District uses new equipment to boost safety, cut costs
The District prioritizes resident and public safety, and as a result, costs are at a minimum.
Earlier this year, the BCMUD Board of Directors approved funding to buy a JLG T 500 boom lift and a Vermeer AX17 wood and brush chipper.
In a showing of true teamwork that is emblematic of the Brushy Creek Life, on Sept. 27, 2023, three team members from the District Parks and Recreation Department and two from the District Water Department used the equipment to remove a dead hackberry tree on District property at Well Site No. 2 off Brushy Creek Road.
While the tree-removal may sound like run-of-the-mill work for any municipal crew, it was in fact a great example of how District team members work together every day for the benefit and safety of our residents.
BCMUD Property Maintenance Supervisor Chris Kifer said the tree was unstable and threatening to fall on and destroy nearby communication lines and fencing. Kifer said the tree also presented a risk to motorists and pedestrians traveling along Brushy Creek Road.
The 5-person crew completed the tree removal in about four hours, and the work did not require a permit. The next day, the crew removed the wood discharge from the chipper and took it to a dumpster at the District’s maintenance site. Kifer explained the District’s waste removal service, Texas Disposal Systems, removes discharge and any other applicable waste from the maintenance site once a month.
“Because the tree-removal job was executed in a small space, we couldn’t bring our dumpster to the site, so we had to remove the wood chips to the dumpster at our maintenance spot,” Kifer said, adding that the new equipment saved the crew several hours. “Having this new equipment expedited the job, for sure. What normally would have taken a full day was cut down to half a day’s work.”
Ensuring the safety of BCMUD residents is important enough, but the District also strives to ensure we are doing so in the most cost-effective manner.
To further explain the District's economic efficiency, Kifer said the new equipment allowed his team to perform the job rather than contract the work to an outside company, which resulted in significant cost savings.
The District received the new equipment in July, and while it is not available for resident use, the boom lift and brush chipper have already been used for several other jobs, including lighting replacements and installations, and hanging banners. Kifer added the District will continue to save money through the use of the new equipment.