The T&H Blog Archives - Page 24 of 32

5 Eco-Conscious Gifts of Love for Valentine’s Day

February 14 is Valentine’s Day — a longstanding tradition where we show love and affection to family and friends. But did you know that the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts come with a hefty environmental and human cost? The good news is that there are plenty of environmentally friendly, humanitarian ways to show your special people that you care — about them AND the planet.

Flowers

Traditional cut flowers require a significant amount of water to grow and transport, and also are doused with a hefty amount of chemical pesticides. 80% of traditional cut flowers are imported, with 90% of those imports coming from Latin America, where pesticide regulations are nonexistent. As a result, 65% of flower workers in Colombia have compromised health, and Latin American groundwater and waterways have become polluted. While there are many alternative ideas for cut flowers, giving your sweetie a Bleeding Heart to plant in the garden is the Valentine’s Day win. These beautiful perennials are hardy, drought resistant, erupt profusely with heart-shaped blossoms every spring, and keep their vibrant green leaves until the first frost. Not only is a Bleeding Heart an environmentally conscious gift, it is also thoughtful, long-lasting, and a symbol of deep and abiding love in both American and British cultures.

Chocolate

Chocolate is one of the most traditional Valentine’s gifts — and one of the most disastrous. Cacao — more commonly referred to as cocoa — can only be grown up to 20 degrees north and south of the equator, and most of the world’s chocolate is grown in Africa. Because global demand of chocolate is expected to double by 2050, farmers are struggling to meet demand and have turned to unsustainable farming methods. Planting cocoa trees in full sunlight yields more bountiful, but lower quality crops, and it also encourages weed growth and pest infestation, which requires more pesticide and chemical application. Cocoa farming has led to major deforestation and soil erosion, and has destroyed wildlife habitats. While governments have tried to protect rainforests after witnessing the destruction that cocoa farming has wrought, farmers continue to illegally clearcut forests to plant more cocoa. And if that’s not bad enough, many African cocoa farmers utilize children to harvest the trees. Most of these children are between the ages of 12 and 16, but children as young as 5 have been found working the fields. These children often work 12 hour days, their wages are typically well below the poverty line, and they frequently experience abuse. The safest way to buy chocolate is to buy organic, fair-trade and rainforest certified chocolate. Organic chocolate is grown in Latin America, where there are no documented cases of child labor. Fair-trade certified ensures that the workers earn a fair wage, and rainforest certified ensures that the cocoa was grown using sustainable methods.

Cards

Paper cards are an environmental nightmare. Paper accounts for 20% of global wood consumption, with 93% of it being from virgin pulp. Add to that the vast amounts of water required to grow trees for paper production, the thousands of gallons of fuel used to transport the wood and the paper, and the chemicals and toxins used in the inks printed on those cards, and it’s clear that paper greeting cards are a tradition that we should forgo. Instead, show your loved ones your affection with an e-greeting. E-cards use no paper, require no transportation, and are easily personalized with your special message. Bonus: many are free, like Blue Mountain. With the money you save on greeting cards, you can easily afford that pricier, organic chocolate.

Diamonds

A large percentage of global diamond mining is detrimental to both the environment and human rights. In Africa, where 65% of the world’s diamonds are mined, vast amounts of land have been completely deforested, leading to erosion and loss of previously farmable land. In addition, these vast, abandoned mines are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos, which spread malaria and other water-borne diseases. Diamond miners earn less than $1 per day, and up to half of those workers are children. Diamond miners are often abused and tortured, and millions of deaths have been attributed to the illicit diamond trade. Fortunately, there is a solution. Brilliant Earth is committed to only selling diamonds that are Beyond Conflict Free. According to their website, Beyond Conflict Free goes above and beyond the current industry standards to guarantee that their diamonds originate from pure, ethical sources. Their ethically sourced diamonds originate from mines that adhere to strict labor, trade, and environmental standards.

Gold

The vast majority of gold mining is an extremely environmentally destructive practice. For each gold ring, over 20 tons of rock and soil are dislodged and discarded, bringing with it cyanide and mercury that are used in the mining process. These toxins enter waterways, polluting our water supply and harming marine life, and elemental mercury is released into the air, compromising air quality. But while the majority of gold mining is done without any regard for the environment, there is a movement to change this practice. When purchasing gold jewelry for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, look for gold mined by artisanal and small scale miners. Some safe retailers include Amalena, Brilliant Earth, and Green Oro.

