WEF advises officials on Stimulus Funding

Alexandria, VA -- Following last week’s passage of HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) by the House and Senate, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is advising local and state government officials on next steps for securing and distributing the newly awarded stimulus funds for wastewater projects. Signed yesterday by President Obama, the $787 billion package includes more than $7 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

“WEF is very pleased by the inclusion of funding for water infrastructure in the new stimulus bill,” said WEF President Rebecca West. “While water infrastructure typically goes unnoticed, its services and benefits are relied on by every American. This financial commitment from Congress shows a greater appreciation for the importance of clean water and the water sector’s contribution to public health, the environment, and our nation’s economic prosperity.”

Over $7 billion in funding

Following a number of revisions, the final $787 billion package of tax cuts and government spending includes significant emergency funding for public works infrastructure, including over $7 billion for drinking water and wastewater projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) clean water and drinking water state revolving fund (SRF) programs will receive $6 billion, including $4 billion for the clean water SRF and $2 billion for the drinking water SRF. In addition, the USDA Rural Water and Waste Disposal program will receive $1.38 billion for loans and grants.

“Although this investment is just a small portion of the estimated $500 billion funding shortfall for water infrastructure over the next 20 years, WEF believes this package will help bridge the funding gap and generate thousands of construction, manufacturing, and engineering jobs across the country,” said Tim Williams, WEF’s Director of Government Affairs.

As next steps, WEF is encouraging local government officials to contact their state clean water or drinking water program or the state revolving fund program managers to make sure that any projects they would like to have funded are on the state’s priority list. Many states have already sent letters to municipalities outlining the process or contingency plans they are developing for awarding stimulus monies.

Some states, such as California, have held regional workshops on the issue. WEF is also conducting a quick survey to help identify implementation issues and is encouraging state officials to contact their EPA regional office for assistance with distribution of the stimulus funds. WEF expects EPA to issue guidance or regulations for states to follow in the days to come.

For the past few months, WEF has been actively collaborating with other like-minded organizations to educate decision-makers about water infrastructure and develop tools for members’ use including a call-to-action and a sample letter for members to contact their representatives; a well-attended, free webcast to help members better understand the stimulus package; and submitting letters to Congress encouraging the inclusion of monies for wastewater projects and “set-aside” funds for green infrastructure projects.

For more information about WEF’s stimulus activities, including a complete summary of water infrastructure provisions in the ARRA, visit:

http://www.wef.org/

Cheap Power from Wastewater Fuel Cells

Cambridge, MA -- It sounds almost too good to be true: add a few bugs to food scraps and waste water to generate clean hydrogen fuel. But over the past few years, researchers have been gradually working toward this promising scheme for producing hydrogen.

Now, with the help of an unassuming stainless-steel brush, microbial electrolysis cells (MEC's) have taken another step forward. The steel brush can be used to replace the expensive platinum normally employed in the electrolysis cell's cathode, slashing costs by more than 80 percent.

Hydrogen is an appealing, environmentally friendly fuel because burning it creates only water as a waste product. MECs harness the electrons produced by certain bacteria as those bacteria feed on biodegradable material. The bacteria sit on an electrode--the anode--as they metabolize organic matter in an oxygen-devoid chamber. Not being able to react with oxygen, the electrons travel from the anode to the counter-electrode--the cathode--where they combine with protons to form hydrogen.

In late 2007, a team led by Bruce Logan, Kappe professor of environmental engineering at Pennsylvania State University, showed that they could improve the efficiency of this process: by adding a small jolt of electricity (0.25 volts) at the cathode. Until now, however, the researchers have relied on a platinum catalyst on the cathode to make the process fast enough.

"The need to use a precious metal catalyst had been holding back further development of the technique, but now we have found a way to do it without platinum," says Logan.

Compared with platinum, which acts as an effective catalyst when applied in a thin layer to a flat piece of carbon cloth, a simple piece of stainless steel is two-thirds less effective. But when Logan's team increased the surface area of the stainless-steel cathode by arranging the material in the form of a high-density bristle brush, hydrogen production rates increased to values that matched or even exceeded those of the platinum cathode. While the platinum cathode costs around 15 cents, the stainless-steel brush only set the researchers back 3 cents.

Logan hopes that further modifying the chemistry of the brush will improve the results even more. "We now already know more about which types of stainless steel work best," he says. "And we will also want to minimize hydrogen bubbles being trapped between the bristles because this can make recovery of the gas less efficient."

He also emphasizes that high surface area is not everything. A brush made from carbon with an even higher surface area did 14 times worse than the naked steel-brush core, and when the researchers cut the steel brush in half to allow closer spacing of the two electrodes, they got even better results than with the full brush, even though they lost half of the surface area.

Courtesy: MIT Technology Review
Web site: http://www.technologyreview.com/

Washington, DC -- The Obama administration today proposed a budget of $10.5 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the largest in the agency’s 39-year history. The increase of $3 billion from 2008 funding levels will further ensure the protection of public health and the environment for all Americans.

“The president’s budget proposes critical resources to protect the American people and the places where they live, work and play,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We are no longer faced with the false choice of a strong economy or a clean environment. The president’s budget shows that making critical and responsible investments in protecting the health and environment of all Americans will also lead to a more vibrant and stable economy. With these proposed resources, and the president’s strong environmental agenda, it should be overwhelmingly clear that EPA is back on the job.”

Last week, President Obama announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes $7.22 billion for EPA-administered projects and programs to protect human health and the environment.

Some key highlights of 2010 budget initiatives include:

$3.9 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grants to support approximately 1,000 clean water projects and 700 drinking water projects - this year’s largest single investment. In addition to the funds recently invested through the ARRA, this funding is a critical step in addressing the water infrastructure needs in thousands of communities across the country. EPA will work with state and local partners to develop a sustainability policy, including management and pricing, conservation, security and a plan for adequate long-term state and municipal funding for future capital needs.

A new $475 million, multi-agency Great Lakes Initiative to protect the world’s largest fresh water resource. EPA will coordinate with federal partners, states, tribes, localities and other entities to protect, maintain and restore the chemical, biological and physical integrity of the lakes. EPA and its partners will address invasive species, non-point source pollution, habitat restoration, contaminated sediment and other critical issues.

A $19 million increase for the greenhouse gas emissions inventory and related activities that will provide data critical for implementing a comprehensive climate change bill. EPA’s funding for climate change investments is the foundation for working with key stakeholders and Congress to develop an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions approximately 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

Strengthening EPA’s core research, enforcement and regulatory capabilities. The budget request also proposes reinstating the Superfund excise taxes that expired. Reinstating the Superfund taxes would collect over $1 billion annually to fund the cleanup of the nation’s most contaminated sites.

For more information on EPA’s FY 2010 budget request: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/

. Buckyballs could keep Water Systems Flowing Engineers at Duke have found "buckyballs" may be able to keep the nation’s water pipes clear.

ADS Grease Interceptor Tank meets new ASTM Standard
Made in large part from the company’s HDPE pipe, the ADS tanks provide a watertight and long-life system.
 

New Chemical Storage Tank available from Assmann Assmann Corporation introduces the "Base Container", a double wall rectangular, low profile, chemical storage tank.

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The stimulus package has been passed, now all the hub-bub of what to do with that money coming "down the pike" for the water and wastewater industry.  WEF has some advice for you, check out this week's article.. read on!

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