Rain Water Never Felt So Good

Here in the North East US, we hardly need any more rain. Entire crops are ruined due to how much rain we get and the frequency with which we are getting it. Or, are we just spoiled from many years off average?

To look at my great great grandmother's diaries (yes, we have them! 1894-1924), the frequency of rain was twice what we have been averaging for at least the last decade. And the creek across the road from my house proves it.

Growing up, that creek never ran dry. Ever. It always ran fast and quite often, mid-shin depth. There used to be a ferry across the Susquehanna just down the road - Harper's Ferry. Now, the creek is barely above the top of a person's foot, even with 4" of rain in July and 3/4" of rain the first 2 days of August. The ferry? Long gone. Even if we didn't have bridges every few miles, the water is so low no ferry could think about crossing. Most places, the water is no more than knee deep.

That tells me 2 things - we aren't getting enough rain, and we've overdeveloped our land. For another article that goes more in depth about this, click here. I have theories on droughts and drought monitoring that you might wish to explore - and even discuss!
I'm all ears and would love to hear view points after you read this...

So yes, we've had a rainy slightly below average temperature summer thus far. It's sad that our crops are drowning, rotting, molding in the fields. There are many factors that created the issue. But it doesn't successfully create an argument about not collecting rain water and not trying to keep it on the land, rather than usher it away as quickly as possible. Look at the ways I've discussed in collecting rain water or using the water from your roof and driveway without actually collecting it. It makes life far easier, greener and healthier for all.

Water Is NOT Infinite

Our bodies (human, that is) are at least 60% water. I say at least because I learned it to be 80%, but the numbers vary. I think that's because they are talking about what isn't directly in cells, rather than cell and free floating.

Anyway, we aren't just carbon-based units - we are far more water-based. So, with something that is so vital to us, we tend to be very casual, and abusive of it. Why is that? When you look at a country such as Australia, which is in a drought of unprecedented proportions. I have friends there, and have only heard about the drought. I've never heard anything else but drought conditions, and it's going on its 8th year.

I just found the following quote from a newspaper article from The Australian online newspaper: But Dr Cai and Dr Cowan are convinced that the DOI is a “bigger scale” phenomenon which can overpower ENSO. As well, they will report in GRL that climate change is an even broader scale phenomenon that is increasing the frequency of IOD events.

The above quote truly points out the theory posed in the movie "The Day After Tomorrow". While it may not happen nearly as quickly as the movie shows it, it's a very solid theory that is being borne out in a different way, south of the Equator.

How we use our water in the US is not going to make a difference in what happens in Australia. However, if we learn from them, we are far less likely to be so severely affected as they. What is scary is, we aren't learning. The following picture is a map of the Great Plains (Ogallala Aquifer) and it's water decline (without replenishment) over the last 50 years:

You know what that major area is called? America's Breadbasket. And what else? Desert.

They are now saying that the 30 million people who rely on the Colorado River in 7 different states will be without water by 2021. All from overuse, and increasing temperatures evaporating it as well as reducing the snowpack that fills it in the springtime.

So - what can we do? It's easy - reduce!
Look at an article I wrote on how much water is used just to produce our energy.
Reduce the amount of energy you use.
Reduce the amount of WATER you use.
Reduce the amount of water you BUY - really, how stupid is that?
Learn good gardening techniques that will significantly reduce watering you might need to do during the hottest months of the summer.
Use rain barrels. Divert the water from your rooftops and driveways into your lawns and flower beds.
Use the water from your washer to water your container plants.

Check for leaks in your water system. Make sure all faucets are turned off in your house. If your meter changes position during this time, you have at least one leak. Find it by ruling out all lines - shut off all but one and check the meter again - keep doing until you find the leak. Fix the leaks!

Don't flush your toilet as often. If you have an old toilet that uses up to 8 gallons per flush, start looking at replacing it. The first generation of low flow toilets were horrid, but they've improved greatly (we have a Toto that is phenomenal).