While traditional Valentine’s Day gifts are environmentally unfriendly, Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to remain an eco-travesty. With a little bit of effort and thoughtfulness, we can show love to both our sweetheart and planet at the same time. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Texas Drinking Water — A Lesson for the United States

Texas is the largest state in the continental United States, and home to Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, three of the top ten most populous cities in the nation. The Lone Star State has pioneered many famous firsts and larger than life landmarks, and seems to do things in its own way. In 1870, Texas built the Waco Bridge, the first suspension bridge in the United States that is still in use today as a pedestrian crossing, and the dome of the capitol building in Austin stands seven feet higher than that of the nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C. The world’s longest fishing pier is in Port Lavaca, the world’s first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883, and the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world’s largest rose garden, with over 38,000 rose bushes representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22-acre garden. Texas has a total of 6,300 square miles of inland lakes and streams, second only to Alaska, and more land is farmed in Texas than in any other state in the nation, including California.

Texas 50-Year Projected Water Supply and Demand

It’s no wonder that Texas is also a national leader in water management. With its massive population, vast farming acres, and generally arid climate, the state has taken proactive measures to ensure that it has adequate water supply for its myriad needs. In 1997, Texas developed its first statewide water plan and has faithfully updated it every five years since then. The statewide plan combines information from 16 regional plans, each with its own 50-year projected water demands as well as strategies for new water supply. Since the population in Texas is expected to increase over 80% by the year 2060, growing from 25.4 million to 46.3 million people, the most recent statewide water plan (completed in 2012) predicts a gap between supply and demand of over eight million acre-feet by 2060, which would require an astronomical $53 billion investment in new water supply strategies. And that $53 billion represents less than a quarter of the total need of $231 billion for water supplies, water treatment and distribution, wastewater treatment and collection, and flood control required for the state of Texas in the next 50 years. As a result of this dismal forecast, Texas voters approved a new $2 billion revolving loan fund in an effort to avoid the insurmountable deficit. The fund provides monetary support for projects in the state water plan, and requires that at least 20% of the funds be used for conservation and reuse strategies and 10% be used for rural areas.

The emergency water line from the River Road Wastewater Treatment Facility Photo: City of Wichita Falls — The emergency water line from the River Road Wastewater Treatment Facility
Photo: City of Wichita Falls

Recommendations to increase water supply include reservoirs and wells, conservation, drought management, and desalination. Another strong recommendation is reuse, in which Texas is already a trail-blazing leader. In fact, Texas is the only state in the nation to have implemented direct potable reuse (DPR) in not one, but two cities – Big Spring and Wichita Falls. The Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD), serving the communities of Big Spring, Snyder, and Midland, Texas, spent over ten years researching and testing before determining that their best option was DPR, and in May of 2013, the nation’s first DPR plant, which is capable of treating up to two million gallons of wastewater effluent per day to drinking water standards, was officially opened. Wichita Falls constructed a 13-mile pipeline that connects the city’s wastewater treatment plant to its water treatment plant. Treated wastewater is then piped directly to the water treatment plant for further treatment, with no environmental buffer. However, both plants do mix their wastewater effluent with raw water before treating it for drinking water. As for the “yuck factor” associated with DPR? It was really never an issue. The dire drought conditions and critical need for drinking water made Texans very receptive to DPR. After a few public meetings, press releases, TV and radio spots, and an educational video, local residents were overwhelmingly on board with the idea.

Groundwater Replenishment System, Orange County, CA

And others have taken notice. California’s Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) is a cutting-edge indirect potable reuse (IPR) system that could be turned into a DPR system if necessary. The GWRS system takes wastewater effluent that would have discharged into the Pacific Ocean and instead purifies it to actually exceed both state and federal drinking water standards. This highly treated water is then discharged into percolation basins in Anaheim, where sand and gravel naturally filter the water prior to returning it to the drinking water system. In addition, the WateReuse Research Foundation (WRRF) and WateReuse California worked together to raise $4 million from 30 different water and wastewater agencies to support research for DPR. And Colorado, whose population has skyrocketed in recent years and is expected to double from its current five million to ten million by 2050, approved the state’s first ever water action plan in November of 2015.

