Town’s pools keep Water Works busy
By Patrick Ball/Staff Writer, Concord Journal
Wed Jul 02, 2008, 01:19 PM EDT
Concord – It’s just before 8:30 Monday morning; the sun is behind the clouds but the temperature is climbing up over 80 as dozens of day-campers, on Stow Street for the first day of Concord Recreation’s summer camp, are eyeing the pool.
Three twenty-somethings in green shirts pull up in green pickup trucks and soon go to work cleaning the pool, skimming leaves off the top, vacuuming the bottom and adding diatomaceous earth — slightly abrasive fossilized seashells used to coat filter grates — to the machinery in the pump house.
By 9 a.m., laughter fills the air as kids and lifeguards start splashing and kicking on the shallow-end stairs. The pool-cleaning crew packs up their poles, test kit and vacuum and head for the gate.
It’s a typical start to the week for the employees of Waters Works Inc., who spend their summers taking care of Concord’s pools.
“Cleaning pools is only a small piece of what we do,” Al Waters said of the company that specializes in openings, closings, repairs, maintenance, inspections and instruction. “What separates me from someone else is that it’s an owner-run company, which means the owner is in the back yard. The importance I see in that is that it improves quality.”
With six employees, including Waters and his son Alan, Waters Works services more than 200 pools in Concord, Acton, Boxboro, Carlisle, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Southboro, Stow, Wayland and Westford. The lion’s share is in Concord, where Waters Works has three separate routes — Monument Street, Concord Center and south of Route 2.
The beginning of the week normally consists of a couple of cleanings and trips to Cambridge for supplies, as well as repairs and inspections. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are devoted mostly to cleaning. But even with gas prices hitting record highs, Waters refuses to include a trip charge onto his fee.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the customer. My business philosophy has always been the same: Do a high quality job for a fair price,” he said. “They’re already paying a good amount of money for a premium service. They shouldn’t be insulted by adding a trip charge to that.”
The season goes from mid-March through Thanksgiving, and during the months of May, September and October, Waters barely sees his family because he is “crazy busy with openings and closings,” working 14-hour days. During the rest of the season, Waters Works employees work six- to 10-hour days from Monday through Saturday.
While openings and closings may keep Waters away form his wife for hours on end, they give him plenty of time to spend with his 22-year-old son Alan, who has been a Waters Works employee for the past decade.
“It has given us a chance to not only spend time together, but for me to instill a great work ethic into him and help shape the young man that he is,” Waters said.
Said Alan, “I think it has been a unique opportunity because I have had an opportunity to learn not only the skills, but core values. One of the biggest things is that I have is the opportunities for leadership and responsibility that came with running a crew since I was 16 or 17. I don’t know if I would have had that opportunity somewhere else.”
A 30-year veteran of the pool business, Waters started Waters Works Inc. 12 years ago and runs the business out of his home on Fort Pond Road in Littleton. He said he demands top-notch professional workmanship from his employees, as well as from himself.
“That will carry you through even tough economies like we’re in now,” he said. “It breeds customer loyalty, as well as customer referrals.”
Businessmen are often quick to quip that the customer is always right. But for Waters Works, it is especially important to continuously provide customers the top-notch service for which they are paying.
“In an economy that’s hurting, people are really paying attention to the service they’re getting,” Alan said. “In a luxury business like this, quality is everything. If we’re not giving it to them, somebody else will.”
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MOSQUITO-TIME!!
Some great tips from “Lighter Footstep”
Summer mean another chapter in the war against mosquitoes. But don’t automatically reach for that spray can. See if these natural insect control methods will work for you.
With an unusually mild winter and record high spring temperatures across North America and Europe, 2007 is shaping up as a boom time for mosquitoes. Don’t even bother with bug zappers and clouds of insecticides: not only are they ineffective, they do more damage than good. The neighborhood mosquito fogging carried out by some municipalities is a 24-hour solution at best, and large-scale spraying kills bees and other beneficial insects. Insecticides aren’t good for animals or humans, either.
Fortunately, a little planning can make your outdoor activities a lot more bearable during the summer months. Ready to swat your mosquito problem the healthy, natural way? Here are some pointers.
Go on patrol
Mosquitoes don’t range very far. That’s good news: if you can reduce their habitat and breeding grounds, you’ll be doing a lot less slapping.
