Sparky-Watts
Banned
So, yesterday at work, I was fixing a mainline leak on a huge, antiquated irrigation system in an upscale neighborhood. After making my repairs, I went to turn the water back on at the PVB (Pressure Vacuum Breaker, a backflow prevention device all systems must have) when the PVC supply line broke somewhere underground. This was a 2" line, which carries a few hundred gallons a minute. Ok, usually no problem, you just shut off the main supply at the meter.....except on this one, the meter is located in a concrete vault that is 6' deep right next to the PVB. And, the shut off inside the vault has no handles (they rusted off years ago). Now, I've had confined space training years ago as a paramedic, and knew that you don't go into a vault like that until you are sure any noxious gases are out of it....not a problem, due to the proximity of the vault to the leak, it was rapidly filling with water. So, I called the boss to come stand by while I went diving. It took 15 dives of about 45 seconds each and 3 different pairs of pliers to shut off the water! I'd get a big breath, swim down to the bottom, wrap my legs around the mainline and meter, then fumble with the pliers on the badly corroded stem of the shut-off valve as long as I could, then resurface for more air. Each time I came back up, there were more people standing around watching! By the time I got it shut down, I was frozen to the bone (water comes out of the line at 68 degrees), and there were close to 2 dozen co-workers and residents standing around cheering me. We dug up the broken pipe (2 feet deep by the side of the vault, split for about 8" up the length, and fixed it with stronger pipe. Today I get to go turn the water back on....but this time I'll have a gas powered pump to drain the vault....no more swimming!
All in a day's work.......:lol:
All in a day's work.......:lol:
