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SOMEBODY FLIPPING ONE FUCKING SWITCH WOULD HAVE KEPT AUSTIN IN WATER

Hagbard Celine

By Hagbard Celine
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Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen 5,333

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Scheiss Meister said:

There are two kinds of wastewater operators: those who have been "baptized", and those who will be.  If you work with shit, you're gonna get some on you, sooner or later.

When I was a young EIT we went out to visit a plant we were getting hired to expand.  My boss was wearing some nice shoes like J&M or Magli and decided to walk up the stairs to the platform over the aeration chamber.  Plop within about 5 minutes there was some mixed liquor on those shoes.  I’ve never seen him at a plant since.  You wear jeans and work boots at a plant.

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Anastasis
Anastasis

Lol. It’s gonna be hilarious when y’all all need Ivermectin to treat your parasitic infections. 

Borachio
Borachio

Some of y'all didn't grow up drinking water out of a green hose in the front yard during the summer months and it shows. 

Brisketexan
Brisketexan

I think we can all rest easily knowing that we’ll appoint a special commission to look into this, and after a couple of years they’ll release a report recommending a simple solution to our water treat

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davidg

davidg 4,038

Posted
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21 minutes ago, Scheiss Meister said:

There are two kinds of wastewater operators: those who have been "baptized", and those who will be.  If you work with shit, you're gonna get some on you, sooner or later.

My daughter (nopics) is an entry level engineer for a large municipal water system (Not Austin).  She works on all kinds of upstream and down stream projects.  When she got the job, I told her as a general rule, don't shake hands with the waste treatment plant guys.

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Scheiss Meister

Scheiss Meister 8,411

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2 minutes ago, davidg said:

My daughter (nopics) is an entry level engineer for a large municipal water system (Not Austin).  She works on all kinds of upstream and down stream projects.  When she got the job, I told her as a general rule, don't shake hands with the waste treatment plant guys.

She can shake hands with us.  We're the only bunch who didn't have to change how or how frequently we wash our hands when Covid started up.  We're also the only industry that washes our hands before going to the restroom.

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Ghost of LL

Ghost of LL 15,539

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Lobo said:

Don't fret everyone!  My Councilwoman, Paige Ellis, has declared she wants council to hold a hearing in a few months about this most recent debacle at Austin Water.  

HEARINGS!  WE DEMAND HEARINGS!  I appreciate the circus Paige, but we both know nothing will come from these and by then, we'll have moved on the next City of Austin pile of shit. like why we are now taking off the equivalent of roughly ten blocks of street lighting every month for the "Dark Skies" program while increasing funding for marketing/communicating/implementing the "Vision Zero" plan to have no pedestrian deaths in Austin.  doesn't really seem like the memo about better street lighting got from the Vision Zero Czar over the Dark Skies Czar.  I'm sure you'll still authorize an annual bonus to the two of them for some other reason though.  

Back to water...

I remember when Troxclair requested an independent audit of Austin Water to look into the first couple of boils, the overbilling, and to see if resources were being spent to keep the plants humming along, and secure.  And Adler and the rest of the progressively moronic Council told her to get bent.  And Austin Water has been a complete shitshow ever since, and it's getting worse.  And there's no oversight in sight. 

The amazing thing is that she deigned even to call for hearings.  She so clueless and ineffectual, I expected her just to remain silent.

Some going to lose in November to some "BACK THE BLUE!" asshole, and I really can't find my way to giving a fuck.  And if I am not on board with voting for her, then she's going to lose in a fucking landslide.

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AUS-97HORN

AUS-97HORN 11,823

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59 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

For those of you who haven't had trash pickup in a while...

thats me...

so according the neighborhood board, the city fucking gave up on catching back up and just said fuck it, lets delay it a week..  

 

gotta love the City, it was recycle pickup week as well.  that.... that they are fucking quiet about, but its pretty much assumed at this point that its going to be pushed to next recycle day as well..   so yeah, we get a 28 day period between recycling pickups.

and the city just basically shrugs their shoulders and effectively said, "sucks for you that we couldnt pick up on Thurs/Fri.... not our prob"

 

 

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Updawg

Updawg 2,286

Posted
Posted

That’s exactly what will happen. It did to me last time. Luckily my trash day is today so they came as usual

If you call to bitch they will scold you condescendingly for having too much trash

I think I am screwed on bulk pickup though. They already only come twice a year and just said they are shutting it down

I only use austin energy for water and trash and it’s a big bill for not much service.

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Bevo

Bevo 13,601

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9 minutes ago, Updawg said:

That’s exactly what will happen. It did to me last time. Luckily my trash day is today so they came as usual

If you call to bitch they will scold you condescendingly for having too much trash

I think I am screwed on bulk pickup though. They already only come twice a year and just said they are shutting it down

I only use austin energy for water and trash and it’s a big bill for not much service.

We should all get credit for the days that they didn't pick up.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 26,022

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Posted
6 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Well I was on my high horse all weekend with my adequate city water in Georgetown. Then I drove to work and got slapped in the face with an unplugged coffee machine because it’s plumbed to coa water.  So now I’m outraged like the rest of you. 

Isn't coffee made with boiled water? 

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Bevo

Bevo 13,601

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

Nope - usually between 185 and 195 degrees if I recall correctly.  It's hot enough to kill most everything though, so there was no reason not to use it.

I don't drink coffee, but you all should get it from McDonald's. I hear it is plenty hot enough.

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Guest Lobo

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I don't drink coffee, but you all should get it from McDonald's. I hear it is plenty hot enough.

Not that hot! (clicking sound)

Yeah, most coffee pots don't actually reach a rolling boil but it's hot enough to kill most stuff.  We just used some distilled water this morning, probably overkill but we have enough water to last us until this thing is lifted on Wednesday.  I don't mind mild diarrhea but having it on top of what a few cups of strong coffee usually do to me in the mornings anyway is a little more than me or my plumbing can handle.  

