Other stories by Jenni Spinner

  • Public works leaders should take a hike

    PUBLIC WORKS Associate Editor Jenni Spinner asks: How often How often do you get out to see your town? Have you ever left the comfort of your office or truck cab to get out to take a good look at the town you serve? If you haven't, you're not getting the big-picture view—the one your constituents...

  • PUBLIC WORKS Briefs April 2006

    Pervious concrete forum; Drinking water poster available; Tools for small water systems; a correction.

  • Fine Windy City dining from a trash man's perspective

    Want to know the best places to enjoy a great lunch in Chicago? Don't reach for the city's Zagat Survey, or flip to the

  • Seeing the big picture

    Serving the public can be an arduous, thankless job. The work is challenging, and even if your performance is stellar, the number of complaints you draw often outweighs the kudos. Of course you want to do a good job, but sometimes, when you find yourself in the middle of a grueling workday—which...

  • PUBLIC WORKS News Briefs - June 2005

  • Little water warriors

    After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, water department managers became keenly aware of their facilities' vulnerability. Since then, they have put in place a range of measures, from physical features protecting buildings to tests that detect the presence of toxins in their water supply. Now, in large...

  • Picking the perfect pipe

    It would be nice if specifying pipe were as simple as buying a pair of shoes—walk into a store to pick out the style you like and take it home.

  • PUBLIC WORKS Briefs March 2006

  • Tapping into bottled water

    Bottled water is big business Since the mid-1990s, the market for Evian and other brands has boomed in the United States and around the world. Even soft-drink companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have jumped on the aquatic bandwagon, supplementing their product lines with their own successful brands...

  • Safety at a crossroads

    A lot of action occurs at an intersection. Cars and trucks speed in from all directions, stopping, turning, changing lanes. Introducing other variables—such as poor visibility, bad weather, inadequate signage, and human error—to these hubs of activity leads to a recipe for disaster.