waste water mgt

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Hager, Alex. “Amid Climate Change, Water Managers See Promise in Recycled Wastewater.” NPR, 27 Sept. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/09/27/1125270299/amid-climate-change-water-managers-see-promise-in-recycled-wastewater. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

 

Las Vegas is willing to pay $750 million for people in Southern California to drink recycled water during their “megadrought”. Southern California is spending over $3 billion dollars on top of a $100 million per year operating cost in order for a heavy duty water reuse solution that will help sustain them during their drought. Although water recycling wont permanently solve all problems it will help stall while a more permanent solution is created. Western rivers are predicted to drop 10-20% in the next 5 years making a temporary solution necessary for Southern California.

 

This is a good example of what will happen if we don’t change anything and pretend there is no problem. The severity of water recycling was overlooked and now will cost upwards of $3 billion dollars for a temporary solution. I wonder if there is some solution that we will see in the next few years that will allow us to almost completely decontaminate and reuse water. Without a strong and permanent solution I see places like Southern California being one of the first but not one of the last places forced to spend millions in order to get themselves out of a dangerous situation.

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McWilliam , Cameron. “What’S in Your Drinking Water? If You Live in One of These States, It Might Soon Be Recycled Sewage.” Brownandcaldwell, 4 Oct. 2022, brownandcaldwell.com/2022/10/hayward-protects-san-francisco-bay/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

 

Hayward California is upgrading its WPCF or Water Pollution Control Facility to improve water quality while also limiting nutrients sent into the San Francisco Bay. This new system will incorporate “biological nutrient removal, primarily nitrogen”. The City enlisted Brown and Caldwell to help design systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are more easily expandable. The project should be finished by the end of summer 2024 and the City is hoping others will follow suit using nutrient removal.

 

I think that this article is extremely important because of how it connects to the article talking about algal bloom. This article not only talks about moving toward improved water quality and a lower amount of wastewater but also talks about reducing nutrients in water that is dumped into the San Francisco Bay, exactly where the algal bloom had previously occurred. I believe that in order to avoid large incidents like the bloom from the original article more water pollution systems need to incorporate some form of nutrient removal. When more cities follow in Hayward’s footsteps we will have greatly reduced the amount of damage we are causing to the creek as well as the ocean and other lakes. 

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Constantino, Annika. “What’S in Your Drinking Water? If You Live in One of These States, It Might Soon Be Recycled Sewage.” Cnbc, 19 Aug. 2022, www.cnbc.com/2022/08/19/direct-potable-reuse-why-drinking-water-could-include-recycled-sewage.html. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

 

This article talks about DPR or Direct Portable Use which sends highly treated wastewater into our drinking water after a purification process. California is in the process of legalizing it as it meets all federal drinking quality standards. Although this method meets all safety standards they still need to work to overcome people’s perception of “Drinking sewer water”. Some cities like San Diego have indirect potable reuse that has been in use for over 2 decades.

 

I definitely understand the “yuck” factor, however this is the first article that had a solution already built waiting for approval that could actually contribute to solving the problem. I could see a large transition to a system like this having massive positive impacts on reducing our contributions to global warming. I also see other potential uses for this outside of the U.S. potentially helping countries with less access to clean water find a way to “recycle” their water. I support the integration of these systems and believe that without practical solutions like this simply telling people to “use less water” will never work.

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Austin, Chris . “STATE WATER BOARD: CALIFORNIA MAKING STEADY PROGRESS ON RECYCLED WATER USE.” Mavensnotebook, 17 Aug. 2022, mavensnotebook.com/2022/08/17/state-water-board-california-making-steady-progress on-recycled-water-use/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

 

In California there is a focus on increasing reuse of wastewater discharged into the ocean as well as reducing the amount of water used. According to the article “indoor residential water use has decreased over the past three years”, showing that although minimal, some progress has been made. Systems that are in place to recycle water will need funding in order to expand in order to meet the increasing demand. With groundwater supply being threatened it is more important than ever to consider different ways that we could increase the amount of recycled.