At least once a week during the warmer months, organize a mosquito posse. It’s easier with more than one person. Start close to wherever you live and work outward. Be sure to give nearby abandoned and neglected property the once-over, as well. You’re looking for sources of standing or stagnant water. That’s easier said than done, because mosquito larvae can make do with a few ounces of water in the bottom of an old soda can, or beneath a leaky water faucet.
Old tires, uncovered boats, abandoned cars, puddles, and empty flower pots are likely candidates. Remove and properly dispose of rubbish in which water might pool. Call your local government’s code enforcement office and have them deal with neighborhood nuisances.
Pay particular attention to clogged rain gutters. You should clear these a few times a season. Drain, remove, and invert?—?these are the best tactics for stopping mosquitoes before they become hungry adults.
Be unattractive (to mosquitoes)
Mosquitoes are remarkably well-equipped to track you down. Don’t do them any favors by enhancing the chemical cues which lead them to you.
Fruit and floral-scented smells are a mosquito come-on. Unfortunately, both are pretty common in sunscreens. Look for an unscented formula, such as Aubrey Organics’ Natural Sun series or Avalon Organics Baby Mineral Sunscreen. You can buy them online or at your local heath store.
Insects don’t have great vision, but they are closely attuned to contrasts. Avoid dark clothing and you’ll be less of a sitting duck.
There are two other powerful chemical signals that alert mosquitoes you’re ripe for biting: carbon dioxide and lactic acid. While you can’t hold your breath, it’s easy to avoid CO2-producing campfires and open flames. You produce tons of lactic acid when you’re exercising, so consider moving strenuous activities out of the late afternoon hours when mosquitoes are most active. It also helps to limit salty foods and those rich in potassium.
Investigate natural insect repellents
DEET is certainly good at discouraging biting insects. But it’s nasty stuff, and some people don’t tolerate it well.
Citronella, castor, peppermint, lemongrass, and clove oil are among the natural alternatives you can try to keep mosquitoes at bay. Combinations of these oils are available in convenient sprays?—?check your local whole foods or health outlet.
Two things to keep in mind with natural repellents: you’ll need to reapply every two hours or so (or after swimming); and some people are sensitive to essential oils. Try a bit before you leave home to make sure the product you’ve chosen won’t cause you problems.
It’s not necessary to apply insect repellents directly to the skin. They work by masking your natural scent and will function just as well on your clothes. This will also minimize sweat-off and the likelihood of a skin reaction.
Three twenty-somethings in green shirts pull up in green pickup trucks and soon go to work cleaning the pool, skimming leaves off the top, vacuuming the bottom and adding diatomaceous earth — slightly abrasive fossilized seashells used to coat filter grates — to the machinery in the pump house.
By 9 a.m., laughter fills the air as kids and lifeguards start splashing and kicking on the shallow-end stairs. The pool-cleaning crew packs up their poles, test kit and vacuum and head for the gate.
It’s a typical start to the week for the employees of Waters Works Inc., who spend their summers taking care of Concord’s pools.
“Cleaning pools is only a small piece of what we do,” Al Waters said of the company that specializes in openings, closings, repairs, maintenance, inspections and instruction. “What separates me from someone else is that it’s an owner-run company, which means the owner is in the back yard. The importance I see in that is that it improves quality.”
With six employees, including Waters and his son Alan, Waters Works services more than 200 pools in Concord, Acton, Boxboro, Carlisle, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Southboro, Stow, Wayland and Westford. The lion’s share is in Concord, where Waters Works has three separate routes — Monument Street, Concord Center and south of Route 2.
The beginning of the week normally consists of a couple of cleanings and trips to Cambridge for supplies, as well as repairs and inspections. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are devoted mostly to cleaning. But even with gas prices hitting record highs, Waters refuses to include a trip charge onto his fee.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the customer. My business philosophy has always been the same: Do a high quality job for a fair price,” he said. “They’re already paying a good amount of money for a premium service. They shouldn’t be insulted by adding a trip charge to that.”
The season goes from mid-March through Thanksgiving, and during the months of May, September and October, Waters barely sees his family because he is “crazy busy with openings and closings,” working 14-hour days. During the rest of the season, Waters Works employees work six- to 10-hour days from Monday through Saturday.
While openings and closings may keep Waters away form his wife for hours on end, they give him plenty of time to spend with his 22-year-old son Alan, who has been a Waters Works employee for the past decade.