Were I the guy at the office with no coffee tomorrow, I'd bring in some extra bottled water in jugs and make a few pots with it.  You'll be the big hero.  You can disconnect the water line and have it draw/siphon from a large water container on most industrial models.  

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Guest Lobo

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28 minutes ago, Borachio said:

Some of y'all didn't grow up drinking water out of a green hose in the front yard during the summer months and it shows. 

Funny, I was out doing yardwork last summer and needed something cold and fast.  All I had in the back fridge was beer and it was a little early even for me.  But it was already like 95 out.  I was too dirty to go inside, so thought, "Fuck it...like the old days, turn on the hose to get a drink.  Like old times, 30 years ago in Chicago."  

Holy fucking shit, I burned my mouth and couldn't chew right for a week.  Apparently a black garden hose in direct sunlight all day makes for scalding hot water.  We did not cover that in science class growing up.

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Updawg

Updawg 2,286

Posted
Posted
Funny, I was out doing yardwork last summer and needed something cold and fast.  All I had in the back fridge was beer and it was a little early even for me.  But it was already like 95 out.  I was too dirty to go inside, so thought, "Fuck it...like the old days, turn on the hose to get a drink.  Like old times, 30 years ago in Chicago."  
Holy fucking shit, I burned my mouth and couldn't chew right for a week.  Apparently a black garden hose in direct sunlight all day makes for scalding hot water.  We did not cover that in science class growing up.

Even a green hose is hot. You need to run it for a bit to get a milder temperature but it still won’t be cold in the summer


I still drink from it from time to time in that type of situation
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Guest Lobo

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Shit, I let it run for a minute or so and it still scalded the shit outta me.  

So yes, I'm exclusively on cold beer outdoors between May-October, even if it's 9am chores.  

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Scheiss Meister

Scheiss Meister 8,411

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Native Horn said:

Can someone smarter than I (most of you) splain why it takes 24 hours to test water samples?  They growing cultures in petri dishes or something?  

Yes, the coliform test to show that the water is safe to drink has to be incubated for at least 24 hours.  It also has to be performed at an approved lab, which may be off site, so transportation time enters into the equation, too.  It's frustrating to have to wait a day to see if you have it right, but that's the rules.

ETA - It depends on the method used, but yes, petri dishes are most likely involved.

Edited by Scheiss Meister
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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 89,801

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Posted
1 hour ago, Samson's Wig said:

I'm sending the city the bill for the rat extermination that follows two weeks worth of trash sitting outside everyone's house.  Fingers crossed!

Assholes.

I just want them to have a grace period for anybody shooting bb/pellet guns/.22 short at raccoons/possums coming in from a nearby greenbelt to raid the dumpsters at condos/apartment complexes/etc.

None of us should have to become fucking experts on Section 42.12 of the Texas Penal Code.

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 52,601

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2 hours ago, Lobo said:

Not that hot! (clicking sound)

Yeah, most coffee pots don't actually reach a rolling boil but it's hot enough to kill most stuff.  We just used some distilled water this morning, probably overkill but we have enough water to last us until this thing is lifted on Wednesday.  I don't mind mild diarrhea but having it on top of what a few cups of strong coffee usually do to me in the mornings anyway is a little more than me or my plumbing can handle.  

Were I the guy at the office with no coffee tomorrow, I'd bring in some extra bottled water in jugs and make a few pots with it.  You'll be the big hero.  You can disconnect the water line and have it draw/siphon from a large water container on most industrial models.  

This one is a unit that needs pressure supplied. 
 

but I remembered there’s a keurig in the corner and a bottled water dispenser on the other side of the building so things ended up working out. 

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Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen 5,333

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8 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Technically the water should be fine now since this is what's getting tested for the approval to stop the boil notice that's expected tomorrow. Who wants to take one for the team?

Bacteriological samples (Bac-Ts for the operator) frequently fail.  A lot of times for dumb reasons but sometimes because there was still something in there to grow.  Back to Shitmaster's point, you want to be 100% sure it's safe.

The gold standard lab around here is the LCRA (at least it was when i was doing a lot of water quality work) and Aqua Tech is pretty good.  There is no rushing these tests other than dedicating a tech to it continuously.

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Guest Lobo

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Posted (edited)

I'm all for accurate testing but given how frequently this happens in Austin, you'd think we'd have the system down cold and done much faster.

At this point according to my swab test, my nasal fluid is safe for drinking but my tap water has Covid.  

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Guest Lobo

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Posted
12 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

"a couple of days"

 

Me Saturday night, "So 2 days then?  Like tomorrow, then a day?"

Austin Water, "2 days is kinda money.  But every other city turns the water on in 2 days."

Me, "So Monday?  Or Tuesday then?"

Austin Water, "Three days is also kinda money but we don't wanna look desperate."

Me, "So when the fuck are you lifting the boil water notice?"
Austin Water, "Six Days."  

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WBT

WBT 20,669

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, crash_davis said:

Technically the water should be fine now since this is what's getting tested for the approval to stop the boil notice that's expected tomorrow. Who wants to take one for the team?

 

4 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

You’re fine now.  Since process  got restored water will be safe.  Now it’s the waiting game.

I mean there's no reason to think they would have screwed up the fix right?

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TexArcher

TexArcher 38,069

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Posted
42 minutes ago, Red Five said:

I was still half asleep this morning and took a few sips from the faucet. I am going to die.

I refilled the Keurig from the tap yesterday and drank two cups before I realized I'd done it.  Still here.

Sometimes I wonder if maybe Austin is just an attention whore...

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