 

I believe that California’s needs to continue pushing toward recycling more water. I feel strongly that without laws and government funding there will never be a change because we will either not have the funds to continue recycling water or will lack the motivation to. Unlike the last article there was no algal bloom or other effects causing immediate negative consequences which is why I would be surprised to see any meaningful change. Although progress is being made it is too little too late if we truly want to avoid continual droughts.

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Romero, Ezra. “Recycled Water May Prove Crucial for Northern California Amid Ongoing Droughts, Climate Change.” KQED, 25 Oct. 2022, www.kqed.org/news/11929864/recycled-water-may-prove-crucial-for-northern-california amid-ongoing-droughts-climate-change. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

 

This KQED article compares the Bay Area’s water recycling to Southern California where they recycled 83% more water. Increased droughts and global warming concerns have caused Governor Gavin Newsom to increase water recycled by 60% by 2024. The Bay Area uses water imported from more than 100 miles away. After an algal bloom that scientists believe is caused by climate and sewage treatment problems killing thousands of fish, the Bay Area needs to focus on proper water recycling and reduce its dependence on imported water.

 

I think that the algal bloom, although tragic, was a good wakeup call for the Bay Area. This article briefly mentions state regulations and I think that in order to have real progress there needs to be a constant effort from those in power. I believe that this article shows that even with algal blooms people seem to feel no rush to “solve” the cause of the problems but rather like to look for band-aid solutions. I expect to see this behavior of “band-aid” solutions mimicked throughout the rest of the articles.

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Low on Water, but High on Celebrity, Las Virgenes Seeks Wastewater Purification Facility

The Las Virgenes-Triunfo Joint Powers Authority has approved a final impact report for the Pure Water Project, a water purification facility in Agoura Hills, CA. The facility will supply water to 75,000 residents in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, and 14,000 residents in Ventura’s Oak Park. It will reduce the local dependence on imported water from Northern California which at the moment is quite high and have the capacity to treat up to 6 million gallons per day. The facility will use a multi-step purification process to remove bacteria, viruses, pharmaceuticals, and other compounds of concern from the water. The project has received broad community support, and funding will come from federal and state grants and low-interest loans. It is estimated that the district will produce water at a lower cost than importing it in 15 years.

 

This new technology’s ability to effectively treat waste water while reducing costs and energy usage is highly relevant to the future of waste water treatment. As the global population continues to grow and industrial activities continue to increase, the demand for efficient and effective waste water treatment will only become more pressing. This new technology is a step in the right direction and may lead to further advancements and innovations in this field.

The article mentioned earlier discussed the challenges associated with current waste water treatment methods, such as high costs, energy consumption, and limited effectiveness in treating certain pollutants. The development of this new technology, which addresses these challenges, highlights the ongoing effort to find more sustainable and efficient solutions to waste water treatment. This will likely have a positive impact on both the environment and human health, making it an important advancement in the field of waste water treatment.

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Sacramento Regionalsan Expands Water Recycling Capacity with New Facility.

RegionalSan is upgrading its wastewater processing facility in Elk Grove, California, which processes wastewater from customers in Sacramento and West Sacramento counties. In an interview, various details and specifics were revealed and the new facility, called EchoWater, will clean sewage to the extent that it can be used to water food crops and the water will be used all the way down to Folsom. When complete, EchoWater will be the second largest facility of its kind in the US  as it is 3000 acres. The $1.7 billion project will remove ammonia from wastewater, filter it to a high degree and transfer it to agriculture. The new plant will provide 130 million gallons of recycled water per day for use in parks, ballfields, and medians in Elk Grove. 

 

The article highlights some of the major challenges and opportunities in the field of wastewater treatment and I am encouraged by the advancements being made in the use of technology to improve the treatment process. The use of machine learning and other advanced technologies, as well as the increasing focus on sustainability, will likely result in more effective and efficient methods for treating wastewater in the future. It is also important to be concious of all of the land this facility is taking up, 3,000 acres is not naturally cleared out, so the envornomental effects are notable solely based off of land used. Although, this is definitely a scenario where pros and cons need to be considered and what outweighs which as the overall goal of the plant will put less stress on different aspects of the environment by recycling water, one of the main drought prevent mechanisms, so there will be less stress on the ​​aquifers.

