Denver’s airport turned off filter status lights at all water bottle filling stations. Here’s why — and what’s changing.
Denver Worldwide Airport officers confirmed what some hawk-eyed H2O followers had already seen — the filter standing indicators on greater than 100 water bottle-filling stations throughout DIA don’t work.
That’s as a result of DIA shut off the symptoms a few yr in the past. The airport’s senior upkeep official mentioned this week that the choice was made as a result of the symptoms have been throwing off upkeep cycles.
The lights went darkish a few yr in the past, which means passengers had no extra inexperienced, amber or pink indicators to tell their consuming selections.
However Kyle Lester, DIA’s senior vp for upkeep, says the airport has a plan to verify it stays on prime of filter adjustments on the filling stations — and to make sure customers can examine on their standing. Filters are nonetheless being modified frequently, he mentioned, and new sensors and software program now being put in will assist hold them on observe.
Within the meantime, the darkish indicator lights have prompted issues amongst some vacationers, together with Ted Van Anne.
The retiree and frequent flyer estimates he has visited 50 airports within the final 5 years. One in all his most frequent stops is Denver, the place he flies in earlier than driving to go to his mom in Nebraska.
“DIA is the one airport the place they constantly don’t have their lights on,” Van Anne, 63, informed The Denver Submit. “I’ve walked all around the airport in search of a inexperienced gentle at DIA and find yourself by no means discovering one.”
Lester mentioned the brand new tech-heavy system will allow DIA to extra intently monitor the lifespans of the ability’s water filters The upgrades, now in progress, are supposed to offer hydration-minded vacationers extra dependable info and streamline the airport’s alternative schedule at 114 filling stations unfold throughout the airport’s terminal and three concourses.
“I’m fairly excited in regards to the transparency of it and the effectivity it can create for us,” Lester mentioned.
The rationale for the large shutoff was that the indicator lights now not matched up with the airport’s preventative upkeep schedule for filter replacements, he mentioned.
“There have been some glitches in there. I’d hear that from technicians: ‘It doesn’t want alternative. We simply changed it,’ ” Lester mentioned. “But it surely was extra that we have been responding to public feedback as a result of we have been off cycle primarily.”
As soon as put in, the sensors ought to lower down on service calls that pull technicians away from different work.
Enter RTI Aquantix. The tech firm produced the gear and software program that tracks what number of gallons of water have handed via a filter. The software program then zeroes in on an anticipated filter alternative date. Lester mentioned DIA has paid about $6,900 for the system.
As of Wednesday, upkeep staffers had put in sensors at 31 filling stations, Lester mentioned. By the tip of the month, Lester is hopeful set up shall be accomplished airportwide.
Indicators bearing QR codes are being added at up to date stations. Customers can scan a code with their telephone’s digital camera to see real-time details about the lifespan of the filters, that are good for as much as 3,000 gallons every, Lester mentioned.
The size of the airport’s filter alternative wants is the results of Lester and his group changing consuming fountains with extra filling stations within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting client calls for.
“That is vital to us,” he mentioned. “Perhaps we have been caught off guard by the workload of fixing out filters. As soon as we realized that’s not working for us, we shortly pivoted to go discover a higher answer.”
Van Anne is inspired, however he’s skeptical of the brand new system.
“The sunshine appears a lot simpler, and nearly each different airport makes use of the sunshine,” he mentioned. “I assume we’ll see the way it works.”
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