And this is just the beginning. With population increasing exponentially and supply steadily decreasing due to climate change and drought, local and regional communities as well as states and the federal government will have to continually seek innovative, efficient ways to meet the ever-increasing demand. With its comprehensive water action plan, DPR implementation and education, and proactive funding of water projects, Texas has carved an innovative path that is providing much-needed guidance and hope to a thirsty nation.

7 Tips to Weather the Winter — Water-Wisely!

Winter has descended in full force, and with it comes blizzards, nor’easters, and every other type of snowstorm. It also brings the potential for some serious water pollution. While managing the ever-growing blanket of snow and ice this winter, be sure to keep these tips in mind in order to protect our water supply and environment.

Shovel early and often. While this may not seem like much of a pollution deterrent, it actually makes a huge difference. Removing the bulk of snow before it is allowed to freeze greatly reduces the amount of deicing products needing to be applied. Consider utilizing a garden hoe to remove that last pesky layer of ice.
Dispose of all of that shoveled snow in vegetated areas, and avoid shoveling into streets or waterways. Snow that is shoveled into the street has nowhere to go but into storm drains and streams, picking up pollutants along the way. However, snow disposed of in vegetated areas will soak into the ground, reducing the amount of polluted runoff entering waterways. The ideal place to dispose of snow is in a rain garden.
Avoid using deicers such as rock salt as much as possible. When winter ends and all of the snow and ice starts to melt, the remaining salt finds its way into storm drains and streams, and enters our drinking water supply untreated. Rock salt wreaks havoc on aquatic life and can cause dead zones at the bottom of lakes and reservoirs. Because it is so widely used, northern water bodies are becoming increasingly overloaded with salt, and the cleanup is both expensive and energy-intensive. In addition to polluting the environment, salt deteriorates pavement and concrete, corrodes vehicles, and leaches into soil, which changes soil composition and inhibits plant growth. It is also detrimental to pets’ health when ingested and paws when walked upon. Other deicers such as calcium chloride, potassium chloride, and acetates do not contain salt and are a better option, but should still be used only very sparingly, as they still have a detrimental effect on the environment.
Use only the smallest amounts of sand required for traction control. While admittedly a better option than deicing products, sand has the potential to cause environmental damage as well. Sand can clog storm drains, causing flooding. It can also enter surface waters, clouding the water, burying the ocean floor, and filling in habitats. Due to these environmental concerns, sand should be used only sparingly on icy surfaces and should be swept up promptly at the first sign of spring. Sawdust is an alternative option for traction control that causes less pollution. Still, it should also be swept promptly in the spring.
Pick up pet waste regularly. It can be tough to get motivated to pick up Fido’s waste when the windchill is sub-zero. However, pet waste is loaded with bacteria that enters our waterways through runoff at the first thaw. Don’t wait until spring to clean up after your pets. A little proactive prevention really helps to preserve the integrity of our drinking water supply.
Choose a commercial car wash facility over washing your car at home. While those warm winter days may entice you to break out the garden hose and bucket, the residual water has nowhere to go but down the driveway, particularly when there is a lot of snow cover. Bringing with it soap, dirt, and pollutants along the way, this water enters storm drains and waterways untreated. The Clean Water Act requires that car washes to pipe their used wash water directly to water treatment plants or into state-approved drainage facilities specifically designed to protect the environment. In addition, a commercial car wash uses about half the water used during a home wash. The negligible cost of a commercial car wash is well worth the benefit to the environment.
Dispose of ashes from heating stoves properly. Wood ash contains many elements that can be beneficial to gardens including potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Therefore, composting wood ash is acceptable. However, coal ash absolutely must be disposed of at a landfill or ash recycling center. Coal ash contains elements such as cobalt, boron, and arsenic, which are toxic to people, animals, plants, and our waterways.

Energy Efficiency in Wastewater Treatment = Big Savings for Municipalities

Municipal wastewater treatment requires an enormous amount of energy, which comes at a high cost, both fiscally and environmentally. Energy costs continue to rise while municipal budgets shrink, creating unsustainable operating costs. Indeed, energy efficiency for wastewater utilities is no longer a choice, but a necessity. The good news is that there are many relatively inexpensive and easily implemented ways of controlling energy costs at wastewater treatment facilities, and the payback period can easily justify the investment.

