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Features

March 2008 Feature

Controversey over how Pennsylvania will meet its obligations to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

Bay Journal - Bill for upgrades at PA water plants creates sticker shock.

January 2008 Feature

Are you as confused as we are about biofuels? Here are some articles that might help sort out what's good and what's bad.

Bay Journal - Biofuels beyond corn could be driving force in Bay's recovery

Water Implications of Biofuel Production in the United States

December 2007 Feature

Focus the Nation is a national teach-in and civic engagement project to focus attention on global warming. A national teach-in day is planned for January 31, 2008 and many colleges, high schools and civic groups are involved. Check it out and get your community involved! www.focusthenation.org .

October 2007 Feature

REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection Program) Fact Sheet

Preliminary information on REAP from the PA State Conservation Commission

September 2007 Feature

Center for Watershed Protection Releases

Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices

Latest Manual in the Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series

for free download

August 2007 Feature

The Threatening Storm

This article in the August 2 issue of Time takes an important look at how we're managing water resources.

July 2007 Feature

Conflicting Public Policies: Why Is It So Difficult to Keep Pharmaceuticals Out of the Water

by Brenda Ortigoza Bateman, Ralph Thonstad, and Daniel Danicic

This article is posted here with permission from Water Resources IMPACT , Volume 9, Number 3 (Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.).  This issue focuses on an area of growing concern for water resources professionals:   emerging contaminants of concern in the environment. Water Resouces IMPACT is a member publication of the American Water Resources Association (www.awra.org).  It is a practical, solution-oriented news magazine that contains timely articles written for practitioners about issues currently facing them in their work as well as issues that are out on the horizon. The views expressed by individual authors and published in Water Resources IMPACT should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of AWRA. Subscription information is available here: http://www.awra.org/impact/rates.html

June 2007 Feature

Brook Trout the Perfect Diplomat for Negotiating Route to Cleaner Waters

by Nat Gillespie, distributed by Bay Journal News Service

Healthy brook trout mean healthy headwaters streams - essential to protecting the Chesapeake Bay.

May 2007 Feature

Integrated Planning for On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems

A discussion of how best to plan for onsite and clustered wastewater systems

07 Feature

March 2007 Feature

Mercury Matters - Linking Mercury Science with Public Policy in the Northeastern United States.

A science and public policy publication from the Hubbard Brook Reserach Foundation, 2007, 28 pp.

February 2007 Feature

Dr Kent Crawford, US Geologic Survey, talks about  the USGS (PA DEP funded) study of pharmaceuticals in ground and surface water in PA.

Many thanks to Dave Hess, and Paenviromentdigest.com , for this video blog.

December 2006 Feature

Impervious Surfaces Driving Up Levels of Salinity in Streams

Reprinted from Bay Journal, newsletter of The alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

October 2006 Feature

EPA Recognizes Land Conservancy of Adams County for Drinking Water Protection

Reprinted from PA Environment Digest - 10/27/06

February 2006 Feature

Groundwater Pumping: A Pernicious Threat

by Robert Glennon

Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy

University of Arizona

author of Water Follies, a collection of short stories on the consequences of our growing national thirst. Available from www.islandpress.org

This article appeared in River Voices, Fall 2005, newsletter of River Network

Many thanks to Robert Glennon and River Network for allowing us to publish Groundwater Pumping: A Pernicious Threat here.

January 2006 Feature

Out of the Pipe, Into the Watershed  

by G. Tracy Mehan III
Former assistant administrator for water at EPA explores the next era of the Clean Water Act.

This article appears in Water & Wastes Digest   September 2005   Volume: 45 Number: 9, Copyright © 2006 Scranton Gillette Communications

:Many thanks to  SGC for providing us the link to the article

Out of the Pipe, Into the Watershed

June 2005 Feature

Reclaimed Water Offers Solutions to Water Quality, Water Demand Problems

This article first appeared in the PA Environment Digest for June 6, 2005. Many thanks to editor Dave Hess for sharing.

Rapid growth in an area with a high quality streams and dwindling water supplies is a recipe for environmental and economic problems. But in State College, the University Area Joint Authority and other partners are looking to reclaimed water to be part of the solution.

"Concerns about the impact the UAJA wastewater discharge was having on the temperature and water quality of Spring Creek, particularly in low-flow conditions, lead to a comprehensive sewage study of the area by the Centre Region Planning Agency," explained Brian Book, Manager of the Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. office in State College.

