CLAVERACK, N. Y. – Leaking pipes, burned out pumps and an improperly-installed distribution system were a few of the problems waiting for Jamie Herman when he went to assist the Riverside Mobile Home Park in Cameron, N. Y.
                “I was under one of the homes, installing leak detection equipment when the maintenance man told me to ‘watch out for rattlesnakes,’” explained Herman, water training specialist with the New York Rural Water Association.
                A shift in the weather had recently sent the local rattlesnakes from the nearby creek into the park. The vipers never interfered with the work, but it was a surprise for the first day at the park.
                “I got a call from the State Health Department, asking for help,” Herman said, explaining what sent him to the park. “They were very respectful, they didn’t tie my hands, which was a big help.”
                The Riverside Mobile Home Park is divided into three sub sections, all supplied by the same two wells. The park had a normal use of 10,000 gallons per day, but leaks often sent usage to 45,000 or even 60,000 gallons per day.
                “The county advised installing green sand for iron and manganese removal, but they didn’t want to plan the engineering around the high water use,” Herman explained.
                Herman started training Aaron Taft, from park maintenance, how to identify which section leaks came from and begin leak detection. On the second day, they located a two-inch main line break. The system returned to normal usage for nearly a week, until one of the booster pumps failed.
                The training specialist provided some firms that would be able to repair the pump and began assisting Taft with locating the new leaks. Herman tried to contact the owner to recommend updating the system piping, as the local health department had earlier advised, but never reached the owner.
                “The pumps just couldn’t handle the periods of continual use,” Herman explained.
                He continued to train Taft with maintenance and water operation issues, largely because Taft showed to be a dedicated worker.
                “I taught him some leak detection, how to install valves, how to isolate parts of the system, just how to operate a water system,” Herman explained. “The maintenance crew are good, hard-working guys, they just aren’t water operators.”
                The training has started to pay off.
                “A leak is no longer a disaster,” the training specialist said. “Now when there are leaks, they usually notice them on the first day and can locate them on their own.”
                The training and assistance saved the system roughly $8,000 for one month.
                The system is maintaining normal water usage so the engineers can plan to make updates to the system and installation of the green sand. Herman hopes they can begin construction next summer.  

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