The first step towards making an informed decision about energy efficiency at a wastewater treatment facility is an energy audit. A quality wastewater energy audit takes into account energy efficient equipment replacement, operational changes, and process control, and includes conducting on-site observations, testing wastewater systems and equipment, and monitoring power costs and usage. The result of a well executed energy audit is a justifiable plan of action that provides optimal energy savings, a true road map to energy efficiency.

Once the audit results are in, a number of changes, both large and small, can be made to save on energy costs. Wastewater treatment plants can conserve energy in many ways, from changing light bulbs and upgrading motors to installing combined heat and power systems and other renewable energy technologies. Some energy efficient options are highlighted below:

Equipment & Collection System Upgrades

Variable-Frequency Drives

Variable-frequency drives (VFDs) modify the speed of electric motors by adjusting the amount of power being delivered. These precise drives adjust motor speed to match the exact energy demand needed at any given time. By controlling the amount of power used, VFDs provide significant cost savings to wastewater treatment facilities and to the environment. A good application for VFDs is the blowers on the aeration system. Dissolved oxygen probes installed in the aeration basin can provide real time measurement of oxygen concentration in the wastewater. This information can be sent to the VFDs to speed up or slow down the blowers to provide only the oxygen needed for the biological process to thrive. The result — significant savings and happy microbes.

Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation Systems

Updated HVAC systems that incorporate energy-efficient technologies provide operational savings and reduce energy consumption. Like VFDs, the most cost-effective time to upgrade these systems is when they are already due for replacement.

Energy Efficient Lighting

Installing energy efficient lights and lighting systems is one of the easiest ways to increase energy efficiency at wastewater utilities. Replacing burnt-out lights with fluorescents or LEDs eases into the transition and makes it affordable. Dimmers, motion sensors, and time switches can be installed to save even more energy — and money.

Operating Strategies

Electrical Load Management

Strategies such as improving the power factors of motors, reducing peak demand, and shifting to off-peak hours all provide significant savings for wastewater treatment facilities.

Biosolids Management

Biosolids, or the solid organic matter that is a by-product of the wastewater treatment process, should be managed sustainably in order to reduce both environmental and economic costs. Sustainable biosolids management incorporates efficient methods of treatment, transport, and end-use. By implementing a sustainable biosolids management plan, such as pretreatment for minimizing sludge treatment and recycling/reuse of residual sludge, municipalities can reduce greenhouse gases as well as trucking miles, thereby saving money and generating energy.

Operational Management

While updating equipment is a great way to increase energy efficiency, even more important is training managers and staff to think and operate efficiently. Educating wastewater utilities’ staff on the importance of energy conservation and on best practices yields significant savings for wastewater utilities and the environment.

Inflow and Infiltration Management

Inflow and infiltration (I/I) in a wastewater facility’s collection system results in significantly higher costs to utilities. Increased flow requires additional processing, and results in higher demand to lift station pumps. In addition, systems are at an increased risk of becoming overloaded. Controlling I/I is a key step to becoming a more efficient wastewater treatment facility.

Energy Efficient Technology

Combined Heat and Power

Digester eggs at the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) in Massachusetts

Combined heat and power (CHP), or cogeneration, is a clean, efficient, and sustainable approach to generating power from a single fuel source. Wastewater treatment plants with anaerobic digesters installed produce methane gas as a by-product of digestion. Traditionally, these facilities convert the methane to carbon dioxide and release it into the atmosphere. However, a cleaner and more efficient way of managing methane is to actually utilize it as an energy source. CHP systems are designed to meet the specific energy needs of wastewater treatment plants, and can significantly enhance operational efficiency while decreasing energy costs. In addition, CHP systems are beneficial to the environment in that they reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, which contributes to water scarcity and degradation — a damaging cycle.

In Conclusion

Energy efficiency in wastewater treatment operations is certainly the wave of the future. Because of increased loads and decreased budgets, municipal wastewater treatment plants are finding it necessary to implement cost-effective solutions in order to operate sustainably. Implementing an energy audit and incorporating energy efficient strategies into day-to-day operations at wastewater treatment facilities will provide significant economic and environmental benefits, and provide a safe, clean future for generations to come.

