Can design by committee work for infrastructure projects?

The article quoted in my previous post on Integrated Sewerage Systems has critics claiming that with an extension granted by the Province for completion of the sewer upgrade project in Victoria, BC, the Capital Regional District should seek a wide base of input and comment on the viability of integration options for the proposed sewerage treatment system.

This puts the engaged consultants in a difficult position. Outside interest and comment on design ideas is often welcomed, but should changes be made to the design or a shift in the project priorities occur, who defines the change in scope and the appropriate compensation for the work undertaken.  read more »

As summer rolls on in North America, it’s interesting to find an article about water restrictions from Australia, which is in the middle of a pretty cold, (relatively), winter. However, having lived on the continent for most of my life, I have a deep respect for water, and understand the problems with turning it into a commodity, and attempting to use regulation to limit the wasting of water for frivolous purposes such as watering your lawn.

Some cities have faced a ban on outdoor water use as restrictions have been tightened in recent years. But the National Water Commission thinks such restrictions are unfair and there are better ways of cutting water use as the country grapples with drought. "The commission regards long-term temporary water restrictions as an inequitable and inefficient way of balancing supply and demand," the commission said in its water proposal, released on Wednesday.  read more »

How many times have you seen a road like this?

A pavement in this condition is a ticking timebomb ready to self destruct. An asphalt pavement is meant to serve as a wear course for vehicles to drive on safely, but just as important is it’s function as a barrier against the elements. When cracks like this occur, water can penetrate the base and sub base courses, breaking down the structural integrity of the road. The pavement also becomes much more susceptible to frost damage in cold climates.

Reading articles like the following is enough to make you wonder what it is going to cost to replace all the roads in Canada, (and the water and sewer pipes underneath as well)!  read more »

Click through to the post page for the list of conference live blogging notes.

I'm currently in Whistler enjoying some great interaction with attendees of the Water and Wastewater Annual Conference, and have selected a variety of sessions that are relevant to my position as the City Engineer, particularly looking at Grant Applications, Water Utility Management, Water Supply, Demand Management and Stormwater. These are all issues that drive the sustainability of a small community such as Rossland, BC and many others that are represented at this conference.
This page will represent an aggregate of the notes that I take through each session. As I post additional sessions, I'll update them on this page. The notes are not like my typical posts - however they represent a quick capture of the ideas that stuck in my head during the presentations.

Technorati Tags: BCWWA, Water, Wastewater, Sewer, sustainable water, sustainability, environment, British Columbia, Whistler, Whistler, BC

Heavenly at Lake Tahoe has installed some heavy duty stormwater treatment capability to protect receiving waters from polluted runoff generated in parking lot areas...
Heavenly Mountain Resort Blog » Blog Archive » Keeping Tahoe Blue

To mitigate damage to the clarity of Lake Tahoe, four large filtration vaults under the parking lot will purify runoff from the 15 acre facility. “The goal is to meet stormwater discharge standards,” Michelle says, “which are really stringent.” The filtration is accomplished by 428 ZPG filter cartridges which strain out sediment, chemicals that can pollute the downstream flow of Bijou Creek and damage the clarity of Lake Tahoe. These filters use zeolite, perlite, and granular activated carbon to remove Nitrogen, phosphorous, suspended and dissolved solids turbidity and sediment from the parking lot runoff.
The System is designed to handle a 20-year 1-hour storm event as required by the Tahoe Regional Planning agency and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. The system can handle a 15 cubic foot per second flow, or the equivalent of 1 inch per hour. Any excess flows will be diverted around the system.
Each filter sits on a hole in the bottom of the vault which leads to the discharge duct. Runoff from the lot enters the vault and fills it up until water pressure activates a siphon effect within the cartridges. Water enters the filter media from the bottom and is drawn up to the top where clean water drains through a tube and out through the floor. The filters cost $250 to replace and can last up to seven years.

It's neat to see a ski resort taking responsibility for the stormwater pollution generated by its activities and those of their visitors. These guys are trying their hardest to meet the high expectations of their patrons with investments in low-emission snow groomers and higher efficiency snow making equipment.

For those who wish their local hill would take on these type of projects, remember that Heavenly has 30 lifts and can service more than 50,000 skiers per hour - this is the largest hill in California.

Technorati Tags: skiing, Tahoe, Heavenly, Lake Tahoe, stormwater, stormwater treatment, runoff, water, water quality, ski resort

Many parts of the world have no modern sewer system. In China, it is reported that about 41 trillion kilograms of untreated sewer is pumped into lakes and rivers every year. In Mumbia, one report states that there is an area where one toilet serves 5,440 people, (source: Blue Covenant, Maude Barlow, 2007). In North America we are blessed with sanitation, and considering that there is estimated to be almost one toilet in the US for every one of the more than 303,000,000 people, I think we have very little to complain about. North Americans waste billions of litres of water of water everyday, and a lot of this goes into the sewer system - that is not a sustainable situation. Locally, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) is in the process of wrapping up Stage 1 of their Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP). This stage of the process is designed to gather background material and preliminary concepts for the future requirements based on population and legislative requirements. The next stages plan out the details of a proposed system and identify costs and action items required.  Read more after the jump...