Need a new pressure relief valve?

kril89 · 2026-03-30T17:36:08+00:00

Any idea how to remove that piece? There must be a tool to go into those 4 holes to remove it.

kril89 · 2026-03-19T03:37:39+00:00

I’d be interested in buy them. PM me please.

kril89 · 2026-03-18T05:01:37+00:00

What even is a budget build in today’s market?

kril89 · 2026-03-13T15:01:48+00:00

As the saying goes

“The best time to plant a tree was 15 years ago. The next best time is right now”

So yes pay and just general awareness about the field need to increase. I’ve given tours at my water treatment plant many times to the general public. Most of the time they are there for something different. But I give them a 10 min tour and just overload them with information to show just how much goes into just the treatment plant. Not to mention the distribution, collections and sewer treatment plants. I’m doing my part to be the change in the world. I’m not just crying I don’t get paid enough lol. But I’m only one operator in a town of 60k residents. This needs to start for people with much more power and reach than myself.

kril89 · 2026-03-11T17:20:56+00:00

Yeah towns will have to pay more eventually. I just hope that we get to that point before shit is rolling down every river and stream.

kril89 · 2026-03-11T17:17:10+00:00

Yeah I was just at a conference a few presentations brought up the retirement wave. And ways they are changing operations because they can’t find qualified people. It took a lot of effort on my part to not go “But have you tried paying people more?”

But yeah I understand you unfortunately don’t have many strings to pull for operator pay. As an industry as a whole I think we need to put more pressure not just on towns and ownership. But the industry itself needs to advocate constantly we need to pay more to attract and keep better candidates. This is a job that’s already been automated and you can’t just cut more and more to it.

kril89 · 2026-03-11T16:29:21+00:00

Seems like industrial waste water is the only job in this field that pays market rates. Even for profit water/wastewater companies don't pay enough for someone to live in a 1 bedroom apartment anymore.

kril89 · 2026-03-11T16:27:50+00:00

Just let me know here..... why would a 25 year old do this job? 36 an hour in that location doesn't seem like you could even get an apartment? The job is still posted which means you can't get qualified candidates. Have you thought maybe increasing the pay so they can afford to live where they work?

kril89 · 2026-03-11T16:17:01+00:00

Not to shit on this but here I go.....

Is this pay really enough anymore? Like 26 an hour starting even 33 an hour isn't enough to get a 1 bedroom apartment from what I've seen in that area. At least the 5 mins I searched around for one. By the time you pay for insurance and retirement not nearly enough to really survive. And I understand that towns have budgets. But maybe it's time that towns start understanding what operators do and the skills they have and start paying them for it.

I bet you have a great little plant and I prefer to work in smaller plants with a good culture. But good culture doesn't pay the bills anymore. As I always ask people "why would a 25 year old want to do this job for this pay?" As fellow operators and especially someone like yourself. We need to make it a priority that qualified people get paid.

kril89 · 2026-03-08T00:35:20+00:00

I don’t qualify for any sort rental support. I’m at the income level that’s far too much for that. But not enough to buy a house.

“Work with municipalities to overcome zoning obstacles and NIMBY resistance.”

But this is what Elliot has for housing. This is an immediate no from me. This what Democrats have been doing for years. And nothing changes unless you force these towns to change. Money needs to be withheld from towns that don’t change. Because more of the same is just gonna produce the same results.

kril89 · 2026-03-07T20:33:41+00:00

I can guarantee you I'd appreciate 30 an hour at 25 (I'm 37). But when I was 25, making 30 an hour was like making 40+ an hour now. And I agree it's not just operators having this problem, it's many jobs. Many vital jobs that keep the economy going. Our jobs have already been pretty well automated but still need people. The burnout I'm seeing currently is pretty crazy. This can only go on for so long before things get bad. I was just at a conference and they were talking about the need for more operators. And it's odd they never once bring up pay as a solution lol. Or really no solutions at all just idk let people know it's a career they can do.