Climate Change and Water Conflict — Keeping the Wolf at Bay

The crisis of our diminishing water resources is just as severe any wartime crisis we have ever faced. —Jim Wright, U.S. Representative, The Coming Water Famine, 1966

Water is life. No truer words were ever spoken, for without freshwater, life simply cannot exist. The first civilization in recorded history settled in Mesopotamia, or the “cradle of civilization” which is now modern day Iraq, Iran, Syria, Kuwait, and Turkey, due to its location between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. And since the dawn of history, water conflict has erupted when supply has become scarce.

The first recorded water conflict took place in the “Gu’edena” region, known as the “edge of paradise.” King Urlama, who ruled Lagash from 2450 to 2400 BC, diverted regional water to boundary canals, which dried up boundary ditches and deprived Umma of water. Furthering his father’s work, King Urlama’s son cut off the water supply to Girsu, a city in Umma. Since this first recorded water war, water conflict has erupted regularly on planet Earth, with a high percentage of the conflict occurring in the Middle East.

Prior to the mid-twentieth century, the vast majority of water conflict came about as a result of a pre-existing war; that is, water was diverted or targeted as a military tactic. However, since the 1950s, targeted disputes over water access have increased exponentially, which should come as no surprise. After all, global population has nearly tripled in that time, from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 7.3 billion in 2015. And it continues to grow.

At the same time, climate change has begun to wreak havoc on global water supplies. Since 1950, the planet has warmed by approximately 1°, resulting in about 5.7% of the Earth’s total land area shifting toward warmer and drier climate types from 1950–2010. These warmer climates include expansion of arid climate zones and reduction in polar ice caps. And that’s just from one single degree. Experts predict that the earth’s temperature will increase five times that amount during this century alone, and unless we globally commit to taking climate action, at least one-third of the globe will fall into a state of near permanent drought by 2050.

40% of Israel's drinking water comes from desalination, like this IDE seawater desalination plant in Ashkelon — 40% of Israel’s drinking water comes from desalination, like this IDE seawater desalination plant in Ashkelon

So what is the solution? Fortunately, global populations are taking notice, and nations have begun to work cooperatively towards a sustainable future. At the Paris Climate Conference held in December of 2015, water was of particular focus: the Paris Pact on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Basins of Rivers, Lakes, and Aquifers was signed, and The Paris Call for Actions was officially launched. In addition, individual nations are implementing regulations and guidelines to provide for a more sustainable future. Many nations in the arid Middle East, including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, have embraced desalination as a viable technology for years, and are now looking to reclaimed water to augment their water supply. British Columbia, Canada recently passed The Water Sustainability Act, which allows the government to manage surface water and groundwater as one resource, provide water users with greater certainty regarding their water rights, and establish clear rules about managing water during times of scarcity. The Act, which goes into effect early this year, was enacted to ensure that water stays healthy and secure for future generations of British Columbians.

Purple pipes and signs indicate reclaimed water, which is more frequently being used for irrigation in arid areas like California

In the United States, water conservation has been brought to the forefront of the public eye, and the EPA has implemented its Sustainable Water Infrastructure program to provide technical support and financial resources to states to increase water and energy efficiency in water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. The goal of the program is to assist water and wastewater facilities in saving water and energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Recycled wastewater is being used to recharge groundwater supplies and to irrigate crops, and the western hemisphere’s largest ocean desalination plant is currently under construction in California. Stormwater is now being viewed as a resource rather than a waste product, with Low Impact Development and sustainable stormwater management practices now commonplace. Engineers are working diligently to innovate energy efficient water conservation technologies, while municipal and governmental entities have been educating the public on the value of water and conservation techniques.

If climate change is allowed to continue uninhibited, people and nations will be forced to compete for water. As is evidenced by the unrest and violence in Syria and the resulting socio-economic devasation, drought and water scarcity exacerbate tensions and contribute to conflict. With increasing population and decreasing supply, there simply won’t be enough water to go around. Even water-rich communities will feel the effects of climate change. While parts of the planet dry up, high latitudes will experience extremely heavy rainfall that increases the level of pollutants, sediment, and nutrients in water, resulting in degraded water quality. Unless climate change is addressed, the global population faces a water crisis that will reach every corner of the globe. As Jean Chrétien, former Canadian prime minister and co-chair of the InterAction Council so eloquently stated,“The future political impact of water scarcity may be devastating. Using water the way we have in the past simply will not sustain humanity in future.”

