Three Gorges Dam Visited

I visited Three Gorges Dam, as a part of the technical tour organized by the Cross Strait Water Resources Conference in late October.

Photo to the left shows downstream face of the Three Gorges Dam. Rest of the photos that I took can be found in my water photo album.

The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River in China. It is the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity (20,300 MW). Besides producing electricity, the dam was designed and constructed to increase the Yangtze River's shipping capacity, and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space.

Hurricane Irene: Implementation of Flood Management Plans for Existing Development Areas

Hurricane Irene landed on New Jersey in the early morning of August 28, 2011, resulting in heavy rainfall over a large area, leading to the large-scale flooding. Electrical wires were downed by the strong wind, and the road flooding caused delay in access and repair. Some electrical substations were flooded as well. Hundreds of thousands of residents were out of power for several days.

Many stormwater management plans for the existing development areas are already in place, and several major flood control projects are already on the drawing boards. It is yet another reminder for action and water infrastructure investment.

Photo to the left shows flooded gas station, shop, and bridge along the Millstone River in Hillsborough, New Jersey.

Rest of the photos that I took can be found in my water photo album.

Water Environment Lectures in GuangDong, China

I was invited to give lectures at Sun Yat-Sun University and South China Institute of Environmental Sciences (one of the three research institutes under Ministry of Environmental Protection), both located in GuangZhou, China on July 11 and 12, respectively. The lecture was titled "Water Environment Assessment, Protection, and Restoration."

Photo to the left shows a restored urban stream in GuangZhou, Capital of GuangDong Province, that used to be a covered sewage channel. Photos of other locations that I visited in GuangDong can be found in my water photo album.

2011 EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress Attended

I attended the EWRI Congress from May 22 to 26 in Palm Springs, California. Our two papers were presented at the Congress and published in the proceedings. They are titled "Maintenance Interval for Stormwater Hydrodynamic Separators" and "Information for Inspection and Maintenance of Stormwater Manufactured Treatment Devices," respectively.

Photo to the left shows fan palms native to California. Additional photos that I took can be found in my water photo album.

Saint Anthony Falls

I attended the International Symposium on the Future of Environmental Hydraulics on May 12 in Minneapolis, organized by the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota.

Photo to the left shows St. Anthony Falls, with downtown Minneapolis in the background. Additional photos that I took can be found in my water photo album.

Severe Drought Hit Southwest China

Impacts: The dry spell has ravaged southwest China for months, affecting 61.3 million residents and 5 million hectares (12 million acres) of crops in Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangxi. The drought has left 18 million residents and 11.7 million heads of livestock in the region with drinking water shortages and caused direct economic losses of 23.7 billion yuan (3.5 billion U.S. dollars).

Emergency responses: 30-thousand soldiers and 200-thousand reservists are busy with the relief work. They delivered 44-thousand tons (12 million U.S. gallons) of fresh water and dug nearly 1-thousand wells in the drought-plagued region; An effort is also being made to induce artificial rain; etc.

Causes: Less than a half of normal rainfall and continuous high temperature, resulting from the El Nino weather pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean since last Summer; Karst topography in some areas where the surface water is leaked to the almost intractable subterranean drainage system; Contamination of some source waters by human activities; Lack of drought-defense engineering measures; People farming and living sparsely in remote mountainous villages making them difficult to reach during the emergency response; etc. Identifying the causes would hopefully lead to proper long-term solutions.

Photo: Rice paddy fields in the mountainous area, from news.163.com

New Jersey Flooded, Again, by March 2010 Nor'easter

Five to eight inches of rain hit New Jersey causing serious flooding, again. Strong winds also uprooted trees and downed power lines. The severe flooding has again triggered debates on conquer (engineering projects) vs. retreat (home buyouts). The debates tend to go on forever, but we probably can not afford to wait much longer.

Photo: Flooding along Passaic River, from chinanews.com

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers May Reopen Flood Study for Passaic River

A news article appeared in today's edition of The Record, the newspaper for northern New Jersey, titled "Corps may revisit flooding study."

I was interviewed by the reporter, Andrea Alexander, and cited by her in the article.

Some paragraphs from the article follow:

"Since 1936, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has wrestled with how to reduce flooding in the 983-square-mile Passaic River Basin — one of the most densely developed flood plains along the Eastern Seaboard. However, no comprehensive plan has ever come to fruition since a proposal was shelved in the mid-1990s for a $1.8 billion, 21-mile tunnel to divert floodwaters to Newark Bay."

"But the corps might be getting ready to tackle the question again in response to urging by members of a task force spearheaded by state Assemblyman Scott Rumana, R-Wayne, and a request from the state Department of Environmental Protection."

"Any project or series of projects that gets recommended would have to compensate for the natural characteristics of the Passaic River system. Damage from floods in the Passaic basin has been staggering over the years. The latest, in April 2007, was the worst in decades: 5,000 people evacuated and $686 million in damage."