In 1997 the sewage and water quality studies concluded that the High Quality section of Spring Creek would not be degraded so long as flows did not exceed 6.0 million gallons per day (mgd).

However, projections showed growth would increase the discharge by up to 9.0 million more gallons a day by 2020 and increase of slightly more than 3.0 mgd.

"UAJA developed a multi-step strategy for dealing with this problem," said Book. "They attacked inflow and infiltration to eliminate rain water and other clean water entering their system and installed advanced nutrient removal technology on their treatment plant. They also started an aggressive water conservation education program and worked with large apartment building owners to install water saving devices."

The result of these initial efforts was to keep the discharge from growing as fast as it was originally projected. The studies projected the discharge to be right at 6 million gallons a day by this year, instead it now stands at 5.4 million gallons, inspite of significant growth in the area.

But clearly another strategy was needed.

In 1997 UAJA began a public discussion of 14 different wastewater treatment options.

"The special protection designation of Spring Creek meant we had to find treatment options that did not degrade the water quality of the stream." said Book. "UAJA began looking seriously at reclaimed water as one of the potential solutions."

This discussion was not without controversy, Book said, as the public questioned each of the alternatives and their potential environmental impacts.

When reclaimed water was selected to explore further, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic developed a proposal using micro-filtration, reverse osmosis and ultra-violet treatment technology to produce a wastewater discharge that was equivalent to potable water.

This ultra-clean water would then be piped four miles upstream in the Slab Cabin Run watershed, a small tributary to Spring Creek, discharged into one of two 20 to 25 acre wetlands for additional natural treatment and then allowed to flow down the Run and into Spring Creek. The water would travel four miles before it reaches the original UAJA wastewater discharge.

"We really took a belts and suspenders approach to designing this project to produce the cleanest possible water," said Book. "Nothing like this had ever been done in Pennsylvania before."

"Water reclamation technologies like these are already in use in the Disney theme parks in Florida, in Orange County, California and communities in Oregon and Washington as well at the New England Patriots Stadium," said Book. "Communities in Georgia and Virginia are also considering them."

"UAJA began with a demonstration area that included different water treatment technologies and a wetland area," said Book. ”While we were able to prove that the reliable technology could be installed and operated to produce ultra-pure reclaimed water, we were concerned that the water would be too aggressive, so we developed a method to “re-buffer” the water.”

After the results of the initial demonstration, the full scale proposal was developed that will ultimately treat and discharge 3 million gallons a day of reclaimed water.

Phase I that treats 750,000 gallons a day was just completed in May and about one-third of the pipeline to Slab Cabin Run has been constructed. Phase II, due to be completed in 2008, will raise that amount another 750,000 gallons. The final phase is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

"The route of the pipeline to Slab Cabin Run provides a unique opportunity to have businesses along the way use the reclaimed water, rather than regular public water, for their processes further reducing demand for groundwater," said Book.

Preliminary studies have indicated that a number of existing commercial establishments are willing or interested in using the reclaimed water, this includes concrete production, a commercial laundry, several public and municipal car washes, and an agricultural businesses.

Initial water users along the route now plan to reuse approximately 147,000 gallons per day (gpd), on average, and the Authority is currently trying to accelerate a reclaimed water service extension to allow the use of 600,000 gpd for summer golf course irrigation.

"Because of our work, reclaimed water is now considered by the Department of Environmental Protection as an acceptable technology for use when special protection watersheds are involved," said Book.

In addition to creating a potential revenue source and providing a feasible alternative to meet water quality regulations, Book said the project creates an economic development opportunity.

"The water treatment technologies we're using are producing water to the same strict standards used by semi-conductor manufacturers and other water quality sensitive industries," explained Book. "It would be a great offshoot of this project if high tech businesses are attracted to this area because of the clean water we're producing."

For more information, visit the HRG project webpage and the UAJA website. Contact Brian Book of HRG at 814-238-7117 or send email to: bbook@hrg-inc.com .

Video: UAJA Reclaimed Water Project Overview (update of video: startup date for phase I is August 2005 and the total cost of the project is $45 million) Quicktime File (large)

Attachment:Reuse Without Water Shortage – Book, Wert, Siegfried - PDF