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Make a New Year’s Resolution to Exercise – Your Hydrants!

With the beginning of each new year come all sorts of resolutions – to eat better, spend less, organize the house, and clean the garage. But the most commonly made resolution by far is to exercise to get into better shape. And while we agree with this resolution 100%, it may not be for the reasons you think. You see, we think you DO need to exercise – your fire hydrants!

Hydrant Calisthenics

Exercising hydrants comes in the form of unidirectional flushing (UDF) which, just as the name implies, flushes water in one direction from the cleanest possible source, such as a well, outward to dirty mains, finally exiting a hydrant. This unique process is utilized to maintain a distribution system as well as learn critical information about the system, allowing utilities to make future improvements based on the information acquired. The primary goal of UDF is to clean water mains, removing as much sediment, debris, and loose tuberculation as possible. Performing unidirectional flushing on an annual basis helps to avoid tuberculation and sedimentation buildup. Water mains that are not flushed on a regular, scheduled basis run the risk of building up tuberculation to the point that the buildup cannot be removed by flushing, and this can have a significantly negative impact on water quality, fire flows, and distribution system efficiency.

While the primary objective of unidirectional flushing is to clean mains, there are also many secondary goals and benefits. Exercising hydrants and valves prolongs the life of the valves while also locating closed or broken valves. In addition, flushing helps to narrow down a search area when trying to determine the cause of water quality or pressure issues in a specific area of the system. In a best case scenario, the flushing will actually alleviate the water quality issues by flushing out any debris or buildup that is causing the problem. Also, there are often discrepancies between the hydraulic model and the distribution system that can be discovered and addressed during flushing. Lastly, flushing helps to determine or disprove suspected system issues. Frequently, these issues are not of an emergency nature and can either be readily corrected during the flushing process or can be scheduled for repair at a convenient time, BEFORE they require critical attention.

According to The American Water Works Association (AWWA), “distribution system deficiencies continue to be responsible for more then 25 percent of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States each year, a statistic that underscores the need for water suppliers to effectively control water quality within the distribution system. Flushing is one of the most powerful tools available to a water utility for maintaining this control.” For this reason, AWWA has published a set of guidelines to follow when implementing a unidirectional flushing program. They recommend a minimum velocity of 3.0 feet per second, and also recommend that system pressure in the surrounding area maintain 20 psi, similar to the concept of adequate fire flow availability.

Conclusion

There is a great deal of information that can be gathered during flushing, and the better the quality of data recorded, the easier it is to compare data, making it easier to determine if changes are occurring or if a problem has developed in the distribution system. Each step of the process is important, and a successful flushing program is a continuous process. The data should be compared on a yearly basis, at a minimum. Gaining five pounds over the course of one year seems insignificant; however, gaining five pounds per year over a course of five years will find a person with his weight up 25 pounds — and that IS significant. The same holds true for distribution systems. If the data is not reviewed annually, small problems have the potential to become large problems, and simple system improvements run the risk of being overlooked.

So while you are making your new year’s resolutions, be sure to include exercise…of your hydrants — your distribution system, customers, and operators will surely thank you. Happy New Year!

12 Months of Giving — Keeping the Holiday Spirit Alive Throughout the Year

During the holiday season, we typically hear about gifts on the 12 days of Christmas, eight days of Chanukkah, or seven days of Kwanza. And in the spirit of the season of gift-giving, many people choose this time of year to donate food to shelters or toys to needy children. We here at Tata & Howard love this time of year and the generosity that is so prevalent, but we are also committed to giving back to the local and global community throughout the year. So this holiday season, we have compiled the 12 Months of Giving — a list of 12 philanthropic events in which we have had the honor of participating in 2015.

