It’s not every day people get excited about a new sewer line. But for folks at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031, which is in urgent need of new lines, there is cause for celebration.
VIP Plumbing made a considerable donation of $30,000 worth of sewer lines, about 100 feet of pipe, and labor this week.
Second generation master plumber James Cook of VIP Plumbing said he is looking for ways to give back to the community and decided partnering with area veterans is a good way to start.
He said he was already performing some smaller projects at the VFW and after he got to talking with members, he offered the sewer line replacement free of charge.
The VFW still relies on what appear to be original cast iron sewer lines. The day was bound to come when they were going to have to dig it all up anyway, Cook said.
He said cast iron pipes rot from the inside out, so those lines’ days are numbered. But VIP Plumbing uses a liner that can “stop the rot in its tracks,” and it offers lifetime warranties just in case it doesn’t, he said.
VFW Cmdr. David Latham said the post was founded Feb. 2, 1945, and built by World War II veterans.
He said the VFW’s plumbing problems involved pipes clogging and backing up. Despite a recent remodeling of restrooms, the issues persisted. During inspections, VIP Plumbing discovered a tree near the VFW infiltrated pipes with a root system.
When VIP Plumbing told Latham how much it would cost to install new pipe liners, Latham said the VFW just didn’t have the budget for such a project. So VIP Plumbing offered to do the job for free.
Cook said he has a “grand scheme” to work on projects with the VFW every year. He already has plans to install a new HVAC system at the VFW next year in partnership with Home Depot, which will provide the machinery, while VIP Plumbing provides the labor.
He said the VFW doesn’t currently have air conditioning and relies on three swamp coolers stationed around the building.
He said veterans put their lives on the line without asking questions and they don’t always have the luxury of coming back from duty.
“Me having to leave my kids just for work is hard enough, so I can only imagine those guys giving their goodbyes and not even knowing if they're going to get to see their loved ones again,” he said.
Cook said he’s also interested in organizing a canned food drive or something similar to aid relief efforts in the aftermaths of hurricanes Helen and Milton that made landfall on the East Coast in September and October, respectively.
He said with the political division around the country, now is the time to band together.
“I know that I'm not the only one in Durango that feels this way,” he said.
Latham was elated with VIP Plumbing’s work on Friday.
“It's excellent. They're doing a great job. Very professional,” he said. “... That’s unheard of to me. A plumbing company coming down like, ‘Hey, we'll do $30,000- $40,000 worth of work.”
On Saturday, the VFW is participating in the annual Durango Train Pull, a Special Olympics fundraiser, at 11 a.m. at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad rail yard.
It’s also looking forward to the annual Veterans Day Parade on Main Avenue and Wreaths Across America in December.
Latham said the VFW hosts a Veterans Benefit Breakfast every first and third Sunday of the month, with the first breakfast of November scheduled for Sunday.
The breakfast has a $10 entry fee for the general public, but if one leaves still feeling hungry, that’s their own fault, he said.
cburney@durangoherald.com