Change the way you shower. WWII Navy personnel learned to take the 2 minute shower. Challenge yourself to take a shorter shower. You can reduce your time, reduce the flow which reduces the volume you use, or shut the flow off while you're soaping up. My dad uses the first, I use the second and my mom uses the third. All work the same.

Don't wash your car. It's actually better to leave the grunge on in the NE during the winter time, as warm wet salt. Cold wet salt does less, and cold dry salt doesn't do anything. Leave it. You're also less likely to have it stolen. If you must wash your car, do it at a public car wash. You use about half the water, and it's generally filtered and recycled now.

Don't water your lawn. If you live in a dry area, cut down on the amount of lawn you have. Pay attention to your irrigation system. Don't water the road or the sidewalk. I lived in Dallas TX for about a year, and was able to reduce the water use at the house by half, just by changing the way the system watered the lawn. Rather than 1 30-minute cycle for each zone, I watered it in 4 5-minute cycles. It didn't run off, but had a chance to soak in. This meant it stayed moister for a far longer time, reducing the number of times the lawn was watered, and used less water overall.
If you don't live in a dry area, don't water. It isn't necessary. And often, it isn't watered properly, making the grass even weaker during the hottest period.

Don't use container plants. I hate container plants. They have no way to hold their moisture. They just evaporate and transevaporate (through the leaves) so quickly that you're watering gallons for singular plants. That's just wrong.

Divert Rain Water - it's virtually impossible to use a rain barrel that will collect enough water, but if you want to, go for it. It only takes a few minutes of a good thunderstorm to fill a 55 gallon drum. What happens to the rest of the storm's water? And what if there are several in a few days' time? Look at the flow of the water and sculpt your lawn to either collect it in an area that is perpetually dry, or to disperse it much like irrigation ditches in developing countries. It works wonders! I'll be posting one project here that I started last year and will be making look good this year.
Only wash full loads. When you use your washer, particularly if you have a teenager, you tend to not wash full loads. Stop that right now! It's costing YOU, not just the environment. In energy, water and detergent.

Use your dishwasher. If you use your dishwasher, vs hand washing your dishes, you can save half of the total volume. Washers are even smarter now, using only what is necessary for your style of washing - the first few times it washes, it may use more, but it's "learning" you and your dishes dirt level. This saves ever more.

None of these ideas are ground breaking or life-changing. But they all work. Be efficient!

Artificial Wetlands for Wastewater Management

Since it's coming up on Ground Water Awareness Week - who knew an official week existed for Ground Water?! - I'm posting a paper I wrote for my assemblywoman and a few town officials in the area.

The primary reason for using Artificial Wetlands for our wastewater management is outlined both in the paper, and in understanding the basic "ground water hydrology". I learn more good words because of this blog!

So - read the above, and then read the paper. I've written another that I am sending to Mother Earth News with the hopes of it being printed. We'll see. Until then, I can't post it here as it would violate their publishing policies. Wah.

NYS's fact sheet on ground water

Introduction

In the 1700’s, NYS had approximately 2.6 million acres of natural wetlands. By the 1980’s, 60% of these wetlands had been destroyed by agriculture, industry, housing development and water overuse. Since Federal Regulatory rollbacks during the 1990’s, NYS has an infamous position as one of the top 15 states for wetland destruction. (Riverkeeper.org)

What we are failing to understand, but other states and nations are seizing upon is that wetlands provide a vital service of purifying our water for future use.

Example

Egypt, as a developing nation, faces an increasing need for water purification without the funding or resources to treat their human black water. From 2000 to 2004, they focused on a low-tech solution to this low-tech issue of sewage treatment – the construction of a 60-acre artificial wetland adjacent to natural wetlands at ¼ the cost of conventional sewage treatment for a comparable volume of sewage. The initial volume of sewage treated was 25,000 metric tons (1 mt = 2205 pounds) per day. However, after a year of use, it was determined the wetland was capable of treating 40,000 metric tons per day. This increase in treatment volume increases the value of the initial investment of $9 million (US) even more than the initial estimated savings over conventional treatment facilities.