Charity of Choice: Water For People
Most Tata & Howard employee-owners donate to Water For People with every paycheck through automatic payroll deductions, and the company matches 100% of donations made in this way.
Water For People Golf Tournament
Tata & Howard sponsored the American Water Works Association, Connecticut Section Golf Classic to benefit Water For People this past August. All funds raised by the event were donated to Water For People.
Rally for the Jimmy Fund
Employee-owners participated in the Rally for the Jimmy Fund in April. The Rally encourages people to wear Red Sox gear on Opening Day at Fenway Park in exchange for a donation to the Jimmy Fund, and has raised over $4 million for cancer research since its inception in 2006.
Special Olympics of Massachusetts (SOMA)
Some of our philanthropy is through the gift of time. Justine Carroll, P.E., has volunteered for SOMA for over 15 years as a swimming coach with the Belmont, Massachusetts swim team, and each year she has helped 30 to 40 athletes on her team participate in the Special Olympics Summer Games held every June at Harvard University. In addition to her full schedule as a Project Manager and Team Leader at Tata & Howard, her commitment as a coach involves training sessions twice a week in preparation for Special Olympics. Now that’s dedication!
Racing for the Jimmy Fund
Employee-owners supported co-workers Joel Loitherstein, P.E., LSP, and Heidi White as they participated in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) and Mass Dash for the Jimmy Fund, respectively. PMC is an annual 200-mile, 2-day bike-a-thon that crosses Massachusetts starting in Sturbridge and ending in Provincetown. Mass Dash is a grassroots, 100-mile relay in Massachusetts that starts at Mount Greylock and ends in Amherst. Both races raise funds for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with PMC raising over $500 million and Mass Dash raising over $500,000 since their inception.
Camp Sunshine
Tata & Howard participated in National Flip Flop Day in June. The holiday was started nine years ago in an effort to raise funds to benefit Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Employee-owners wore flip flops to work in exchange for a donation to Camp Sunshine, which was matched 100% by Tata & Howard’s Philanthropy Committee.
The Watershed Fund Annual Fundraiser
Tata & Howard sponsored the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) annual golf tournament to support The Watershed Fund in August. The Watershed Fund recognizes that land use choices are important decisions confronting many towns and individuals across the region, and strives to enhance the environment and improve quality of life by protecting drinking water supplies and threatened watershed lands.
Navajo Nation Monetary Donation
After learning that people living on American soil lacked access to clean water, Tata & Howard employee-owners, along with a match from the company, donated to Navajo Water Project, a subsidiary of DIGDEEP that works to provide safe, accessible drinking water to Native Americans living in Navajo Nation.
Food Drive
In October, employee-owners participated in a month-long food drive to benefit local food banks. Among all offices, Tata & Howard donated over 400 pounds of food.
City of Marlborough
In December, employee-owners contributed to the Mayor’s Charity Relief Fund of Marlborough, Massachusetts, which helps residents of the city in need of financial assistance at times of crisis or hardship. Tata & Howard’s corporate office is located in Marlborough, and employee-owners were glad to be able to support the local community.
DARE Family Services
For the holiday season, employee-owners donated handpicked gifts to foster children in Massachusetts through DARE Family Services, a non-profit whose primary mission is to find, train, and support loving homes that will help children become resilient and overcome the trauma of serious abuse and neglect. DARE Family Services has six offices throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, including its administrative offices in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Navajo Nation Water Cistern Donation
Tata & Howard again supported the Navajo Water Project by purchasing a 1,200-gallon water cistern, which will provide the necessary water storage for a full running water system in one Navajo American Home. The gift was purchased in honor of Tata & Howard’s clients in lieu of holiday cards.

As 2015 comes to a close, we at Tata & Howard are thankful that we have been fortunate enough to have the ability to support a variety of charitable organizations throughout the year. In 2016, we look forward to participating in additional philanthropic activities both as a company and as individuals, and to continue to do our part to improve the environment — and world — in which we live. Happy Holidays!

Clean Air Day 2015: 52 Years of Clean Air

We celebrate Clean Air Day on December 17 each year in honor of the Clean Air Act, which was first passed on that day in 1963. The Clean Air Act, which is a federal law, was originally adopted in an effort to control air pollution. It was one of the first environmental laws in the United States and it helped pave the way for future environmental safeguards, including the Clean Water Act of 1972, which protects our nation’s waters. Both the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act are administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in coordination with state and local governments. To this day, the Clean Air Act remains one of the most exhaustive air quality laws in the world.

