Safety
Allentown not alone in need for water infrastructure upgrades
June 12, 2018There’s no getting around the fact that costly upgrades are needed for Allentown’s more than 600 miles of aging water and sewer lines. Over the next 45 years, LCA expects to spend $1.3 billion on infrastructure improvements in the city. But Allentown and LCA aren’t alone in this struggle: Communities across the country face the same…
Don’t forget fire hydrants when clearing snow
December 16, 2017It’s not quite officially winter yet, but we’ve already had two snowfalls, and there’s likely more on the way before spring rolls around. Few people like clearing snow, but it’s a must to keep sidewalks and driveways safe and passable. While many of us focus just on clearing a space for our car and…
Cold weather is on the way — winterize now and protect those pipes!
December 7, 2017Temperatures are dropping and the official start to winter is about two weeks away — if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to winterize the house, protect those pipes and wrap that meter. Before the big chill hits, check your house to make sure your water meter and any water lines that are in…
Safety tips to make Halloween a little less scary for children (and their parents, too)
October 27, 2017It’s that time of year again, when little ghosts, goblins, monsters and other creatures will be roaming darkened streets. It’s a scary prospect – especially when you consider that children are more than twice as likely to get hit by a car around Halloween than at any other time of the year. With that in…
County has new, safer options for prescription drug disposal
September 21, 2017If you’ve been flushing unused medications down the toilet, it’s time to stop. Doing so in the past has led to widespread contamination of water supplies, because wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove these compounds. Throwing drugs into the trash or leaving them in the medicine chest, though, is also problematic, because it can…
As Irma hits Florida, it’s a good time to ask: Are you prepared for an emergency?
September 10, 2017As Hurricane Irma tears into Florida, it seems like the perfect time to re-visit a subject we’ve written about several times in the past: emergency preparedness. With late summer and early fall comes hurricane season – and we’ve often felt the after-effects of coastal storms all the way up in the Lehigh Valley region. As…
Fourth of July fireworks: This year, celebrate safely
July 1, 2017Fireworks are a part of every Fourth of July, and sadly, so are fireworks injuries. According to the Consumer Products Safety Division, about 11,100 people were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2016, and at least four people were killed. Of the injuries, about 7,600 — well over half — came during the one-month…