For Egypt, maintenance costs are nothing, with local livestock handlers cutting the reeds for feed at no cost to them. It has also improved the local fisheries by lowering the contamination of the waterways with nitrates and heavy metals, improving the health and size of the fish. This, in turn, has improved the local fishing industry. The combination of factors has substantially improved the local economy, the health of the local population and the environment surrounding them. It has thus piqued the interest of other locales within Egypt to assist in solving poverty, health issues and environmental imbalance with a very low overall cost. (WaterWiki.net)

History

The idea and development of artificial wetlands to treat human wastewater began in Germany during the 1970’s. The research included the optimal size of each wetland “cell”, ideal plant life to act as biofilters to remove solids, nitrates, and heavy metals, and ideal delivery methods of the black water. And while the very convincing data was collected quickly and with great success, the promotion of the technology failed miserably.

In roughly 30 years, only 600 US communities have seized upon the opportunity to reduce their costs and environmental impact, compared to Taiwan, which filters 230,000 metric tons per day (19% of their population’s waste) with 43 artificial wetlands and at a cost of only $17.7 million (US). (Taipei Times)

Technology

Artificial wetlands can be adapted to any environment, from sub-arctic to a desert climate due to the microorganisms living among the reed and grass roots, filtering 90% of the contaminants. The reeds and grasses, absorbing the nitrates and heavy metals the microorganisms make available through the breakdown of the solids, manage the final 10%. Native species to each region are used as often as possible, allowing native wildlife to flourish as well, with virtually no risk to the wildlife.

Depending on the region that adopts the artificial wetlands for black water purification, native soils may be used to form the cells, furthering the environmental improvements. Also, 2 forms of black water delivery have been developed to allow easier adaptation to climate, land availability and purpose. A subsurface delivery of the black water occurs through a gravel substrate into the root zone of the reeds and grasses, allowing less land to be used and a lower risk of mosquito infestation. A surface delivery requires more land, but allows for a larger variety of soils used as the walls and floor of the cells, can absorb storm run off more efficiently and is superior to sustaining native wildlife, which in turn controls mosquito infestations.

A hybridization of the artificial wetland is being met with equal success, by incorporating septic tanks, grinder pumps and aerators into the delivery system of the black water.

Studies

Studies at several universities within the US and Canada are proving the successes sited at a diverse range of communities, from CO to AZ to NY and NH. The communities within these states (and others) have known for more than a decade the artificial wetland is comparable (if not superior) to conventional sewage treatment with the added benefit of substantially lower costs, less odor management issues, wildlife recovery and improved property values. Appropriately designed and observed, these designed ecospheres allow for less contaminated effluent to escape during storms, increase wildlife habitat and increase in quality of life for their communities.

Research done at the University of Nevada has determined their climate’s ideal cell size is 30’ x 130’ x 38”, which can handle 7500 gallons per day with a construction cost of approximately $185,000, including twice yearly checks and pump maintenance.

Some studies have stated cells fill more quickly with residual solids, making the cells’ life cycle shorter than the 20-30 year projection given by professionals. This can be remedied in a way similar to Milwaukee’s solution to their bio-solids removal for over 80 years. In the early 1900’s, after adopting the newly designed process of the activated sludge process, there was still a volume of bio-solids that needed to be disposed of. After analyzing the solids, it was determined the solids could be utilized as an organic fertilizer marketed to commercial growers, landscapers and golf courses with a superior growing result to artificial (and more expensive) fertilizers marketed with great success following WWII. Milorganite has since been marketed at the consumer level as well as the commercial growers, with continued success. (Milorganite.com)

By draining a cell, moving the established flora to a new cell and then dredging the full cell will allow for the use of the accumulated matter by the community, renewing the cell for use once again.

