The word “technology” is used so much it’s almost meaningless, but it does serve the purpose. And it’s always greeted with the same mixture of justifiable excitement and trepidation.
Garbage collectors at the turn of the 20th century were probably thrilled to no longer have to scoop up the droppings of the horses that powered their wagons. For the first time in history, being able to fix an engine became a profession, creating a host of new jobs. Garbage collectors learned to drive, and some professions – farriers and wheel makers come to mind – began losing jobs.
In 2016 I saw more examples of technology’s impact on public works than I ever had before. Some involve technology that’s been around for a while; others are being forced on the profession by a changing culture.
Companies are beginning to offer relatively inexpensive solutions for monitoring leaks and water levels that alert utility managers to problems as they develop. Maybe your water and wastewater successors will have the luxury of heading off catastrophic failures at the pass.
We’re at the dawn of a transportation transformation. The technology that makes driverless vehicles possible requires vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) as well as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. If you manage the transition as effectively as your predecessors handled technology changes, street sweepers, snow plows, and garbage trucks could one day no longer require human operators.
I think 2017 will be the year when lots of things start coming together for public works, change is bittersweet. What major technology will your department roll out this year? E-mail sjohnston@hanleywood.com. And happy new year!
