Okay. So you're a taxpayer...

[Knightmare]

...But that still doesn't give you the right to yell at me for something you know NOTHING about.


So I'm at the plant this morning, doing my usual rounds and lab work, etc. The director comes over to me and asks me to run to Ace Hardware and get some U-bolts and other things, because we're getting a visit tomorrow from the new city manager and he wants the place looking pretty.

I grab his list, make sure I have my Nextel, and take a truck up the road to Ace. I love shopping for hardware stuff. But I'm on the clock so I don't dilly-dally. I pick up what we need and head for the front to get checked out.

Then I hear: "BEEPBEEP" It's my Nextel. It's the Director. I answer, thinking that he needs me to get something else.

Nope. It's a pop quiz!

D = Director
Me = Your friendly neighborhood wastewater man
CL = Crazy lady that needs to mind her bidness.
(Don't worry about the technical jargon. You should be able to follow along. Oh.. and in case you were wondering, I got out of the line when he asked me this question.)

D: "Ok Knightmare, I have an MCRT of 7, the RAS weights are lower from yesterday, but the MLSS weights are up significantly. They are XXXX and YYYY. How much should I waste?"
Me: "Ok, they are XXXX and YYYY. RAS weights are lower.. Hmm.. You should waste approximately 21,000 gallons.
CL: "What?! Excuse me! How can you waste 21,000 gallons of anything? Is that what my tax dollars are for? Just so you can waste them?
Me: "Uhh.. excuse me?"
D: BEEPBEEP "Knightmare, I'm waiting for an answer..... Did I stump you?"
Me: "No.. but hang on a sec, ok?
CL: "What is your name? I'm going to bring this up at the next city council meeting. I can't believe the city would waste 24,000 gallons!
Meanwhile, the clerk at the register is looking at the CL like she just grew 3 more heads.
Me: "Ma'am, do you even know what it is we're wasting?"
CL: "No, but I want you to tell me RIGHT NOW! I'm going straight to the Mayor's office after this (Big deal.. the mayor is basically a figurehead in our city's government).
Me: (Trying to keep a straight face) "Well, what we are "wasting" is approximately 21,000 gallons of sludge, which has been treated by the wastewater plant."
CL: "Well, that sounds like an awful lot to waste! Why can't you save it? Use it somewhere else? I can't believe you're throwing away our tax dollars like that!"
Me: "Ma,am... sludge is composed of organic and biologic solids from the wastewater system.
CL: "What?"
Me: "Sludge is.. well, processed waste from the sewers. And wasting means that we're sending it to the digesters where it will be biologically processed even more, then treated chemically and made into fertilizer."
CL: "Uhhh..."
Me: "Yes.. this is definitely something that we need to "waste," otherwise, the streets would be overflowing in raw sewage.
CL: "I, uh, er, um, uh, I , er..."
Me: "We'd be more than happy to have you over to the facility and give you a tour, if you'd like. "
CL: "Maybe some other time. I need to pay for my things and..."

She pays and leaves. The clerk looks at me and starts laughing. I pay for the things and leave. I BEEP the director and tell him that I have a story to tell when I get back.

I had to tell the story 4 times today. Everyone in the department got to hear it. Apparently it was a good one. My director said that it was in the "Top 5"
Now I have to hear his stories!

[Trishlovesdolphins]

That's AWESOME!

[protege]

Hearing that made my night

[earl colby pottinger]

I always try to ask

When I overhear something like that where the words don't make sense I always try to ask what the words mean before think I know what is been said.

When I worked as a programmer I quickly found out that EVERY industry has it own shorthand of words that have special meanings only inside that industry.

Heck, I once wrote basically the same program for two different companies that did the same job in the same area (Condominium Management, Durham Region), only to find out I needed a major rewrite of the second version because they measured payment times very differently but I only found this out later because they used exactly the same terms to describe their needs. Only when I went to demo the program was the difference spotted.

[JustADude]

I had to tell the story 4 times today. Everyone in the department got to hear it. Apparently it was a good one. My director said that it was in the "Top 5"
Now I have to hear his stories!

You do realize, of course, you are now morally obligated to pass those stories on if and when you do hear them, right?

[walking with scissors]

This is hilarious. You should have offered to ship it to her house, because the customer is always right.

[Emrld]

I have learned that those who tend to work in the water supply facilities tend to be the least likely to actually "waste" precious resources. In fact when I hear them use the term "waste" I tend to think that is exactly what they are talking about. But, that may have something to do with the fact that I actually have a basic general understanding of city water/ waste systems.
(I also make sure to check on the city guys when I see them out on really hot days including the sanitation crews - make sure they are staying hydrated)

[Knightmare]

We actually try not to waste anything. We recycle and reuse every piece of material we can. Obviously, we don't recycle anything that has come in contact with the sewage or biological contaminants.
We do have a very nice budget, but I guess all of us that work there are frugal. We only spend money unless we absolutely have to.

But I don't think I'll forget that woman's face when I told her that what we were wasting was actually "shit water."

I wish I had a camera.

[chainedbarista]

how dare you waste our precious shit water?

hee hee, i'm imagining her look right now, and i am greatly pleased by the sight of her foot dangling from her big mouth.