We’ve written before about the importance of updating your equipment routinely, and yet another news story has shown just how necessary that is. A contractor who was hired to perform some pipeline maintenance at Lake Curry Dam recently found a mercury leak that prompted an emergency cleanup.

The dam was initially built in the 1920s, and buried inside was a nonfunctioning flow meter. When the contractor when to perform the standard maintenance procedures, he found discovered mercury on the valve house floor. As of yet, the city isn’t quite sure when the leak actually occurred, and  as soon as it was discovered, the contractor secured the site immediately.

Fortunately, Lake Curry isn’t a drinking water source, but that doesn’t make it any less important. While the city is working to clean things up, this is just one more stark reminder of what happens when equipment is left to fail.

Even the best equipment available today isn’t made to last forever, and in situations where water supplies are on the line, it’s absolutely essential that that equipment be checked on a routine basis to ensure it’s operating exactly as it should be.

We can help. We not only offer some of the best equipment options out there today, but we also offer complete calibration and repair services to help you stay on top of things. If you’re installing equipment for the long term like flow meters, make certain you make an update plan to help everyone involved in the project understand when the equipment needs to be checked and when it needs to be replaced. Staying on top of things can help prevent real problems down the road.