Page last updated on September 7, 2021 at 3:11 pm
For more information, please contact
Brandon Prince, City of Bloomington T&D Division Director, 812-349-3637, princeb@bloomington.in.gov
The Challenge
It is really difficult to see what you are doing through a spray of water and water at high pressure can be dangerous. The City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) Transmission and Distribution (T&D) team constantly faced the problem of water splashing into workers’ eyes and into their workspaces when repairing water main breaks. When there's a main break, best practice is to keep up the water pressure to at least 20 psi to prevent backflow contamination. Needing to keep water pressure up while still needing to fix the main break is a problem that interrupted the pace of work and slowed down CBU crews’ ability to complete their work.
The Idea
In response, a T&D laborer, Jerry Waldridge, engineered an implement using everyday materials to effectively and simply minimize unwanted splashing and prevent erosion in the workspaces. The invention consists of a broomstick with a piece of tire at the end of it. The device allows one worker to stay on the surface and hold the broomstick while the attached tire segment follows the curve of the pipe and contains the splash, allowing the workers in the trench to fix the break with minimal splash. Since the first tool was created and proved effective, every T&D work truck is equipped with it!
The Cost
The cost of this innovation is very cheap as it consists of just two items, a long wooden stick or pole and a piece of old car tire. Procuring the hardware and creating the product requires minimal time and effort. The tools are extremely durable and have not needed to be replaced since they were first made almost a decade ago.
The Benefit
When the worker applies downward pressure on the main with the stick and tire piece, it traps the water and keeps it out of the workspace. This allows for crews to respond to main breaks without turning the water off. It permits easier and more efficient work for CBU crews, consequently, allowing them to contain damage as much as possible.
Metadata
City Department(s): City of Bloomington Utilities, T&D Division
City Point of Contact: Brandon Price, T&D Director
Partner(s): N/A
Partner(s) Point(s) of Contact: N/A
Type of Innovation: Mechanical
Date Implemented: early 2010s