What do you do for a living?

[SmoothieX]

Yeah, I'm from the US.

We used to have combined storm/sanitary sewers, and some older areas still do. Boston is notorious for this as an example. The intent is to have separate storm and sanitary lines because as soon as you mix the drainage in with the poop, it's considered poop. Also, where you have combined systems, you occasionally get untreated overflows to waterways. So it's generally frowned upon these days, and cities spend millions on projects to separate them.

Stormwater is a real pain in the butt because there are all these quality and quantity criteria you have to meet.

What sort of plant do you work at? Typical primary clarifier->nitrification->denitrification->secondary clarifier->chlorinattion type of setup or something fancy?

Considering the massive problems with runoff (and people just being stupid and dumping their used car oil down the storm drain), it might not be a bad idea to treat both as contaminated anyway.

Stormwater, from any developed and/or impervious area, is considered to be contaminated and treated for both quality and quantity and treated accordingly.

You ever see one of those big drainage basins next to a shopping center? That removes suspended particles and nutrients, and attenuates peak flow and temperature. You know, so the river it eventually flows into doesn't overflow, turn green, and kill the fish.

They make underground vaults with various filter media to get rid of floatables like oils and chemicals.

(Stormwater is my biggest area of expertise, I could go on all day.)

 

[rhubarbodendron]

same here (Germany). Only in very remote areas we have a mixed system. It's not just a hydraulic problem in the wastewater treatment facilities but also a biological one: microorganisms loathe changes in their diet and the whole system can collapse if there is too much stormwater.

I don't work on a WWTF per se, I just supervise about 100 facilities (oops, I actually never counted them!) and help if there's a problem. I have all kinds of them, primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. Activated sludge, surface aerated basins, filter beds, constructed wetlands, aerated filters, rotating contactors, membrane bioreactors - you name them, I do them I even have two with UV-desinfection.

If you happen to be in Bavaria one day, I'll give you a tour if you like

I'm making a point of being at very good terms with all the staff so that they don't hesitate to call me in when there's just the slightest hint of a problem. Rather once too often than too late, imo.

It's just a byproduct of my regular work, though. Most of the time I check the quality of rivers, streams, creeks, swimming ponds, fish ponds etc. I basically control every drop of water that's not used as drinking water. If you'd put all the water bodies in my district in one line, they'd stretch from NY to LA

 

[GulGoneCrazy]

I' am currently working in big refrigerator warehouse where meat products are stored.The best job in the summer time, it is so cold while outside is almost +40 C° hot!God i hate Croatian summer!But the bad thing is u are surrounded by meat! an animal parts! ,it is sometimes real horror to me..since i adore animals and i consider them like friends not like food...

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I'm a CPA, currently working as a financial analyst for a large telecom company. I work with our Long Distance, Local Service, and Internet products....but we also do Cable TV and Wireless, including a bunch of retail outlets. In my 'free time' I also do some of the budgeting for the retail outlets.

In this economy, I'm just happy to have a job, to be honest.

Did you ever end up doing your big move back to Alaska? Just wondering how things are going for you. Hope everything is well.

Yep. Moved back to Anchorage from Atlanta last September.

The economy is better here so there are jobs (Atlanta is still terrible)...and I am actually much happier with the climate (I don't do heat well) and certainly the traffic (of which there is very little here).

We had a new record snowfall this past winter here - 133.6 inches (broke a record set in 1954-55), and I was still happy as a clam. It's great to be back up here - I love it!

Thanks for asking!

 

[Starbreaker]

I work for a third party containment that deals with quality at Volkswagen suppliers all across the United States. I've been with the company for 6 months now and I really love my job. It varies often and I've had the opportunity to travel a little.

 

[Eno]

Wow, such an interesting thread. To those people affected by the GFC, I hope all turns around. So many interesting people... I expect nothing less around Trek.

Me? I am a musician. I play drums and percussion. I am not famous but I have worked with or for some famous people. At the end of the day a gig is a gig. I have been a professional musician since 1982.
In the year 2012 a working musicians life is, how shall I say, adaptable. Electronic media has killed off live work. Where as in the 80's and into the 90's I could work 7 nights a week, that life is dead now. The work is just not there.
Back in the day I could be what is called a "sideman" and tour and make a good wage. These jobs still exist but only for a limited group. The music "business" is inherantly ageist and image obsessed. This impacts upon someone such as I, a highly skilled and experienced 48 yr old who is overweight.
Happily if one has studied and practised enough to earn respect of one's peers, education is available. So I teach. I also work as a producer at time as well as a composer. I am currently writing 4 quartets for a drumming quartet. I also am busy preparing clinics and masterclasses for the govt school system.
When not doing the above I practice. Being a musician is time consuming and difficult. Many people want my job and i have to constantly improve. It is what I have always done anyway. I just wish live gigs were still the priority.
Drummers have a weird gig. We used to rely on our "feel". Then drum machines came along. So we had to better the machines. Then we were called to be different to maxhines. The makers of the machines then made machines that felt like humans... Where does it end?
It all began with singing and rhythm. People hit things and created dance. Life and dance was fluid and emotional.
At least I can teach. Real music exists, most people don't hear it.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

I prefer a real drummer over a computer any time! It's the tiny flaws, the microsecond you're off-beat that gives a tune its drive.
Drum computers can't groove.


