Protecting Our Water Quality
The following are some things that we can all do to help protect our water quality. For more information, visit the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Quality http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/
•Pick up after your pet. Properly dispose of pet waste into the trash or toilet. Animal waste contains coliform bacteria, which is harmful to our health and, when washed into swimming waters, can result in beach closings.
•Use natural pesticides such as milky spore and nematodes wherever possible. If you must use chemical pesticides, use them sparingly and in targeted areas.
•Maintain your septic system. Improperly maintained or failing septic systems will cause untreated wastewater to be discharged into the environment.
•Reduce, reuse and recycle materials whenever possible to create less waste, which could end up on our streets and contribute to stormwater pollution.
•Pick up trash and litter and put it in the trash. Keep trash cans closed to prevent trash from scattering. NEVER throw litter and debris directly into storm drains. Such debris can wash into waterways and onto beaches, and clogged drains can cause street flooding and traffic congestion.
•Always put your cigarette butts in ashtrays or garbage cans, do not throw them on to the ground or out of your car window. Proper disposal will help keep our waterways clean and minimize the risk of fires.
•Shop for nonhazardous, biodegradable and phosphorous-free household cleaning products.
•If you use water-based paints, rinse paint brushes in the sink. If you use oil-based paints, you can filter and reuse the thinner used to clean brushes. Dispose of thinner through a local household hazardous waste program. Visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/rrtp/hhwcps.htm for a list of local household hazardous waste facilities.
•Sweep up dirt and debris and discard on your lawn or in the trash. Hosing off pavement washes pollutants into storm drains, which may lead to local creeks, bays and the ocean.
•Rather than wash your car in your driveway, on the street or in your yard, take it to a local car wash. This not only conserves water but also eliminates the running off of harmful pollutants.
•Dispose of unwanted chemicals at a household hazardous waste collection center in your area. Never pour hazardous materials into the street, sewer or the storm drain. For more information, visit www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/rrtp/hhwcps.htm.
•Eliminate or, at least, reduce the use of soaps and shampoos when using outdoor showers that drain to the street.
New Grease Trap Maintenance Plans Are Here!
We are pleased to announce the availability of grease trap maintenance plans for our restaurant and food service customers. The new maintenance plans offer a great way to control costs while keeping maintenance on track.
Three plans are available for exterior grease traps and range from cost effective to comprehensive, depending on the level of protection desired. They include scheduled grease trap cleaning and inspection as well as scheduled jetting services. The higher level plans include bio treatment as well as an overflow guarantee. Customers pay only one low price each month and are able to stabilize maintenance costs for their grease trap and drain lines.
Contact us for more information or for an enrollment form today!
Russell Reid Equipment Used in Lifesaving Rescue Operation
For the most part, an industrial vacuum truck is known for being a workhorse on the jobsite, cleaning debris from pipelines, sewer cleaning and flushing, industrial vacuuming, and hydro-excavation. This type of truck is used extensively as part of the operations of Russell Reid in Keasbey, New Jersey. But the Vac-Con’s capabilities – as well as Russell Reid’s use of it – has taken another significant purpose: helping to save people whose lives are potential endangered by a confined space incident.
Such was the case on April 25, when Russell Reid was called into service after a man in Union Township, New Jersey became trapped in aggregate in a paver manufacturing facility’s below-grade storage pit. He had entered the pit – shaped like a funnel - to unclog a jam at it unloading gate. As the employee did so, free-flowing piles of stone suddenly engulfed him and buried him waist deep, according to Gary Breuer, Rescue Training Officer for the Flemington - Raritan Rescue Squad and OEM Deputy Coordinator for the Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force.
The employee worked for nearly an hour to free himself as he yelled for help. Co-workers, finally heard his shouts, rushed to his aid. After their efforts to free him instead caused more material to slide down and further bury him, they called 911. Rescue teams from various municipalities arrived on the scene and provided a harness to the man. It was to a lifeline that was tensioned slightly to prevent him from sliding deeper in the loose material. Rescue personnel started removing the stone by hand via buckets. Trench panels were secured to prevent additional material piled high above from sliding down onto the victim.
In the meantime, Flemington-Raritan’s Trench Rescue Unit (TRU) was dispatched for the use of a RescueVac system. A call also went out to Russell Reid’s Glen Gardner Service Center Manager Rich Wyble, requesting use of the Vac-Con. Mr. Wyble jumped into the jet vacuum truck and arrived at the site as soon as possible. “Flemington-Raritan Rescue brought in their equipment and within 10 minutes, we were all hooked up and got rolling,” says Mr. Wyble.
The Vac-Con was paired with the RescueVac, which combines pneumatic, vacuum and safety devices to quickly aerate and remove soil, water, mud and sand and other collapsed materials from rescue sites. That not only saves time, but creates safer working conditions for rescuers encountering difficulties dealing with ground water and mud in the bottom of a trench, as water can weaken trench walls even further. Together, the equipment becomes a powerful rescue tool at the scene of a collapse, entrapment or engulfment.
The RescueVac equipment consists of 4” and 8” diameter vacuum hoses and special nozzles to work in close proximity to buried victims and is powered by suction and air movement provided by the Vac-Con truck. The powerful Vac-Con truck can be located more than 200 feet away from the trench with the use of the RescueVac extension hoses. The RescueVac system also includes a special emergency vacuum relief valve enabling rescuers to immediately cut the vacuum to the nozzle when necessary.
After the RescueVac was quickly assembled and placed into operation for the rescue efforts at the stone pit, a rope system was attached to the tower ladder to aid in positioning the suction nozzle. While the 4” diameter system was initially used near the victim for better control, the free-flowing stone was hampering the rescue effort. In order to speed up the operation, the 8” system was brought in.