"The basin is unique because two major rivers, the Pompton and Passaic, converge in a low-lying area that naturally does not have sufficient drainage, explained Qizhong Guo, a water resources engineer at Rutgers University."

"He compared the river system to a bathroom drain that is not large enough, so when there is too much water, it overflows. And, adding to the problem are the nearly 550 homes built in the floodwaters' immediate path. According to the DEP, there are 20,000 homes, businesses, and public buildings in areas that are susceptible to flooding in the Passaic River Basin."

"Development that takes away land that can absorb floodwaters makes the problem worse, but Guo said it's not the major factor. Historical data back him up: The worst flood to hit the area in 100 years occurred in 1903, when North Jersey was a lot less developed. The Passaic River crested at 17.5 feet, about 5.5 feet higher than during the 2007 flood."

"Any flood mitigation project would not be able to stop the type of flood seen once in a 100 years, but Rumana said something is needed that would 'take the teeth out the tiger and minimize that severe impact.' "

The article source: The Record www.northjersey.com

The map source: upload.wikimedia.org

New Green Building at Yale

Kroon Hall is the new home for the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. It is a truly sustainable building: a showcase of the latest developments in green building technology. The most interesting part to me is the rainwater harvesting system and cleansing pond outside the building (photo to the left).

The Sustainable/Climate Neutral features include:

•Demolition and construction waste was recycled
•Geothermal benefit from the underground placement of the north side of the lowest level
•Solar heat gain in winter and natural lighting year round along the long unobstructed south-facing wall
•Rooftop solar panels facing south
•Solar hot water heaters
•Geothermal energy system
•Natural light and ventilation
•Natural light is augmented with artificial light to maintain a constant lighting level; the latter is also controlled by sensors that shut off automatically if no one is present
•Manually operable windows utilize natural air circulation
•Green construction materials including “thermally inactive” concrete and low-E glass and insulation, waterless urinals and low-impact paint
•Recycled, recyclable, sustainably harvested or manufactured nontoxic materials
•Sustainably harvested wood
•Exterior stone quarried within 500 miles of campus
•Rainwater harvesting system and cleansing pond

The pond pictured above is an integral portion of a rain water re-use system which is part of the Kroon Hall project. The system collects runoff from the building's roof and from portions of the grounds. Once collected, the water is held in a settling tank which allows the majority of the sediment to settle out. From there, the water is moved to a storage tank, combined with any excess water from the geothermal wells, and slowly recirculated through the surface treatment pond (shown above). The pond employs aquatic plants to further cleanse the water, while also providing an enjoyable and relaxing area for the whole community. Finally, after the water is filtered and disenfected, it can be used for toilet flushing in the building, and for landscape irrigation.

My album contains additional photos on exterior as well as interior of the building.

Info credit: Yale University website

ANNOUNCEMENT: Henry Hudson New Generation Water Competition

Henry Hudson 400 Foundation invites undergraduates, including 2009 graduates, in marine and environmental studies, engineering, oceanography, urban design and planning, policy planning, public health, and any other related major to submit proposals on the topic Sustainability for Coastal Cities. See below for details.

• Topic: Sustainability for Coastal Cities
• Instructions: Submit a one-page description of an innovative solution to the challenges of Sustainability for Coastal Cities.
• For more information and application: http://www.henryhudson400.com/hh400_project.php?id=32
• Deadline May 29, 2009

Winners receive
• Cash prizes
• Internships at major companies
• All expenses paid invitation to international H209 Forum on September 9-10 at Liberty Science Center.
• Awards presented by Prince of Orange of The Netherlands, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., members of Obama’s environmental team, and top NY/NJ officials.

New Generation Competition is the centerpiece of the H209 Forum for business leaders, policy and decision makers, and environmental and planning experts. H209 Forum celebrates the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s pioneering voyage that led to the settlement of what is now New York City. For more information, visit www.henryhudson400.com

I was asked by the organizer to help publicize the competition.

Photo: New York Harbor near Jersey City, New Jersey, from Wikimedia Commons.

Sustainable Path (Soft Path) to Water Future

I attended a seminar given by Dr. Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute earlier today at Rutgers University. Dr. Gleick offered six soft paths to the water future. I took quick notes of the six paths as follow:

1) Invest in decentralized infrastructure
2) Match water quality requirements with water designated uses
3) Do not take the demand for granted (i.e., Do more with less water)
4) Expand definition of water supply
5) Price water properly
6) Expand concepts of regulation and institutions

I was a part of the team that organized the seminar.

A Very High Sewer Fee?

I recently received a sewer bill from my township and my household was charged an annual fee of approximately one thousand dollars! Could it be called the "money down the drain?"

Township of Montgomery, New Jersey has just instituted a new usage-based sewer fee schedule. I applaud the township's change that would provide fairness as well as encourage water conservation.

But the expensive part of the sewer service also caught my attention. It was about twice the water fee! That is, it costs about twice as much to get rid of the wastewater as to receive the potable water.

