Ralph Lieser and Bob Beach, City of Vancouver

EMPLOYEE INITIATIVE SAVES MONEY

The City of Vancouver is proud of the Discovery trail with its handicap friendly facilities including a drinking fountain at the overlook adjacent to the Water Resource Education Center. The fountain was designed to be left on all year with a frost-free valve that supplied water from a remote site and to drain completely after each use.

The inspection plate was removed and the unit vandalized so that it no longer worked. Lead worker Ralph Lieser and maintenance worker Bob Beach of the city irrigation crew found that that replacement parts were only available from the factory and to replace the unit would cost $2,500.00 and $600.00 to replace a damaged micro switch. They did some testing of the unit and some research were able to find some alternative parts available locally. A replacement inspection plate was fabricated in the city shop and the fountain was put back in service for a total cost of $20.00