GulGoneCrazy, don't you get health problems, when you have to change between -20 indoors and +40 outdoors in summer?
As a biologist I have a similar problem with dead animals. I learned to switch: if it's alife it's an animal. If it's dead and on my section table it's *the object*. If you can't switch between both you will sooner or later run crazy.

 

[Captain_Nick]

I'm a musician too, that's why I work in a pizza shop

 

[GulGoneCrazy]

I don't have problems with extreme temperature changes because there is a small procedure when leaving the warehouse.And i got used to it.
When i am finished with my work i change my clothing and go upstairs in office rooms where temperature is normal under air conditioner.after little warming up there i am than free to go outside.
I could say i do quite same thing like you do, if it is alive than it is ,if it is dead it is object, but i need yet to accustom since i am working this job for 4 months ,before this job i was computer technician in mechanical engineering but silly government shut down a lot of working places in that area and that forced me to employ as warehouse worker.

Oh yes forgot to add, i'm musician too i play bass guitar in currently two bands but i do that for music and good time not for money...but that could change soon heavy metal is getting quite popular on Balkan.

 

[Squiggy]

I'm a realtor/shameless self promoter.

 

[Colonel Green]

I investigate welfare fraud.

You must get a lot of threats, I don't envy you man!

I was somewhat concerned about that possibility when I first took the job, but it's actually only even happened a handful of times. People sometimes come in to my office angry, but they tend to deflate pretty quickly when presented with the evidence.

Strangely, people who got more money than they were entitled to by accident (theirs or ours) tend to be more indignant than those who commit deliberate fraud.

 

[Mojochi]

You know all that stuff surgeons use to operate with? I give them that stuff, & then they give it back to me, & I give it back when they need it again. It's a relentlessly vicious, never ending cycle

 

[RoJoHen]

You know all that stuff surgeons use to operate with? I give them that stuff, & then they give it back to me, & I give it back when they need it again. It's a relentlessly vicious, never ending cycle

Do you get to sterilize the stuff, too?

 

[MANT!]

Avionics Gyroscope technician, my company works for military and airline customers,
if you fly United, Delta,or some value carriers, my work keeps you safely flying..
Also included the US Navy, US Air Force, US Coast Guard the Canadian Armed Forces
and some NATO work...and Taiwan (one of our best paying customers)

My old company did work mostly for the Army and private aviation..

I've been doing this work off and on since 1979..

I really love my job..

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7pn3uiWA0[/yt]

 

[FlyingLemons]

University lecturer/theoretical physicist specializing in non-equilibrium systems in quantum field theory, statistical mechanics and also complex systems. Well, that's one job... the other is as a director of a scientific consultancy and software firm. The combination of the two is turning my hair gray and making the shareholders of men's hair-dye companies very happy.

 

[Mojochi]

You know all that stuff surgeons use to operate with? I give them that stuff, & then they give it back to me, & I give it back when they need it again. It's a relentlessly vicious, never ending cycle

Do you get to sterilize the stuff, too?

That is primarily what I do, & making sure it's all functioning properly

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Mojochi, you ahev an awesome job! You save more lives than most surgeons by protecting all patients from infections.

The combination of the two is turning my hair gray and making the shareholders of men's hair-dye companies very happy.

LOL thanks for the tip. If I ever have a few bucks more than I need, I'll know where to invest them Your 2 jobs sound very interesting. Is there a way to financially exploit your findings from job #1? (I studied Microbiology with Professor Foissner, the guy who discovered archaebacteria. He refused a job offer from Berkeley and set up his own firm which does extremely well, I am told)


With that many musicians here, we should make a board meeting with a huge jam session =) I play a decent rhythm guitar, classical guitar only as a hobby and all types of recorders at studio-level. And I could do a bit of percussion as well.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

You know all that stuff surgeons use to operate with? I give them that stuff, & then they give it back to me, & I give it back when they need it again. It's a relentlessly vicious, never ending cycle

Do you get to sterilize the stuff, too?

That is primarily what I do, & making sure it's all functioning properly

Those of us who spend time as the center of surgeons' attention appreciate your good services.

 

[Captain_Nick]

I play the piano. I don't need 'other' musicians to sound awesome. <sunglasses smiley>

 

[rhubarbodendron]

but like all of us you also need no others to sound awful
<smirk smilie>