Trying to Understand The DPW Water Department's Approach To Their Work

As I reported at the time, there was a water main break below South 4th Street at Cherry Alley on July 9th -- precisely 51 days ago.  During July 10th's Common Council meeting, DPW Superintendent Robert Perry told us that the pipe had been temporarily patched and that the permanent fix would have to wait for a special pipe saw from the Village of Catskill.  Apparently, that pipe saw has still not made it to this side of the river for use below South 4th Street.  At the subsequent meeting one month later, Mr. Perry failed to mention anything about the situation regarding the main break or the much needed saw.  When the pipe repair work does finally begin, it will be the Water Department performing the task.  The mysterious DPW Water Department.

Yesterday morning, I noticed a DPW Water Department (yes, Hudson City Hall has a department within a department!) pickup truck with two employees inside and some tools in the back.  I believe one of the employees was someone by the name of Nate, who is a supervisor in some capacity, or so I have been told. (A Nathan Stoddard has the title of Assistant Water Treatment Plant Operator, according to public records).  I first saw their heavy-duty diesel burning pickup truck on N. 3rd at Columbia Street headed south toward Warren Street.  I caught up to the truck waiting in line at the light at 3rd and Union to ask a question of the men (more on that later).  

The truck, with two paid employees inside (@ $30 an hour each), then took a right onto Union and made its way to the end at Front Street.  The driver didn't seem to be in a rush, nor was he driving slowly.  Besides the three stop signs, the truck never stopped and it didn't appear that the workers were looking for anything in particular (what would they be looking for from inside the moving vehicle anyway, a drippy fire hydrant?).  They then took a left onto Front Street, then a left onto Allen Street.  Up Allen they went, past the green light at 3rd Street.  Then a left onto Court, a right onto Union, a quick left onto 4th Street, past the mess from the still-not-permanently-repaired water main waiting for the Water Department to receive a special saw from Catskill, all the way to 4th Street's end where the truck took a right onto State Street headed east and out of my view.

Just leave it!  Drive on by!

Were the DPW Water Department employees lost? 

For the past several weeks there has been a loose water valve cap in the westbound lane of State Street, at the intersection with 6th, that happens to be quite loud when any vehicle wheels run over it, which is quite often.  CLANG CLANG or CLICK CLACK, in rapid succession.  Day and night, directly in front of 4 houses.  CLANG CLANG.  CLICK CLACK.  If we are really lucky, those vehicles that don't hit the loose cap will hit the loose manhole cover about ten feet away, which you can see move up and down when a vehicle runs over it.  CLANG CLANG.  (Water valve caps are the round metal pieces about 5 inches in diameter that you see embedded in all our streets).

A few weeks ago, I tried to get the attention of this matter to both Robert Perry and the mayor, but I guess they were too busy to be bothered.  Last week, I walked into the DPW Water Department office in City Hall and told the Water Clerk Sherri about the 2 loose and noisy pieces on the street in my neighborhood.  Almost immediately, Sherri was on the phone with Nate of the Water Department. After hanging up, Sherri told me that Nate told her that he was aware of the loose valve and that he would get to it "when we have time."  As for the manhole cover, the Water Department does not deal with them -- the regular DPW does. Go figure!

When I caught up to the Water Department truck out for their apparent joyride yesterday, I asked the occupants of the truck if they were aware of the loose and noisy water valve cap at 6th and State.  The driver of the vehicle nodded his head.  I asked if they had looked at it yet.  This was his reply:  "There's nothing we can do when they are loose.  That's just they way they are."  The light turned green and away they went on their loop around the city -- at nearly $60/hour, plus the diesel fuel burned and wear on the vehicle.  Perhaps they made their way to 6th and State to check on the loose water valve cap there, but I doubt it.  It's still CLANGING every time a vehicle's wheel hits it.  

Did you once again hear the CLANGING?

The cap hasn't always been loose, of course.  7 years, no CLANG CLANG.  Now that it is loose, the fellas at the Department of Public Works Water Department, like their boss Robert Perry and his boss the mayor, don't give one flying crap about it. 

There is also a loose, clanging water valve cap on Columbia at 6th.  And another one on State, just west of the railroad tracks, directly in front of the eating area along the south side of the Upper Depot Brewery. CLANGETY CLANGETY!  If you hear it, get used to it - our water infrastructure seems to be falling apart fastly and furiously.  Perfect time for a joyride!

Via email, I have been informed by an anonymous reader that the DPW pickup truck referenced above does not run on diesel fuel, but rather regular gasoline.