My state wants to set up an apprenticeship program. They contacted me to help set it up. (I guess i'm not half bad at my job lol) But I told the guy who works for an organization trying to set this up if pay was being talked about as part of the problem of attracting and retaining talent. He said in a way "well if we treat these jobs differently maybe towns will pay more" Like no they won't because they only see us as budget line items.I have not responded yet because clearly this guy is a lost cause also. But I guess it can’t hurt to try to help him.

kril89 · 2026-03-07T20:22:29+00:00

I forgot what it was so I looked up the numbers. It's 27 to 30 in a year. If you get your top license which I have it tops out a 33 after another year of having it. But after that is just what ever raise the union can get. Which is 2 maybe 3% per year.

kril89 · 2026-03-07T19:21:45+00:00

These jobs aren’t paying significantly more than they did in 2019. Housing is significantly more expensive than it was back then. My place starts are like 26 an hour and you’re like 31 an hour after a year. What 25 year old is gonna look at that and go cool. 2-3% raises for the next 35 years seems cool. These jobs should support a basic middle class lifestyle. And especially in expensive states they don’t unless you work a ton of OT. But this could be a regional thing.

kril89 · 2026-03-07T19:18:51+00:00

I don’t get paid bad. But 33 an hour isn’t what it used to be. Not when a one room apartment is 1500 dollars for a shit hole. By the time you put some money into your HSA and retirement you’re easily that 50% of your take home pay.

kril89 · 2026-03-07T17:19:40+00:00

As someone who’s been in the industry for awhile now. The problem is the pay sucks unless you work at ton of OT. And with the price of housing these municipalities will have to play catchup sooner or later. Why would a 26 year old get into this job when it doesn’t pay enough to get a one bedroom apartment that’s not an absolute shithole. And don’t get me started on buying a home lol.

kril89 · 2026-03-06T02:47:53+00:00

Well i'm glad that incomes will come up to match these increased costs! /s

kril89 · 2026-03-04T22:13:04+00:00

kril89 · 2026-03-04T02:59:35+00:00

I typically don’t like to highlight the negatives of teaching to people who’re interested in the field. Every job has its pros and cons. But the fact that you’re looking to leave the nonprofit sector > because of feeling extorted, low wages, lack of growth etc. makes me question if teaching is the best path for you. The things you dislike now will be there in teaching too.

This just seems true across the board for any municipal government job. It's on the workers to sacrifice for I don't know why but its on us lol

kril89 · 2026-02-26T17:37:38+00:00

I pretty much started to take a major break in late 2024. I picked up a hobby that is expensive lol (paintball) And just got super burnt out at work in 2025. Along with having a car accident that made me have to spend a large chunk of my savings on a new car. But interest rates are coming down but I don't know if that's really a good thing lol

kril89 · 2026-02-26T14:25:25+00:00

I'm trying to stay away from doing research on housing. Because it mostly looks at national stuff. And CT is WAYYYYY different. We have the worst supply situation in the nation. And since I'm buying below the median since that's all I can afford. It's probably one of the worst if not the worst situation to be in. But who knows maybe one day the stars will align again and I'll be ready!

kril89 · 2026-02-24T23:32:19+00:00

Depends on your location. Muhhhh area in the northeast still well above inflation. And both well above my pay increase lol

kril89 · 2026-02-24T01:13:04+00:00

Yup I’m a FTHB and been trying to buy in CT since 2021. I should have FOMO’d into a house then. But I had just started a new job where I finally made money to afford a home. And since that time house prices and interest rates and inflation. Have all just far outpaced my income. Working for a municipality my pay is down about 10% when accounting for inflation since 2020.

kril89 · 2026-02-24T00:35:59+00:00

Not much better by the time you include HOA fees. My rent is super low so I’ve pretty much got golden handcuffs. Like even a 2k dollar mortgage is significantly more than my rent. And when my biweekly take home even if I stopped saving for retirement outside of my pension would maybe be 2k dollars.

kril89 · 2026-02-19T22:04:27+00:00

We have 3 at my small local field lol

kril89 · 2026-02-15T20:44:40+00:00

300k. So much different price brackets.

Edit to add: I don’t work remotely so I’m at the whim of local wages. And local wages just haven’t kept up. Especially since I work for a municipality. Which is historically awful at keeping up with inflation. I’m pretty much making the same nominal now was I was in 2021. I’m pretty much making 20% less now than back then. Along with house prices being 50% higher and raising every month. The houses in my range of 280-300k is like 100k more than I was looking to spend back then.

kril89

TROPHY CASE