Say Hello to Chris Jones, one of our hardworking Service Technicians here at USST. Following in the steps of his family, Chris has a background in trades work building powerlines before joining the U.S. Submergent team, while his grandfather worked as an aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Airforce. Having just hit his one-year mark with USST, Chris is a valued member of our team with a surprising love of soup lunches and gardening. Read on to learn more about our up-and-coming team member. Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia. What I Do as a Service Tech II: Run equipment, think ahead and solve problems, and fix equipment in my downtime. Describe Your Typical Day: Travel to the jobsite, discuss what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it, as well as any challenges we may be facing, and then we get the job done. Favorite Aspect of the Job: Every day is a new learning experience for me, and I look forward to being able to prepare and motivate my own crew for the day Work-Safe Checklist: Safety Tailboard – we discuss our safety plan at least once a week. My Inspiration: My family. My father was a trades man … Read More
You May Have a Sand Problem and Not Even Realize It
Identifying and Managing Annual I&I Issues Where does the sand in wastewater treatment plants come from? The answer is the collection system. Determining whether or not there is an I&I (inflow and infiltration) issue can be the real challenge. Spring is just around the corner, and with it, the time of year when most of the country’s rainfall usually occurs. Throughout the wet season, an increase in flow into a WWTP can be due to inflow and not an increase in domestic wastewater collected. Increase in flow is also a potentially a reliable indicator that treatment capacity has been compromised and may need to be restored. Over time, sand seeps into pipes and lift stations and is eventually transported to WWTP infrastructure. Sand, unlike other debris such as rag material, FOGs, and grit, is an unintended consequence of increased inflow into collection systems. During heavy rainfall, wastewater collection pipes receive an inflow of rainwater which seeps into the pipes transporting sand. Seepage bringing sand usually occurs without notice until the associated problems have become acute and require immediate attention. I&I issues tend to be out of sight, out of mind. The consequences of I&I tend to go undetected due to the fact … Read More
New Year, New Goals, New Plans
It’s that time of year again. The time of year when we are tasked with setting plans in motion for the new year ahead. For many, the new year means setting new goals. Our business sets goals each year, and are only achieved when we have a written, realistic plan. Our plans provide the tasks and activities required of the team and organization to achieve our goals. The more thought given on unresolved issues while developing your plan, the fewer delays experienced during execution and implementation. Given that some of our implementation or action plans are being finalized for 2018, it is a good time to revisit of some of the lessons learned that have reinforced the importance of measuring twice and cutting once. Try institutionalizing the lessons learned so that they become best practices by all going forward In order to develop a meaningful plan, an understanding or honest assessment of where we are, where we are headed, and what it will take to get there, is important. The plan should be logical and rational so it makes sense to the people it is supposed to make sense to. The person responsible or accountable to the organization for implementing … Read More
A Year in Review
2017 was a busy year for USST. We took a look back at what we’ve been up to over the past year, and even surprised ourselves with what we discovered! Check out a few fun facts below.
In The USST Spotlight: Paul Stephenson
Say Hello to Paul Stephenson, one of our hardworking Service Technicians here at USST. A Navy veteran and former nomad turned Floridian, Paul isn’t afraid to try new things, loves a good challenge and has been with us for more than a year and a half. Read on to learn some other surprising details about our team member. Hometown: Nowhere in particular. I lived all over the place and never lived anywhere for more than a few years due to the military, but consider Orlando, Florida my home and favorite place to live so far. What I Do as a Service Tech I: Ensure jobs get done efficiently and safely. It’s important the customer is happy with the services we provide. Favorite Aspect of the Job: I love the challenges. No tank is the same and every new job is a new brain teaser to figure out the best way to handle it. When you get the job done, it’s a good feeling. Proudest Accomplishment at USST: When we completed a 5-day job in just 3.5-days. Motivation to Work Safe: For me and the crew to leave the same way we got there. My Inspiration: To try to be the … Read More
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream It seems our three musketeers — Aaron Hood, Matt Hughes and Paul Del Favero — have a sweet tooth for double scoop waffle cones and ice cream sandwiches. (And we don’t blame them. In fact, they’re making us hungry!) At U.S. Submergent Technologies, we’re proud to call this trio part of our USST crew and to know that even when they are off the job site and taking a break, they are still practicing safety by wearing their seat belts. Way to go guys!
In The USST Spotlight: Randy Cordrey
Say hello to Randy Cordrey, our business development manager. Our team had the pleasure of meeting Randy at the 2016 Florida Water Resources Conference. We liked him so much, we asked him to join our sales team. Read on to find out what makes Randy tick. Hometown: Washington, D.C. Family: My wife, Lucy, and my daughter, Jennifer. Pets: A husky named Sierra. Hobbies: Golf, basketball and outdoor sports. Role Model: Tiger Woods. First Job: Newspaper route at age 14. Lesson from Mom That I Still Live By: My mother always said to be nice to people. Proudest Accomplishment: When I was 11 years old, I pitched a perfect game — it felt awesome. Favorite Aovie: Field of Dreams. No. 1 Place I’d Like to Visit: My wife tells me, “You have to go to Paris.” It’s on my bucket list to take her. The Only Person I’d Want to be Stranded With on a Deserted Island: My wife. If Someone Handed Me $1 Million: I’d invest. If I Were a Superhero, My Special Power Would Be: Professional golfer. My Motivation to Work Safe: My motivation is to see my family every night. What I Like Best About USST: The people. … Read More
U.S. Submergent Technologies Redefines Wastewater System Maintenance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE U.S. Submergent Technologies Redefines Wastewater System Maintenance Orlando, FL, Feb 21, 2017 —U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) is officially the new name of the wastewater system maintenance innovator previously known as Polston Applied Technologies. The name change comes as part of an ongoing initiative by U.S. Submergent Technologies to redefine how the capacity of wet infrastructure is restored and to communicate better the company’s unique capability to provide waste removal from wet infrastructure (tanks and large-diameter pipes) without the need for bypass pumping. USST has successfully brought its disruptive technology to the wastewater collection and treatment industry. The category of Submergent Cleaning is defined as the ability to remove sand, grit and residuals from wet environments, primarily tanks and pipes. U.S. Submergent Technologies stands as the only company offering this highly-effective technology for waste removal from wet infrastructure. Company Founder and CEO Denver Stutler said, “At U.S. Submergent Technologies, we are dedicated to making a positive and meaningful difference, creating an awareness of what you don’t see and restoring the capacity of wet infrastructure safely and efficiently.” Denver Stutler, an engineer and former principal at Camp Dresser and McKee, Inc., international environmental engineering firm, served as the … Read More
New York State of Mind
Florida Service Group is cleaning a diffuser in Buffalo, NY.
Uncovered Treasures
“Here it is! It’s no big deal.” This affectionately named dingy was uncovered at a treatment plant near Panama City, FL. We’re such big “Caddyshack” fans, we didn’t think it was fair not to share.
