Water Wise: Plumbing Retrofits
Part 1: Maintenance Department Spearheads Plumbing Retrofits
Part 2: Texas School District Specifies High-Efficiency Toilets and Urinals
Part 3: Technicians Play Key Role in Plumbing Retrofit
Part 4: Satellite Facility Streamlines Plumbing Maintenance Tasks
Part 5: Maintenance 'Smart Teams' Make Department More Efficient
Satellite Facility Streamlines Plumbing Maintenance Tasks
By Chris Matt, Managing Editor - Print & E-Media - January 2010 - Plumbing & Restrooms
Now that the plumbing retrofits are complete, it is up to Morin and his staff to keep the fixtures operating properly.
"We watch (water-conservation) efforts a lot with our custodians and with our maintenance technicians," he says. "Any time they see a leak or a puddle of water in a strange place that doesn't belong there, we question it. We rely on the custodians because they're on all the campuses. They're the first line of defense we rely on (for troubleshooting)."
Morin and his department also have created a satellite maintenance facility that features teams of technicians — experts in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems — that visit specific facilities each week to complete repairs and preventive maintenance tasks.
"Everybody from every craft is represented at that campus for that week," Morin says. "They go through the entire gamut of all the work orders, including plumbing inspections, checking for leaks, and checking for problem areas we might have. They don't leave the campus until everything is finished."
While plumbing fixtures have been a focus of Morin's efforts, saving water and conserving resources goes well beyond restrooms. He is looking into technologies to make the district's irrigation system more efficient, as well as ways to improve the efficiency of HVAC and electrical systems.
Says Morin, "Education is paramount to us realizing what is out in the field. I schedule a lot of meetings with vendors and people that are providers of technology. Whatever they have out there that's in the market, I want to know about it."
