South Bend, Indiana -- New research by a team of University of Notre Dame engineers may help solve an important environmental challenge facing many of America’s major cities.  Jeffrey W. Talley, an assistant professor of civil engineering and geological sciences, is leading a team of researchers in an effort to develop a novel technology to address the problem of combined sewer outflow (CSO).

In an estimated 772 U.S. cities in the Midwest, Northeast and on the West Coast, storm and sanitary sewers are connected. Under normal circumstances, waste water traveling through the combined systems is diverted to sewage treatment plants at a given point along the system, while storm water continues on for discharge into streams and rivers.

However, during major storms the systems often are overloaded and storm water and raw sewage mix together. In order to prevent raw sewage from backing up into homes and businesses, municipalities often direct the excess sewage directly into open streams or rivers, thereby creating a CSO event.

"Because the combined sewage is untreated, it has adverse effects on water quality and poses a significant public health threat," Talley said.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the water quality issues resulting from CSOs and in 1994 placed all municipalities with CSO problems under federal mandate to take corrective action. Sewer system separation, which involves the construction of new sewers and the redirection of storm water into the new sewer, is one solution to the problem. However, the high construction costs and serious community disruptions involved in this approach have made it unfeasible for most municipalities.

"It would cost the city of South Bend an estimated $200 million, and Indianapolis roughly $1 billion, to complete sewer system separation," Talley said. "Just imagine the cost and disruption involved in using this approach in a major metropolitan area like Boston or New York City."

As an alternative solution, Talley’s team has proposed addressing the CSO problem through the use of embedded wireless sensor networks (EmNets). Such networks consist of a series of small, playing card-sized sensors controlled by embedded micro-processors and run by solar energy. The sensors have antennas attached which enable them to exchange information over a wireless communication network.

The network provides measurements that can be accessed by engineers in real time via the Internet and used to control a sewer system’s response to a storm. During a storm, the sensors can detect a developing CSO event and indicate where it will occur. A series of "smart valves" would then divert combined sewage into holding reservoirs along the system until water levels return to normal and the system can once again safely separate sewage from storm water.

Talley’s team is developing, deploying and testing embedded sensors and communication networks in a tributary of South Bend’s St. Joseph River called Clyde Creek Basin and in Elkhart’s CSO Constructed Wetland.

"This active control allows for the reduction of CSO events while making only minor modifications into existing sewer infrastructure," Talley said.

Talley, who also is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and a strategic planner for the War on Terrorism Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, believes EmNets technology also could help monitor and detect bioterror attacks on water systems.  Contact: Jeffrey W. Talley, assistant professor of civil engineering and geological sciences, 574-631-5164, Talley.2@nd.edu

Baghdad : Pre-Engineered Tanks Installed at WTP

Kansas City, Kansas -- Baghdad Water Treatment Plant, under construction since early 2004, uses Pre-engineered Glass-Lined, Aquastore, Steel Tanks manufactured by CST Industries Inc.

This substantial contract comprises 6 clarifiers each 41.8 m dia. x 4.2 m high (5,800 m3) and 6 internal flocculation tanks each 16.2 m dia. x 4.2 m high (850 m3). Each clarifier is equipped with rotating half-bridge scraper and internal overflow launder.

This is the second contract secured by CST and their partner El Concorde for the Iraq reconstruction programs, the first being for a series of 20 local wastewater plants designed for treatment of 20,000 and 50,000 population equivalents. The tanks ranged in size from 80 m3 to 11,500 m3 and were manufactured and delivered in accordance with the very tight delivery deadlines.

About CST Industries, Inc.

CST Industries, Inc. is the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of pre-engineered tanks and silos having products available with a wide variety of coatings ensuring the tanks are entirely suitable for the contents and processes in the tank. Major global markets include water, wastewater, oil, chemical and dry bulk products.

For more information contact:
Mr. Tom Renich
Vice President - International
CST Industries, Inc.
5400 Kansas Avenue
Kansas City, Kansas 66106
Phone: 913-621-3700
Fax: 913-621-3880
Email: info@tanks.com
Web site: www.tanks.com

PENNINGTON, NJ -- WorldWater Corp. has executed a $2-million contract for its proprietary AquaMax™ pumping system at a California citrus ranch, announced company chairman and CEO Quentin T. Kelly.