“It has given us a chance to not only spend time together, but for me to instill a great work ethic into him and help shape the young man that he is,” Waters said.
Said Alan, “I think it has been a unique opportunity because I have had an opportunity to learn not only the skills, but core values. One of the biggest things is that I have is the opportunities for leadership and responsibility that came with running a crew since I was 16 or 17. I don’t know if I would have had that opportunity somewhere else.”
A 30-year veteran of the pool business, Waters started Waters Works Inc. 12 years ago and runs the business out of his home on Fort Pond Road in Littleton. He said he demands top-notch professional workmanship from his employees, as well as from himself.
“That will carry you through even tough economies like we’re in now,” he said. “It breeds customer loyalty, as well as customer referrals.”
Businessmen are often quick to quip that the customer is always right. But for Waters Works, it is especially important to continuously provide customers the top-notch service for which they are paying.
“In an economy that’s hurting, people are really paying attention to the service they’re getting,” Alan said. “In a luxury business like this, quality is everything. If we’re not giving it to them, somebody else will.”
Summer mean another chapter in the war against mosquitoes. But don’t automatically reach for that spray can. See if these natural insect control methods will work for you.
With an unusually mild winter and record high spring temperatures across North America and Europe, 2007 is shaping up as a boom time for mosquitoes. Don’t even bother with bug zappers and clouds of insecticides: not only are they ineffective, they do more damage than good. The neighborhood mosquito fogging carried out by some municipalities is a 24-hour solution at best, and large-scale spraying kills bees and other beneficial insects. Insecticides aren’t good for animals or humans, either.
Fortunately, a little planning can make your outdoor activities a lot more bearable during the summer months. Ready to swat your mosquito problem the healthy, natural way? Here are some pointers.
Go on patrol
Mosquitoes don’t range very far. That’s good news: if you can reduce their habitat and breeding grounds, you’ll be doing a lot less slapping.
At least once a week during the warmer months, organize a mosquito posse. It’s easier with more than one person. Start close to wherever you live and work outward. Be sure to give nearby abandoned and neglected property the once-over, as well. You’re looking for sources of standing or stagnant water. That’s easier said than done, because mosquito larvae can make do with a few ounces of water in the bottom of an old soda can, or beneath a leaky water faucet.
Old tires, uncovered boats, abandoned cars, puddles, and empty flower pots are likely candidates. Remove and properly dispose of rubbish in which water might pool. Call your local government’s code enforcement office and have them deal with neighborhood nuisances.
Pay particular attention to clogged rain gutters. You should clear these a few times a season. Drain, remove, and invert?—?these are the best tactics for stopping mosquitoes before they become hungry adults.
Be unattractive (to mosquitoes)
Mosquitoes are remarkably well-equipped to track you down. Don’t do them any favors by enhancing the chemical cues which lead them to you.
Fruit and floral-scented smells are a mosquito come-on. Unfortunately, both are pretty common in sunscreens. Look for an unscented formula, such as Aubrey Organics’ Natural Sun series or Avalon Organics Baby Mineral Sunscreen. You can buy them online or at your local heath store.
Insects don’t have great vision, but they are closely attuned to contrasts. Avoid dark clothing and you’ll be less of a sitting duck.
There are two other powerful chemical signals that alert mosquitoes you’re ripe for biting: carbon dioxide and lactic acid. While you can’t hold your breath, it’s easy to avoid CO2-producing campfires and open flames. You produce tons of lactic acid when you’re exercising, so consider moving strenuous activities out of the late afternoon hours when mosquitoes are most active. It also helps to limit salty foods and those rich in potassium.
Investigate natural insect repellents
DEET is certainly good at discouraging biting insects. But it’s nasty stuff, and some people don’t tolerate it well.
Citronella, castor, peppermint, lemongrass, and clove oil are among the natural alternatives you can try to keep mosquitoes at bay. Combinations of these oils are available in convenient sprays?—?check your local whole foods or health outlet.
Two things to keep in mind with natural repellents: you’ll need to reapply every two hours or so (or after swimming); and some people are sensitive to essential oils. Try a bit before you leave home to make sure the product you’ve chosen won’t cause you problems.
It’s not necessary to apply insect repellents directly to the skin. They work by masking your natural scent and will function just as well on your clothes. This will also minimize sweat-off and the likelihood of a skin reaction.
