A Select Group We Are!

Many, if not most of us living in Los Osos, came from someplace else. Some from larger towns or cities with sanitary infrastructure already in place, maybe even RE-placed by the time we were using it. Some from houses that had a septic tanks already in use (or maybe you were on a replacement tank at that point, a step up from the redwood barrel that once served the earlier homeowners. Not too many from the hippie days of an outhouse off in a field I would guess, although there may be a few who had that unique experience. What one does while camping way out in the sticks does NOT count, unless you LIVED there for months or years).

Think about it, in 2016, WE of the PZ are going to go where very few of us have gone before! We are getting brand spanking new, fresh sewer pipes to... to... So—! how many of us HAVE EVER HAD pristine, new pipes to christen!

Their use might be a small unnoticed event for many or most perhaps, this emergence into the 21st century of urban life with something the Romans had centuries ago. But my first flush might just be the contents of a bottle of champagne: first to reflect on and honor the humble pipes that took years of battle, money, hard work and tears to place into the ground. And I'll do it too for a future without that ever present drone of sewer anger cautioning and framing acceptable speech amongst my new acquaintances here in Los Osos.

Sewer Work on Sixteenth

Similar to, but different from the reconstruction of the tanks on16th (and the street being torn up for the new piping that went with it), the sewer construction is the most exciting thing to hit 16th. OK, the broken unmarked water pipe near the bike path was high drama a few days back, but it was over pretty fast. This is going on for a while.

It started with the pot holing.

Then the street was unzipped.

Water applied at every step to keep down the dust.

Electrical wires lifted out of the way.

Coming up the hill.

Digging sand.

The point of digging, placing pipes. Rather a pretty color!

The trench boxes are moved around with surgical precision.

Tap, tap, tap. Then more digging inside the box.

Plates go down to keep the sand contained.

When the pipe is in the trench boxes come out. 

Note the lift in the back, they are pretty heavy.

Plates arrive to cover the excavation.

Look to the upper left at the holiday appropriate antenna decor!

There is so much more to say about the mind boggling dexterity of the equipment operators. How they lift, trek, nudge and tap these giant hunks of steel as though they didn't weigh tons.

And the fantastic project coordination with the many steps that require perfect timing between the different parts of the team—the guys constantly measuring, guys cutting pipe, so as soon as the trench is ready, in goes the pipe, the street sweeping and watering both with the equipment and by hand, new water arriving via truck, two trucks lined up to keep the dirt coming up and away from the trench, the dirt coming back to go into the newly piped section, putting on the plates with some hot asphalt to keep them firmly in place. Today is Saturday and the watering trucks came twice (while I was paying attention). 

I got nothing done Friday watching this oh, so, beautiful show.

Sun Sets Over The Sewer Pipes

Viewed from South Bay Boulevard on 1/17/13.