WorldWater's proprietary and patented system will drive a high powered 200-horsepower pumping system at the facility, establishing the most powerful solar powered irrigation system in the world. The project represents a quantum leap forward in the deployment of large-scale solar power pumping technology and demonstrates the viability of solar power for broad applications in virtually all industries anywhere in the world.

"While many of the world's finite energy sources are being depleted at a disquieting rate, as evidenced by the current global oil crisis. WorldWater's ability to harness the unlimited power of the sun with our proprietary AquaMax systems represents breakthrough technology," said Kelly. "Our patented technology can deliver up to 600 horsepower - more than 100 times as powerful as the nearest competitors - making ours the only products available anywhere in the world that can deliver the water-pumping horsepower required for large scale commercial applications. Installations such as the one at this California agricultural facility clearly demonstrate how WorldWater has enabled solar power to achieve an unparalleled level of practicality and cost-effectiveness for a broad spectrum of commercial mainstream uses."

"California is one of the leading states in the development of solar and renewable energy, and is the proving ground of many of the world's most advanced solar power systems," continued Mr. Kelly. "This new ranch irrigation system is just the latest in a series of major projects in development for WorldWater in California."

Among WorldWater's recent milestones powered by its AquaMax solar power technology in California are:

-Supply of a powerful one megawatt solar system for Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest, projected to furnish an unprecedented 60% of the institution's electricity requirements;
-Design and installation of the world's largest solar-powered commercial refrigeration system, for a 350 horsepower hydracooler for a food processing facility in Edison;
-Development of a 50 horsepower solar pumping system for an agricultural facility in Firebaugh.

About WorldWater

WorldWater Corp. ( www.worldwater.com ), a full-service, international solar engineering and water management company with unique, high-powered and patented solar technology, provides solutions to a broad spectrum of the world's water supply and energy problems.

. Weekly Update #47 : Iraq Reconstruction - 9/1/04 Iraqi government officials are including environmental planning in the design and implementation of projects. The officials will encourage attention to environmental effects of the national reconstruction activities.

October 18th : World Water Monitoring Day
To ensure that global citizens have clean water for domestic, agricultural, commercial and recreational uses, EPA and America's Clean Water Foundation are inviting people around the world to monitor the water quality.
 

SolarBee v12 : 24-hour Operation from Solar Power After six years of design and development at our Dickinson, North Dakota factory, we have developed and begun installing the first SolarBee model that provides around-the-clock circulation without grid-power.

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People post their requests for help and offer their suggestions to others in our open forum.

Mr. Garcia wants information on phytoremediation:

I have heard that phytoremediation of waters is becoming an effective method for removing minerals and some nutrients from waters. Do anyone have information about that?.

Does anyone know any wastewater treatment plant which use this method?. I know water hyacinth is used for heavy metal removal.
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Best regards,  
Alexander Garcia
PDVSA
garciaaad@pdvsa.com

Mr. Stott needs to calculate sludge production:

I have been asked to find a formula for working out the amount of sludge produced by 2 different wastewater treatment systems in a pulp/paper factory. I just need a standard formula that can be used to estimate the daily production of sludge (the amount of sludge that is disposed off in landfill), and if possible, a reference for the formula.

The two systems are totally independent. System 1 is an activated sludge system (heated). I don't know any other specific details but it is in a developing country so I guess it is not state-of-the-art.

The second system is the same as above but before the waste is treated aerobically in the activated sludge system, it is treated in a UASB.

For both systems I know the amount of water treated daily, the BOD (mg/l), the COD (mg/l) and SS (mg/l).

Please tell me a standard formula I could use and the reference. If possible, I would like to use a formula that is based on COD instead of BOD. If the formula contains other parameters, I could probably ask the company for more details.  (Click here to post a reply)

Cheers,
Adrian Stott
aestott@hotmail.com

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If you were wondering where we were last week, we were 1) on holiday and 2) under attack from hurricane Frances.  Locally in the Jacksonville area, there were plenty of trees and power lines blown down, but everyone is ok.  Our hearts go out to our fellow Floridians, living in Southern Florida, during this difficult time.

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