Beyond Nitrification - the Benefits of Higher SRT Operation
Presenter: Michael Stenstrom Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
2011 CWEA Annual Conference
Engineering and Research Committee/American Academy of Environmental Engineers Breakfast
Friday, April 15, 2011
7:00 AM-8:30 AM
View flyer for more information!
Michael Strenstrom is a Distinguished Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research and teaching are in
the field of environmental engineering, with an emphasis on biological treatment methods
and applications of mathematical modeling and optimization to environmental engineering
research.
Be sure to sign up for the ERC Breakfast when you register for the annual conference!
In The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters, author Rose George dives into the global sanitation business in order to get a better understanding of how people use, abuse and even sometimes reuse water.
The book is getting glowing reviews in places like Slate, Newsweek and on Amazon.
Rose is a former writer for London newspapers the Guardian and Independent. Her website is here.
The EPA and Natural Resources Defense Council have settled a lawsuit started in 2006 over the Agency’s ocean water quality testing procedures.
The Associated Press reports EPA will look at a wider range of illnesses including hepatitis, rashes and ear and eye infections; in addition, results will be posted the same day they’re completed.
“Sound science and partnerships are key…. This agreement should help reduce litigation and increase collaboration, ” said Benjamin Grumbles, EPA assistant administrator for water.
Stormwater and urban runoff are the largest contributors to poor ocean water quality at the beach. The new rules will be developed within two years and results are due by 2010.
Avalon is diving deep into researching water quality in order to maintain their pristine beaches and swimming areas. The city has spent years working with boaters, relining sewer pipelines and re-channeling stormwater through the wastewater treatment plant in order to keep the beaches clean.
However city officials feel even more studies are needed. ”Unsure what path to take next, the city is patiently awaiting the results of a Pacific Coast Water Study that has been gathering data,” according to The Log website for boaters.
The general public is far more concerned about drinking water compared to all other environmental issues – including air pollution and global warming. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they’re concerned “a great deal” about drinking water pollution. Fifty percent said they were concerned ”a great deal” about pollution of rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
By Wendy Wert,
Sewer Leaks Editor
On May 22, the Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of California Water Environment Association (CWEA) hosted a training meeting at TAIX Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. The featured speaker at the event, James Clark Vice President B&V Corp., presented an overview of the Reconstruction Issues and Lessons Learned by Wastewater Utilities Affected by Hurricane Katrina.
WEF, in collaboration with Black & Veatch and several municipal water agencies, released a report on April 25, 2006 that assessed damage and reconstruction costs to wastewater systems affected by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast. The resulting report, Assessment of Reconstruction Costs and Debt Management for Wastewater Utilities Affected by Hurricane Katrina, was presented to Congress, U.S. EPA and USDA. Mr. Clark explained that under the challenging conditions encountered coalition building was critical to a successful assessment.
Mainly due to less rainfall. Their annual beach report card is out.
Money quote from the LA Times on Sunday…
“Dilution is not the solution for some of these newer compounds,” said Steven Bay, a toxicologist with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project in Costa Mesa. He expects the study to raise policy debates over upgrading sewage-treatment plants.
LA Times article is here. SCCWRP outline is here.
After nearly getting wiped out by DDT in the 1970s, the Brown Pelican, common in many Southern California bays and harbors, has rebounded. The population is now strong and healthy enough the U.S. Secretary of Interior on Friday proposed removing them from the Endangered Species List.
It’s an environmental success story three decades in the making.
Money quote:
When you see a flock of pelicans fly by, you think all’s well out there (in the environment). When you don’t see them, then you know something’s wrong. – Daniel Anderson, UC Davis
LAT story here. DOI press release here.
The EPA released their estimate of wastewater funding needs for the next 20-years…
(Washington, D.C. – January 16, 2008) A new report from the EPA estimates $202.5 billion is the nationwide capital investment needed to control wastewater pollution for up to a 20-year period. Delivered to Congress this week, the 2004 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey summarizes the results of the agency’s 14th national survey on the needs of publicly owned wastewater treatment works. The estimate includes $134.4 billion for wastewater treatment and collection systems, $54.8 billion for combined sewer overflow corrections, and $9.0 billion for stormwater management.
According to a national survey from Black & Veatch, Los Angeles residents pay an average monthly charge of $1.92 for stormwater treatment programs. Our neighbors way to the north in Oregon and Washington pay way more - in Portland the average monthly charge is $16.82. Here is the survey summary in PDF format.
Other interesting stats:
- 8% of stormwater depts. are combined with the wastewater utility
- Public education (97%) is the top program for protecting or improving stormwater, followed by erosion control (91%)and street sweeping (also 91%)
- 58% have installed stomrwater treatment systems (such as vortex swirl concentrators)
- 51% are undecided on whether these technologies will meet expectations
- 81% believe sediments are the greatest concern
Alas, no mention of low-flow diversion programs such as the City of LA’s or the Santa Monica or Malibu stormwater treatment plants.
