Sean Keefe, a water maintenance worker 2 at the City of Troy Department
of Public Utilities, stands near his truck at a hydrant repair.
TROY — Wooden pipes and cast iron pipes stamped “1803” are just a few discoveries workers have made over the years, evidence that the City of Troy has some of the oldest infrastructure in the country.
The city, which is also well known for historic architecture, is a setting for production of the HBO series “The Gilded Age.”
So, it’s no surprise that the city’s infrastructure is in a constant state of repair.
CSEA member Sean Keefe has been working at the city’s Department of Public Utilities for 25 years. In the summer, he runs heavy equipment needed for excavation and repairs. In the winter, he moves from site to site repairing water main breaks, unfreezing fire hydrants and keeping the water flowing for residents.
“In the summer, yeah, you’re tired, but it’s nothing like the cold,” said Keefe. “The cold is physically exhausting; it saps your energy. Your body is working hard to stay warm, you burn more calories and when you get home, you’re just drained.”
Keefe and his co-workers keep rags on the heater in the truck to warm their hands between jobs, as they can’t use gloves when they are turning water valves.
It’s also potentially dangerous. Cold and wet are a recipe for frostbite, but working around water makes it hard to stay dry. Then, there is the ice.
“I was on a hill a few weeks back during a cold snap. I slipped on some ice in a driveway, hit a curb and slid comically down the hill, landing on Oakwood Avenue,” said Keefe, with a smile. “My coat was so wet that it was frozen solid and crunchy. I could take it off and stand it up like a mannequin.”
While Keefe retains a sense of humor, he carries with him the brutal realities of the job.
Those realities include hands that crack and bleed from repeated exposure to cold air. Other ones include wind and sun burn on the face, frostbite and swollen joints.
For Keefe, it also meant four surgeries, including two shoulder reconstructions, back and knee surgery.
“Yeah, my surgeon said I will need more [procedures],” said Keefe “I’m only 43 [years old]. It takes its toll.”
— Therese Assalian
