Community Challenge: Public Utilities

I have been in my trade for  a long time, I work for a company that has the Utilities Maintenance Contract for our town, Known as Three Waters, Wastewater, Stormwater and Water Reticulation. I am a qualified Drainlayer and have a Level 4 Water and Wastewater Supervisors qualification. I specialise in Leak Detection where I use a ground mic unit to listen for water leaks, I have a 99% strike rate which has been very satisfying and rewarding where I have had in the first time in my 37 plus year career, a number of written complaints   Compliments. I also do water sampling to ensure that after we have a High Risk Job, (this could be a long water main shut down  or a burst main) the water quality standards have been met and the water is safe for public consumption. I also do Water Backflow Prevention Device installations and Testing which I am a Registered IQP ( Independent Qualified Person). Spare a thought next time you may see someone who works in my field and you see them breast feeding a shovel, our work is physically demanding and manual labour intensified, so that person may be just having a breather. Often we are the whipping boy where the public vent their anger at the Council toward us as if it is our fault, this is hurtful and sometimes it is very hard to hold your tongue, remember I am the bloke coming to help you and I could be walking around in the sewage in your back yard or fixing the water leak that has stopped you from getting water to your house, I am also the person who will go the extra mile and sometimes I do it unpaid to help you resolve a problem that often is not related to the service request I have been issued, I think the magic word is Public Relations. The job I have can be very rewarding and I am like the Undertaker you never see the finished results of the pipe work and fittings I put together, as my finished work is buried and all you see is the patch in the footpath or road, I leave behind. As a career it has many opportunities and would be hard to be done by a machine or computer. My work is reactive which means every three weeks I am on call 24/7 for emergencies, this means if your Toilet does not flow away or your water stops I have to respond within 1 hour and try and compete the job in 8. Two weeks ago I had to have a day off as I had worked over 72 cumulative hours in 7 days, normally I would average 40-43 hours per week. Compliment  Council Workers Anthem