Erosion Control June 2012 : Page 29
Carrillo. “You don’t want to go out with beat-up old trucks that are broken down where you can’t get to work. You’ve got to stay with the times.” One of ESM’s critical services is to provide site monitoring on a weekly or biweekly basis to help clients stay in compliance with regulations. For that reason, Carrillo says his company has kept up with proper certifications. “You can’t just open up a business and say you want to start doing this,” he says. “You’ve got to have the qualifications. You have to have the education. You need to have the experience. “To do water sampling, we had to buy pH meters and turbidity meters. It’s required,” Carrillo says. “You get a half-inch of rain on a Risk Level 2 SWPPP site, and you’ve got to get out there and sample it. It’s our job to protect these cli-ents. We’re fortunate to be here working in this business right now. A lot of my competitors are not in business anymore. We’re just out here to do the right thing.” Focusing on Conservation While economic factors play a role in the impact on erosion control businesses, another challenge facing companies is the need for water conservation. For example, Cagwin & Dorward Landscape Contractors of Novato, CA, a full-service landscaping company whose services include erosion control and re-vegetation, has learned that adaptability is the key to survival. The company does business in a state that aims to reduce water consumption by 20% by 2020. Many California municipalities are adopting a program called Cash for Grass, which offers residents a rebate for eliminating turf grass. This has reduced the market for hydroseeding new lawns. Instead, property owners are turning to alternatives such as low-water-use, climate-appropriate plants; permeable hardscape; and artificial turf such as polyethylene and nylon. Companies such as Cagwin & Dorward are helping clients Scan here to share this article or read later. Get the app at http://gettag.mobi transform more conventional landscapes into more sustainable ones. “Turf care is going to become less in the future because of all of the differ-ent legislations that have occurred,” says vice president Steve Glennon. “There’s a lot of focus on landscapes in particular, because I think it’s a fairly widely known fact most landscape contractors waste water. Essentially, we get paid to produce a green, lush landscape. So much of the landscape being watered with potable water is turf, and it has no function other than aesthetic value to the property.” Cagwin & Dorward’s erosion control services have declined during the reces-sion for the lack of new development. The company’s hydroseeding services are now being requested by developers and general contractors where erosion con-trol is required to mitigate stormwater runoff issues. As Chenoweth observes: “What was once called erosion control is now basi-cally stormwater management.” EC Carol Brzozowski writes on erosion control and technology. STORM DRAIN INLET PROTECTION AVOID COSTLY FINES & STOP WORK ORDERS Erosion protection, site containment, safety and drainage are all concerns of today’s construction professional. The typical silt fence, steel wire, metal posts and hay bale method of storm drain inlet protection is rarely accepted, and we all agree often fails under the extreme forces of water, sediment and construction practices. The Silt-Saver ® Frame and Filter Assembly is designed to give consistent , continuous filtration and maintain structural integrity , even under the most severe conditions. DESIGNED FOR USE IN CONCENTRATED FLOW BSRF B NO WIRE ELTED S ILT R ETENTION F ENCE* NO STEEL POST High Flow High Efficiency S UPERIOR F LOW S UPERIOR E FFICIENCY 1094 Culpepper Dr. Conyers, Georgia 30094 Office: 770-388-7818 Fax: 770-388-7640 Toll-Free: 1-888-382-SILT *BRSF Laboratory and Field tested by The University of Georgia Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering . www.siltsaver.com JUNE 2012 EROSION CONTROL 29