meters.
Nielson said meter readers would reassigned to inspection, maintenance, leak detection and customer service crews as the system is phased in.
See the full article: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/water_customers_could_see_anot.html
As a customer of the Cleveland Division of Water, there are a few actions that can be taken to help combat the increase in the rates:
- Check for water leaks or running toilets. Water leaks can add up on your monthly bills, so make sure to periodically check your home or office for leaks.
- Invest in low-flow plumbing fixtures. Items such as low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucet aerators can help reduce your water consumption and your water bill. Contact Neptune Plumbing to learn more about having these items installed.
How do you feel about these rate increases? Do you have any tips to help lower your water consumption? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Happy World Water Day!
March/23/2010
World Water Day: 10 Things You Need to Know About Water
Yesterday was World Water Day, an international day honoring fresh water, the stuff we can’t live without. Clean water is an absolute requirement for any human civilization to survive; World Water Day reminds us not to take it for granted.
To commemorate World Water Day, here’s a list of 10 things you need to know about water:
- 1% of the world’s fresh water is currently accessible to humans.
- 346,000 million: Number of gallons of fresh water the US consumes per day.
- 80% of that water is used for irrigation and thermoelectric generation.
- 80-100 gallons: Amount of water the average person in the US uses per day.
- 13.2 gallons: Estimated amount of water required for any single person for cooking, sanitation, bathing, and survival needs.
- 3.575 million: Number of people who die every year from water-related disease.
- 84% of them are children.
- 50% of global hospital beds are occupied by someone with a waterborne illness.
- 25% of bottled water is basically tap water in a bottle–treated or untreated.
- 1.5 million tons of plastic are used to bottle 89 billion liters of water every year.
Help sustain your own local water supply by installing water-saving devices into your home and using filtered rather than bottled water. Neptune Plumbing can assist you with the installation of low-flow fixtures to help reduce your home or office water usage. Contact us for more information.
Do you have any interesting water facts or tips on reducing your water usage? Post them below in the comments.
Source: http://www.businesspundit.com/world-water-day-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-water/