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With Costs Going up, Palo Alto Ponders next Steps for New Water Treatment Plants.

Palo Alto and Mountain View, California are to consider the cost implications of building a salt-removal plant to make treated wastewater more usable for trees and vegetation. The cities signed an agreement with Valley Water in 2019, with the $20m salt-removal plant a major component. However, costs have doubled, with total construction costs estimated at $52.6m and the cities on the hook for a combined $24.7m. The project also involves constructing a pump station and pipelines, with Valley Water to finance and operate a purification plant at the same site. The plant will rely on reverse osmosis to convert treated wastewater into potable water.

 

My initial reaction to the article is a mix of hope and excitement. I was a little caught off guard by the title of the article and thought that it must have been a different Palo Alto then the one so close to us. The advancements in wastewater treatment technology that it discusses show a promising future for the industry and the environment, and for it to be so close to home is incredibly cool. The idea of using sustainable and eco-friendly methods to clean and recycle water is fantastic and much needed in today’s world. In my opinion, the future of wastewater treatment looks very promising, however, I also recognize that there is still much work to be done in terms of implementing these new technologies on a large scale and making them accessible to communities around the world, along with what the article brought up about the cost factors involved, and how it is defintley a serious financial commitment. Overall, I believe that the future of wastewater treatment is bright, and I am encouraged by the progress that is being made in this field and it is so cool to see it being implemented so close to home.

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Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 5 Expansion Project

The Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 5 (RP-5) in California is undergoing a $330 million expansion project to increase its liquid treatment capacity from 16.3 million gallons per day to 22.5 million gallons per day. The project will also include the construction of a solids treatment facility. The expansion will be funded through a combination of low-interest rate loans and grants from the EPA and the state of California. The project aims to meet all regulatory requirements, be energy-efficient and continue to provide recycled water to the growing service area. The expansion will include the construction of a new membrane bioreactor, primary clarifiers and fine screen facility, while the solids treatment facility will include a rotary drum thickening building, digester facilities, centrifuge dewatering building and more.

it is interesting to see the expansion plans for the Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 5, and it gives me hope that this will cause a movement, or possibel encouragement for other states to follow the footsteps of California. It’s great to see that the plant will be constructed with the environment in mind, meeting all regulatory requirements and utilizing energy-efficient equipment. The funding sources are also noteworthy, with a significant loan from the EPA Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and the State of California Clean Water State Revolving Fund, prior to this energy effcient programs did not receive much government or private funding, so this is an encouraging sign. Overall, this project shows a commitment to ensuring a sustainable water supply for the growing service area.

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Waste Water Treatment

Ehalt Macedo, Heloisa, et al. “Distribution and Characteristics of Wastewater Treatment Plants within the Global River Network.” Earth System Science Data, Copernicus GmbH, 9 Feb. 2022, https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/14/559/2022/.

The efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in removing pollutants is an issue. The Plants focus on the removal of organic matter and macro-pollutants. Plants can not permanently remove specific contaminants from the water. Specifically, ones that could have detrimental effects on people are released into the environment. These contaminants’ dilution is usually not enough to have a significant impact. These go downstream through rivers and combine with other harmful chemicals that hurt the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

The pollutants that go into these bodies of water, lake, ocean, and rivers can have detrimental impacts on wildlife and the ecosystem. It is on a lower scale than what is happening out in the ocean with the plastic and the fish, birds, and turtles getting involved with it. It is an unnatural source of chemicals that disrupt biodiversity. We see this in the bleaching of the reefs. A combination of artificial issues results in whole ecosystems dying, which has a chain reaction too. While wastewater treatment plants have good effects and intentions for the environment when it comes to sustainability, it is unnatural and has to be monitored so it doesn’t become worse than it is better.