The sewer fee is being calculated by the township as follows:

Base Fee = $200 per unit

Usage Fee = $6.88 per ccf* of water used

* 1 ccf per year = 100 cubic feet of water per year = 2.05 gallons per day

For example, if 50 gallons of water is used per person per day (in winter and spring seasons), the annual sewer fee for a household of 4 would be 871 dollars.

Mayor Louis Wilson, quoted in an article published in the February 10, 2009 edition of Montgomery News, provided two explanations for why the sewer fee is so high in the township:

(1) The township owns and operates eight small sewage treatment plants, and thus there is no economy of scale that we could get by being part of a regional sewer system.

(2) Our plants discharge into local streams and brooks rather than into a larger river, and thus they must meet a very high water quality standard for the (treatment plant) effluent.

The Mayor's explanations are reasonable.

The township population was only 23,023 based on the 2007 census estimate. That is, each treatment plant, in average, is serving a community of less than 3,000 people. Average capacity of the treatment plants is probably only about 0.2 million gallons per day (MGD), while capacity of a regional treatment plant would be from tens to hundreds MGD. According to a State of Wisconsin survey, the sewer fee for small communities (population less than 2,000) is approximately twice that for large communities (population greater than 50,000).

With an average household of $840, the sewer fee charged by Montgomery Township is actually not very high in comparison to other small communities in the US.

Nevertheless, I need to start checking how my family could consume less water. Although consuming less water would be good for the environment, I do not expect a significant sewer fee reduction since the township would need to operate and maintain the same infrastructure, and replacing the existing infrastructure would be costly.

It would also be interesting to find out how the township could reduce the treatment cost, if possible at all. To reduce the treatment cost, control of specific pollutant sources as well as use of innovative technologies could be explored. But cost of the treatment itself, e.g., chemicals, is typically a small fraction of the total O&M cost.

Credit: The image above of "Pike Brook (Sewage) Treatment Plant" was located and cropped from Virtual Earth.

My album contains additional photos of the Pike Brook Sewage Treatment Plant and its effluent receiving water.

Water Main Bursts in Franklin Township, New Jersey

In the late morning of November 18, 2008, a 60-inch water main broke in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. The burst had a ripple effect on 100,000 customers in Somerset, Middlesex and Union counties, prompting officials to close schools and residents to boil water. (Both my home and office were affected.)

Complaints ranged from low water pressure to no water at all in 18 towns, said Richard Barnes, a spokesman for New Jersey American Water. As a precaution, the utility issued a boil water advisory.

The rushing water eroded the earth underneath the road, washing away part of Weston canal Road. Water gushed into the Delaware and Raritan Canal. (See the picture.)

The main is a major pipeline for transmission of water, and was first installed in 1958.

Although the cause of the break is still under investigation, this incident again highlights the urgent need for condition monitoring and rehabilitation of the nation's water infrastructure.

(Info Source: The Star-Ledger. Photo Credit: Ed Pagliarini, MyCentralJersey.Com)

Tampa Water Congress Attended

I was in Tampa, Florida last week attending the ASCE/EWRI World Water Resources and Environmental Congress.

I presented three technical papers on stormwater engineering and management. The audience was awake and interested.

I also organized and presided over the (ASCE/EWRI Stormwater BMPs Certification Guidelines) Task Committee kickoff meeting. The meeting was attended by 32 committee members and interested parties. We formed six subcommittees to tackle six issues simultaneously. There are 52 committee members across the country thus far. I am fortunate to be able to work with so many professionals in the stormwater field through this new task committee.

I had a good time there. The only regret was that I was too busy to take a break and go to the beach. Maybe next time.

The photo above was taken by me from my hotel room balcony looking at Garrison Channel, one of the several channels for boat traffic in and around Port of Tampa.

My ablum contains additional photos of the navigation channels in Tampa.

Three Papers to be Presented at World Environmental & Water Resources Congress

I will present three papers at the upcoming ASCE/EWRI Congress, May 15-19, 2007, Tampa, Florida. Titles of the papers are: (1) Performance of Retrofitted Stormwater Extended Detention Wetlands, (2) Effect of Particle Size on Difference between TSS and SSC Measurements, and (3) Research to Support Certification of TSS Removal Efficiency of Stormwater Manufactured Treatment Devices. All are related to stormwater and urban watershed management.

(Click here for my presentation on TSS vs. SSC measurements.)

New Committee on Certification of Stormwater Manufactured BMPs

A group of stormwater professionals proposed a task committee on developing national guidelines for certification of stormwater manufactured BMPs (Best Management Practices). I am glad it was officially approved by ASCE/EWRI last week. I was the proposing Chair. Now I have to start organizing the committee kickoff meeting, to be held in Tampa, Florida during the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, May 15-19, 2007. We also need to invite additional professionals to join the new committee. Hey, your suggestions and/or comments are welcome here!

(Click here to enter the committee website.)