en-us http://www.gongol.net News on water, wastewater, and the environment, especially in Iowa, Nebraska, the Upper Midwest and Great Plains Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:08:02 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/05/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/05/ That's the main cause for concern in eastern Iowa, where high rivers and lots of snowpack are likely to combine to create some pretty significant flooding this spring and summer. Snowfall has been well above normal and there's always the chance that a sudden warm-up could really make a mess of things. Now is the time for communities to prepare with tools like portable dams and portable flood-control pumps. It's also a critical time to ensure that sluice and slide gates are in good working condition. The worst time to discover a broken operator or ungreased stem is in the middle of a flood. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:08:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/04/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/04/ Now that the rescue portion of the disaster response is over, relief agencies working in Haiti are putting their emphasis on delivering food and clean water, and constructing latrines and washing stations to prevent the spread of disease. Modern public health traces its roots to the Broad Street Pump outbreak -- a cholera outbreak in a portion of London that killed more than 600 people. The cholera epidemic was initiated by the contamination of a community water pump by a single dirty diaper. A century and a half later, finding ways to protect clean water and safely carry away wastewater of all types remains one of the most important methods -- if not the single most -- of protecting public health, particularly in an emergency. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:20:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/03/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/03/ One of the challenges of the water and wastewater marketplace over the last few years has been the high volatility of metal prices. Aluminum, for instance, fell by almost two-thirds, then nearly doubled again -- all within a span of about 18 months. This instability has made it difficult to predict where prices are headed in the long term, and it's not limited to aluminum. Other metals, like copper and cast iron, have also had wildly variable pricing swings. Considering that the basic price of metal can be the main input cost for a product like a pump or a sluice gate, it has become unusually challenging to estimate the costs of products more than a few months in advance. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:08:02 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/02/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/02/ According to the National Weather Service, parts of Iowa are statistically certain to flood this spring. When this year's heavy snowfall finally melts, it's going to have to fight with frozen ground and the result is undoubtedly going to involve at least some minor flooding -- with a very good chance of major flooding in some places. Now is the time for homeowners to take precautions like installing backup sump pumps to prevent basement flooding, and for cities to consider whether they have the right portable flood controls and portable pumping equipment to handle the floodwaters when they come. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:08:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/01/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/02/01/ A group of utilities has prepared a report on how to plan for climate change and its effects on water supplies. While it's unclear what kinds of climate change will occur in the future, especially if new regulations and international agreements affect the human contributions to climate-altering chemicals, it's worthwhile for many utilities to consider the long-term changes that may cause them to adapt in the future. Iowa faces declining groundwater supplies, with or without the effects of climate change, and Nebraska has been engaged in a long-term struggle with Nature over significant decreases in groundwater levels. Nebraska's groundwater condition is mainly driven by access to the Ogallala Aquifer, which has been aggressively used for agricultural irrigation for the better part of a century. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:41:03 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/29/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/29/ The city of Omaha is planning to separate its storm sewers from its sanitary sewers in a massive and very expensive effort to comply with Federal regulations. The project is so expensive (it's currently estimated at $1.5 billion) that a debate has now picked up about whether to exempt the project from sales taxes, which are projected at $327 million. On one side of the debate are those who say that local government would benefit from the additional tax revenues; on the other are those who say that the Federally-mandated project is already sufficiently expensive and shouldn't be made additionally costly because of local taxation. Omaha's challenges with sewer separation are not unique, even in our area. About a dozen other communities in Iowa and Nebraska face different levels of the same expense and complication in getting their sewers separated as well. They will need everything from pump stations to flap gates, from bar screens to disinfection systems. We welcome any questions or inquiries that might accompany any of those projects. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:41:02 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/28/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/28/ The EPA has ordered LaFarge North America to install $170 million in new air-pollution control equipment at its operating facilities in the US, including their plant at Buffalo, Iowa (just outside Davenport). The EPA targeted LaFarge's emissions of nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide, and in addition to the requirements for new equipment, imposed a $5 million civil penalty against the company, of which Iowa will receive $135,000. Tools for monitoring air pollution: We offer fixed-point gas detectors for sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide, as well as ambient air-quality monitors for sulfur dioxide and other contaminants, both as part of our commitment to supplying a wide range of pollution-control equipment and instruments to communities and industries in Iowa and Nebraska. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:41:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/27/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/27/ The Iowa DNR will hold six meetings in February around the state (at Atlantic, Clear Lake, Des Moines, Independence, Spencer, and Washington) about the revised stream assessments and water-quality standards that are being rolled out to comply with the state's agreement to enforce the Clean Water Act. The DNR is evaluating all of the state's streams to determine what they're being used for and to what levels they need to be protected to enhance that use. These assessments are of significant interest to Iowa municipal wastewater treatment plants, since they are regulated in part based on the quality of the waters receiving their effluent. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:16:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/26/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/26/ With Port-au-Prince devastated by a powerful earthquake, a million people are in a state of tremendous uncertainty: Can they rebuild their city or should they try to leave for someplace else? A quarter of a million people have already been moved to other locations around Haiti. One of the main problems now is getting reliable distribution of food and clean water to the people -- and providing reliable sanitation to prevent outbreaks of everything from dysentery to tuberculosis. The public in many rich nations tends to take reliable clean water and safe sanitation for granted, but municipal water and wastewater infrastructures take lots of time and money to build and maintain. And compounding the problems of health and sanitation, having a large population without adequate water pressure available leads to a very high risk of catastrophic fires, whether in the debris of the city or in temporary camps. Big fires can only be fought with big, functioning water systems, which makes any fire in a refugee camp extremely dangerous. The reconstruction period will also be extremely dangerous without a reliable water system -- just as it was for Chicago, which nearly burned to the ground a second time after the great fire of 1871. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:57:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/25/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/25/ The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association has announced a legislative push for a 10% ethanol mandate for gasoline sold in the state. Iowa is the largest ethanol-production state in the country, with Nebraska in either second or third place (depending on whether one is counting capacity or actual production). Both states are also heavy producers of biodiesel, generally from soybeans. The production of those fuels has a measurable effect on water usage in both states, since the production and refining of biofuels requires large volumes of water. They are major economic factors in both states, as well. Related products: We offer a number of products used in ethanol and biodiesel production facilities, including pumps for clean water, flowmeters, and aeration systems for processing liquid byproducts. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:02:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/22/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/22/ The ice storm that sucker-punched much of Iowa on Wednesday continues to have lingering effects, not the least of which are power outages and the potential for some damaging flooding. The Polk County Emergency Management Agency has indicated that snowmelt (due to just-above-freezing temperatures) and ice melt are likely to cause at least some localized flooding, particularly in places where storm sewers become blocked by debris and ice. Anyone who's been outside has undoubtedly noticed the large amount of debris -- particularly tree branches and limbs -- that has fallen as a result of the ice, and that's going to contribute to the trouble of channeling snowmelt away from populated areas. Product note: We offer a wide range of solutions for managing stormwater, and it's worth noting as well that we have solutions for keeping pump stations in service when the power goes out. Power outages like the ones currently affecting parts of Iowa usually are caused by thunderstorms and ice storms, which also create lots of additional flow for those pump stations to handle. Having an engine-driven backup at a pump station or a portable lift station for emergency service can make all the difference to keeping a municipal wastewater infrastructure working in times of weather trouble. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:29:02 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/21/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/21/ The Remsen (Iowa) Municipal Utilities will be recognized by the American Water Works Association with an Exemplary Source Water Protection Award at the annual convention this summer. Congratulations to Remsen for this honor. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:29:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/20/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/20/ The Iowa DNR has noted that the very cold winter we've had this year -- including a series of powerful snowstorms and this week's dramatic ice storm -- appears to be starving many Iowa lakes and ponds of oxygen. While it's well-known that the solubility of dissolved oxygen rises as water temperatures fall, there has to be some source of dissolved oxygen in the water to begin with. The winter weather has covered lakes and ponds with ice, and there's been so much of it that aquatic plants aren't getting enough sunlight to create that oxygen, and there's no way for the wind and currents to sweep more oxygen into the water bodies as they normally would. As a result, DO levels are dropping to late-winter levels even though we probably have at least 6 to 9 weeks of winter weather left to go. Wastewater focus: Dissolved oxygen is one of the key metrics used to determine the quality of wastewater effluent being returned to rivers and streams. We have long represented ATI's quality dissolved-oxygen monitors for measuring DO levels in treated wastewater, and we've just received the excellent news that Stamford Scientific's PTFE-coated aeration diffusers have been approved for patent protection. The PTFE-coated diffusers represent one of the easiest, most trouble-free methods of adding oxygen to wastewater at a minimum of maintenance cost and effort. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:45:04 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/19/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/19/ The city of Spencer, Iowa, has received $146,000 from the EPA to help with a large and expensive sewer-separation project mandated by a consent order the city and the EPA signed in 2008. Spencer is one of about a dozen Iowa communities with a combined sewer system -- that is, one that serves both the storm sewer and the sanitary sewer. The separation of these combined sewer systems into two systems helps reduce the possibility of contamination of rivers and streams by untreated sewage that can overflow into those waterways when high flows exceed the capacity of the municipal wastewater plant. However, constructing a second sewer system in a mature community is a very expensive proposition, and several Iowa communities have fought their sewer-separation mandates to varying degrees. We can provide everything from water-control gates to pump stations to bar screens for systems that require sewer separation. Just let us know what you need and we'll be happy to help. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:45:03 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/18/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/18/ The President has announced his selection of Karl Brooks to be the regional administrator for EPA Region 7, which includes both Iowa and Nebraska. Brooks teaches history and environmental studies at the University of Kansas, and has previously been an attorney as well as head of the Idaho Conservation League. The administrator role has been vacant for more than a year. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:45:02 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/15/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/15/ A study by the University of Nebraska has found that groundwater levels in some aquifers in central and eastern Nebraska have risen by about a foot over the last decade, with some areas showing increases of as much as five feet. The recovery appears to be due to groundwater recharge by precipitation, marking the recovery from a prolonged and punishing drought that lasted about seven years. The overall look for the state, though, still reflects widespread declines in groundwater levels. Product spotlight: While they aren't used for monitoring levels in deep wells, our flowmeters and level monitors are useful for tracking water levels in tanks and basins near ground level, as well as pump stations and other facilities. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:45:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/14/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/14/ Many parts of Iowa and Nebraska have received heaping helpings of snow this winter -- up to three feet cover some parts of Iowa. Today's temperatures, while not exactly balmy, have reached freezing or higher in many places, leading to at least some snowmelt. This creates a stormwater challenge for many communities. Sioux City, for instance, has undertaken a street clearing program to ensure that storm sewer inlets remain clear enough to allow the melting snow to be carried away from homes and businesses. Fortunately, most of our area appears to be safe from the imminent risk of flooding (though parts of eastern Iowa could be subject to floods over the next five days), but it only takes a brief spell of warm weather to cause a lot of potential snowmelt and trouble with ice jams. Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:26:01 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/13/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/13/ Former President Bill Clinton, who serves now as the UN's special envoy to Haiti, says that the country needs money to pay for those urgently-needed supplies. It's well-known that people simply cannot live for more than a few days without safe drinking water, and a disaster like an earthquake has the dual effects of disrupting normal water supplies and contaminating many of the emergency supplies upon which people may depend. Any new rainfall will carry debris into streams and rivers, which will only create the risk that diseases and illnesses will spread as people seek what water they can find from those natural sources. Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:11:03 CST http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/11/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2010/01/11/ Ireland, though located farther north than most of the continental United States, has a much more moderate climate thanks to the effects of the Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures there generally don't drop below freezing, so the recent extreme winter weather there has caused tens of thousands of homes to lose water supplies due to freezing.