Adaptation

The most recent adaptation of the artificial wetlands is in the CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation) Industry. CAFOs have discovered the lagoons created by the bovine and swine they raise can be effectively managed with the artificial wetlands. The wetlands virtually eliminate smell, the need for pesticides to manage insect infestation of the waste lagoons, and the health hazard the lagoon once posed at identical cost. Along with these obvious bonuses to the investment, the location of the CAFO greatly improved by the sight of wetland grasses and reeds versus the previous lagoon of waste.

What If

The August, 2005 lagoon breach in Lowville, NY could have been prevented if it had incorporated this solution, avoiding the death of nearly 250,000 fish over a roughly 40 mile run to Lake Ontario, where the effluent ultimately settled. (DawnWatch.com)

The flood of 2006 suffered by multiple counties in upstate NY and PA would have caused far less damage to the Chesapeake Bay, had the communities affected used artificial wetlands to treat their sewage and wastewater.

Links
University of NV contact information:
Angela O’Callaghan
AREA SPECIALIST
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA

The paper presents an introduction to EcoSan principles and concepts including re-use aspects (available nutrients and occurring risks), and case studies of EcoSan concepts in both industrialized and developing countries.
EcoWaters

Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, BOKU—University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria

Links to companies and researchers working on artificial wetlands for blackwater treatment
Constructed Wetlands

Ohio State Research Paper

Theory on Drought Monitoring

10/24
I keep mulling this over and just don't know quite how to express it, so here it is anyway. LOL
The articles below point to a term I hadn't heard before, but had been sitting in the back of my mind every time it rained (which it is now).

Impervious Ground Cover. Basically that means anything that keeps water from absorbing into the ground where it falls. This includes roof lines, cement, asphalt. It doesn't even go into the semi impervious of decking, brick walks, etc.

If, as these reports state, most urbanized or urban sprawled areas have 50% of their property - commercial, industrial and private - covered with impervious ground cover, the run off is incredible. At least 40%, right?

The reason I'm saying 40% is that maybe 10% of the water gets absorbed into adjacent ground before it runs off into creeks, storm drains, etc.

However, just as our greenspaces for wildlife are becoming more and more isolated, so is our lands' ability to absorb water for the water tables.

Add the substantial increased use of water by urban sprawl and the earth is in a constant state of drought even when we have "normal" or "average" seasonal rainfall. I understand why meteorologists must report the averages. But I think they need to start taking some additional responsibility in reporting what's needed, how far below normal the water table lies and how people can increase their property's ability to absorb water.

If you think of a bed sheet and you only water in a few spots, it takes a very long time for all of that water to wick throughout the sheet. So goes our property. And, it will dry very quickly, with no reserve to keep it moist, leaving all plants in a constant state of stress.

Ha! I found THE best policy article

It totally substantiates what I'm saying. I've been talking about the great plains aquifer since I lived in Dallas TX 7 years ago. I'm going to try to write a letter to the editor on this subject. If anyone comes up with an eloquent way of saying this in 150 words or less, let me in on it!
Leslie

10/30 Great Blog Post From The Grist.org

Excerpt from article on Shoreland Preservation
Bruce Ferguson, an authority on stormwater management from the University of Georgia,
noted that roads and parking surfaces cover approximately twice the area of their
associated buildings and represent a good 50% of a built up urban area. For this reason
alone, it is important that everyone involved in land development take seriously the
emerging technologies of porous pavement systems.

Study of Salt Lake City area by 'zoning' (V - vegetation, I - Impervious, S - soil and dead vegetation) Figure 5 on Page 5 - very telling.

Study of Atlanta's loss of canopy and gain in impervious cover:
Over the last decade, Metro Atlanta has experienced unprecedented population growth. This change in population has resulted in an increase in impervious surface and a decrease in forest canopy. Overall Metro Atlanta is accumulating 28 acres per day of impervious surface and losing 54 acres of canopy per day, resulting in a ten year loss of 196,921 acres of tree canopy and a gain of 103,273 acres of impervious surface.