In less than 10 minutes, the RescueVac powered by the Russell Reid vacuum truck, had cleared down to the victim's shoes. Meanwhile, the system’s speed in clearing debris enabled rescuers to remain safely outside the pit. A ladder was placed next to the man, who pulled his feet free and climbed up the ladder, where he was met by rescue personnel who transported him to the hospital for additional evaluation.
It wasn’t the first time that Russell Reid employees would work together with Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force personnel to utilize the Vac-Con as a rescue tool. Late last year, David Dam, Russell Reid’s Executive Vice President, and Justin Seals, a field service technician for the company, educated rescue workers from the task force on how best to utilize the Vac-Con/RescueVac system during a trench collapse emergency during a rescue rehearsal.
The combined approach reduces the time rescue workers recover trench collapse victims by 75 percent compared to the traditional rescue methods, such as soil removal by hand. That shaves hours off of the time needed to save a victim trapped in a trench collapse, with that time potentially creating the difference between a rescue and a recovery, Mr. Breuer points out.
The Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad owns one of two RescueVac systems in New Jersey. Mr. Breuer had initially contacted Russell Reid for training because of the company’s experience running a Vac-Con and its significant presence in the tri-state area, offering the ability for a quick response. After last fall’s training, Mr. Breuer was so impressed with Russell Reid’s assistance that he added the company to the county’s emergency resource list in the event of an actual incident, which eventually occurred at the stone pit.
“The previous practice session better prepared us for this emergency because our personnel had a working knowledge and hands-on experience with the RescueVac system and knew how powerful the Russell Reid vacuum trucks are,” says Mr. Breuer. “As soon as personnel saw the situation they were facing, the call was made to Russell Reid for their vacuum truck because we knew it was the key to moving large amounts of material very quickly.”
The previous practice drill had been a “big help” in being able to stage the rescue efficiently and successfully, Mr. Wyble notes, adding that he was “amazed” to watch the events unfold, with the vacuum truck playing a critical role in the rescue efforts. “This whole excavation was done with a truck meant to clean out sewer systems,” he points out. In addition to Mr. Wyble, other Russell Reid employees involved in the rescue effort include Alvin Chernesky, Brian Stevens, and Jerry Spargo.
The outcome for the trapped man would have been different had the vacuum truck not be used in the rescue efforts, Wyble says. “It would absolutely have taken a lot longer,” he says. “The other pits that were there were a good 25 to 30 feet deep. If anything started to break loose from underneath them, he could have been sucked down even further. He could very well have suffocated. He was quite grateful to get out of there.”
The positive outcome of this rescue was the direct result of teamwork between all of the personnel involved, notes Mr. Breuer. “Specialized training and equipment proved their worth during this incident,” he says. “Cooperation between the emergency services and the Russell Reid Company was a key to success.”
Mr. Breuer says his rescue team plans on conducting additional training with Russell Reid to increase the awareness of each other's equipment and resources.
Winter Tips for Septic Systems
A properly designed and maintained septic system will provide many years of worry free service. Below are some tips to help keep your system safe during the cold weather and associated winter activities:
•If designed properly, there is no danger of freezing in your septic system. The depth of the pipes in the ground as well as the steady flow of warm wastewater will keep the system well above freezing temperatures. Under no circumstances should you put anti freeze or other chemicals in to the septic tank. These chemicals would disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria responsible for breaking down the waste in the tank.
•Make sure you know where your tank and drain field are located and keep snow plows away from these areas. Snow plows driving over the drain field can compact the soil or dig up areas of the ground and cause damage to the system.
•Installing a riser can make access to the tank easier when the ground is frozen in case of emergencies.
•If you go away in the winter for extended periods of time, make sure whoever is watching your house is aware of the location of the tank in case of an emergency situation. Also, provide the phone number for a 24 hour service provider.
If you have a particular question regarding the operation of your septic system, please feel free to contact our Customer Care Representatives for guidance at 800-356-4468.
Russell Reid Offers New Product to Control Drain Flies
We are pleased to announce a new biological product for controlling drain flies in restaurant and food service establishments. We have added DrainGel to our line of environmentally safe biological products. Restaurants and food service establishments often experience drain fly infestation due to accumulation of organic material in drain lines, cracks, crevices and other non drain sites. The drain fly larva feed off of this material and creates infestation if not properly controlled. Treating these sites with ordinary drain cleaners, hot water, detergents, bleach, or ammonia is ineffective and environmentally harmful. These chemicals can also enter the grease trap and kill the colony of bacteria necessary for it to function properly, causing the potential for backups and blockages. The safest and most effective solution for drain fly problems is to use a biological product that will work to eliminate the biological material in breeding sites without causing harm to other necessary infrastructure.
DrainGel is a highly concentrated gel containing specialized microorganisms in combination with biological support ingredients and essential growth factors. The formulation is environmentally safe, works in both aerobic and anaerobic environments and will not disrupt the proper functioning of grease traps or drain lines. Its thick formula clings to the sides of drains and pipes and can be easily sprayed into cracks, crevices and other non drain sites to eliminate drain fly breeding sites.
"Our restaurant and food service customers often experience problems with drain flies, odors and other issues related to the build-up of organic materials in their establishments" said Eric Niemeyer, Russell Reid Food Service Account Specialist. "We are pleased to be able to offer DrainGel to assist our customers with these issues. DrainGel's formula was designed specifically for this problem and is a safe and effective solution to control drain flies and other problems associated with the build-up of organic material."
To find out more, contact us today or place an online order DrainGel All Natural Drain Fly Controller now!
