With the serious lead problems encountered in Flint following the change in water supply, municipalities and water utilities across the country are quickly taking action to remove lead service lines from their network. But at the same time, our recovering economy means that these organizations don't necessarily have the budget available to dive right in on an immediate replacement. Fortunately, some government agencies and organizations are creating assistance programs to help this process along. Combined with New Concept Tools' Service Line Puller Kits, your municipality or utility can quickly and effectively change out lead service lines for a lower immediate cost. Here are the details.
Bang - foosh! It's one of the worst sounds in waterworks, because it's the sound of one of your hydrants being taken out by construction equipment, a snow plow or a truck that didn't realize it was there. How do you make your hydrants more visible to help prevent damage? Our answer is hydrant markers. Here's some basic information to get you started:
We've all been on job sites where it's happened. You get a valve box installed perfectly, then when you're backfilling, it shifts off center and has to be re-dug and set again to make sure the valve can be properly accessed in the future. Maybe you have had some backfill material fall into the valve box and making valve operation difficult, if not impossible. You could have run across a situation where the valve box has been filled with water, making it difficult to work. But what if there was a tool that could help you avoid all these issues without raising the cost of each valve box significantly? At New Concept Tools, our job is creating these innovative new tools to keep you operating smoothly, and the Box Seat valve box alignment tool helps you do just that. Here are more details on how this tool works and what you can expect from it.
Are you tired of dealing with stubborn valve stems or having to find a wrench every time you need to open or close a commonly used valve? What about emergencies when every moment counts? If you are, adding handwheels or revolving speed handles to your valves can make them much easier to operate. But what are these devices, how do they work and when do they come in handy? Here are some of the basics to help get you started.
At Team EJP, we're dedicated to helping our clients find complete solutions for their water utility needs. If you're constantly dealing with repairing potholes or need to patch pavement issues around manholes, meters and other areas of concern, we've discovered a fabulous product that will help you break out of the repair, patch and repeat cycle that is so common with pavement. American Road Patch™ Peel and Seal Repair provides a unique material that delivers strong results - keep reading to learn more!
When water absolutely must be left on or shut off for one reason or another, it's imperative that the valve remains in that position, but what can you do to make sure it remains so? Whether it's a government building, an airport, an abandoned structure or a situation where a customer's water be shut off or on and stay that way, using a locking device can help ensure that the valve stays in the position your crew has put it in. Fortunately, there's New Concept Tools' High-Security Locking Device and Removal Tool to help make the job go more easily. Here's a bit more about this secure device and how it works.
When you've got water issues on your lawn or issues with your basement leaking water, there could be any number of causes. The best solution will always be to improve drainage on your property. This allows excess water from up slope to drain away, preventing it from becoming a problem for your lawn or structure. One of the most popular options is a French drain, a simple structure built into your lawn to help move water away from your home or areas of concern. Here's how to install one.
With spring in the air, it's time to flush your hydrants. But why not incorporate other tasks in the process as well, such as repairs, maintenance and upgrades, so that your crew only has to be sent to that location one time? Here's a quick look at the process so that you've got everything you need before you head out for this annual task.
When you're dealing with a range of drain or sewer pipe materials, sometimes having the right adapter on hand to connect them can be a tricky proposition. Have too many of different types, and you're tying up your budget in fittings that may never be needed. Have too few, and you have to send someone to the store every time you need to make a repair. Fortunately, there's an easy solution that adapts itself well to a wide range of pipe materials - flexible couplings and adapters. Here's more information about these easy-to-use options.
When you work in water utilities, your efficiency is only as good as the tools you use. At New Concept Tools, our focus is on developing the best possible tools and solutions for your water utility's needs. One of our most popular solutions is our service line puller kit. Allowing you to avoid extensive and expensive excavations when replacing supply lines, this kit allows you to use mechanical power to remove or split the old line while installing the new supply line. Though we've discussed it a few times in our blog, we haven't had the opportunity to talk about the different tools that are available in the service line puller kit. Here's a quick overview to get you started:
