TDM was recently asked to supply a rental compressor for a different kind of snowmaking. Trask-Decrow Machinery is no stranger to the snowmaking scene; they have been supplying snowmaking equipment to businesses in New England and around the globe for over 34 years. This includes high pressure snow making applications, purchased and rental compressors, a service department that is on call 24 hours a day, an experienced service team with a fully equipped shop as well as a knowledgeable parts department for replacement parts. Most often those snowmaking applications are for ski areas looking to make recreational snow but this time TDM was able to use their snowmaking expertise to help a local farmer make snow using their effluent or reclaimed water.

The effluent water was originally used to clean produce and through the cleaning process came in contact with various kinds of bacteria. In order to reuse the effluent water without contaminating the produce the farmer had to remove the bacteria from the water. You might be wondering what snowmaking, and bacteria removal has in common? During the snowmaking process, when the ice crystals are actually formed to make snow, any bacteria that are in the water are killed thus “cleaning” the snow. Once the effluent water is purified, the snow is then spread over the fields to hydrate the produce when the snow melts in the spring. A perfect example of reduce, reuse, recycle!

Snowmaking, by definition, is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a snow gun. The farmer supplied the water and the snow gun and TDM was able to supply the pressurized air via a rented diesel compressor to power the snowmaking operation. One of TDM’s service technicians was available to talk the farmer through an operating problem on a Saturday afternoon but they solved the issue over the phone and then there was snow! The pictures are proof that snowmaking can be fun and operation “Clean Snow”, a different kind of snowmaking, was a success. TDM wishes this local grower plenty of sunshine and rain in the upcoming growing season, but until then, keep making snow!