During the tail end of Hurricane Florence’s onslaught on the Wilmington area, a serious problem was discovered. As the storm lingered over the area for days dumping torrential amounts of rain, the emergency standby generators that enable the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) to provide clean drinking water to the area were in danger of running out of fuel. And several local Assisted Living Communities were experiencing the same issue with their generators which are critical for their residents’ survival. With no way in or out of Wilmington via major highway, and every other business shut down, the county’s Emergency Operations was facing a bleak outlook. That’s when SR&R Environmental and Colonial Fuels came up with an idea to help out.
While we traditionally rely on our fleet of vacuum trucks for the recovery and transport of liquids for disposal or recycling, their DOT Hazmat Rating means they could just as easily transport virgin diesel fuel.  And even though the terminals were without power at their pumps to load the fuel, we could still use our vacuum pumps to fill up and haul. Escorted by the NHC Sheriff’s Deputies through torrential downpour and flooded roads, our own Brian Petretti and George Hoverman bravely fought their way across Wilmington to make the emergency deliveries.

Thanks to their quick action, CFPUA was able to remain online and pumping clean water and the elderly patients at each assisted living community could rest easy. And when the rains began to subside, they continued delivering throughout the week with the assistance of our own Chris Russ and Michael Loughlin to ensure multiple generator and emergency aid stations were operable.Here at SR&R, we pride ourselves on having the best team in the business. This is just a sample of the level of dedication and professionalism all of our employees demonstrate. That’s why so many clients both large and small have come to rely on us. For more information on how SR&R can help, please contact us.