Why the Clean Air Act was formed

Air pollution is largely attributed to the Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 1700s in England and spread to the United States by the early 1800s. Industrialization brought significant air degradation in the form of deforestation and chemical and particulate pollution, and the advent of gas-powered automobiles only exacerbated it. With no regulations, air quality left many in the early Industrial Age with asthma, respiratory illness, and heart disease. “Killer smogs” were not uncommon, often blanketing manufacturing towns in a thick, toxic fog.

donora_pa_smog — The Killer Smog of 1948, Donora, PA

On October 27, 1948, the town of Donora, Pennsylvania experienced one of the worst environmental disasters in American history when atmospheric conditions trapped pollution from The Donora Zinc Works of the American Steel and Wire Company. While the town often experienced smog overnight, it typically dissipated in the morning. However, on that October day in 1948, cold air formed a temperature inversion that trapped the noxious mix of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and heavy metal dusts that bellowed continuously from the smokestacks of The Donora Zinc Works, which employed most of the town. By the time a rain storm ended the smog on October 31, 7,000 people, or half the town’s population, had fallen ill, and 20 had died. During the disaster, The Donora Zinc Works refused to cease operations, only closing on October 31 after the damage had been done.

The nation reeled from the disaster and demanded regulations concerning air pollution. In 1949, the First National Air Pollution Symposium was held in Pasadena, CA, and in 1950, President Harry Truman assembled the U.S. Technical Conference on Air Pollution in Washington, D.C. From these events, a 1952 resolution on health research passed in the House, but, with the Donora disaster now four years in the past and fading in memory, the measure failed in the Senate. However, another environmental disaster took place in 1952 and spawned U.S. Congress to finally take action against air pollution.

great_smog_1952 — An Arsenal goalkeeper peers into the smog, which was so thick the game was eventually stopped. Photograph: PA, 1952

Considered still to be the worst man-made environmental disaster in history, even surpassing the Chernobyl nuclear explosion, the Great Smog of 1952 in London is considered to be the catalyst for the global environmental movement. On December 5, 1952, temperatures in London, England plummeted, causing Londoners to burn more coal to keep their homes warm, which released excessive amounts of hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide, and particulates into the air. At the same time, the frigid air created a temperature inversion — similar to Donora’s in 1948 — that held the poisonous smog close to the ground. Visibility was less than one foot, causing many businesses to shut down and residents to stay home. The toxic smog lifted four days later, and what Londoners found shocked them: over 100,000 Londoners had fallen ill, and over 4,000 had died. To make matters worse, over the next few months over 8,000 additional people died from respiratory or heart complications as a direct result of the lethal smog.

Interestingly enough, New York City also experienced a killer smog in 1953, where 200 people succumbed to the noxious fumes over a five-day period; however, the event was not reported until 1962, when history repeated itself with a similar smog that killed another 200 people in the Big Apple. Because it was not reported, the 1953 smog of New York City had no effect on the passage of the Clean Air Act.

Spurring global action, the Great Smog of 1952 expedited the passing of both Great Britain’s and the United States’ first federal legislations pertaining to air pollution. In 1956, Great Britain passed the Clean Air Act that regulated smoke, and in 1968 the Act was extended to include industry. Similarly in the United States, the 1955 Air Pollution Control Act allocated three million dollars per year for five years to the U.S. Public Health Service to fund air pollution research, air pollution control research, and technical and training assistance to states. While the Act brought air pollution to the federal level and provided funding for research, no federal regulations were actually formed. It wasn’t until The Clean Air Act of 1963, enacted on December 17 and celebrated annually since then as Clean Air Day, that the first federal legislation involving air pollution control was established.

smog_beijing — Smog blankets Beijing, China

China is now experiencing an air pollution crisis similar to those experienced by the United States and Great Britain in the mid-20^th century, and finds itself learning lessons that have already been learned. This month, Beijing was issued its first ever red alert in December over pollution levels deemed hazardous to health, forcing the capital to shut down schools and construction sites in an effort to take cars off the road and to keep people indoors. Capitalizing on their country’s global third place ranking for air quality, Canadian company Vitality Air shipped 500 bottles of “mountain fresh air” to China two months prior to the red alert — and quickly sold out, even with a hefty price tag of about $18.50US per bottle. Another shipment of 700 bottles is scheduled this month.

Milestones

The Air Quality Act of 1967 authorized enforcement procedures involving interstate transport of pollutants, and major amendments to the Clean Air Act passed in 1970, 1977, and 1990. A brief overview of milestones of the Clean Air Act is as follows:

The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955:

First federal air pollution legislation
Funded research on scope and sources of air pollution

Clean Air Act of 1963:

Authorized a national program to address air pollution
Authorized research into techniques to minimize air pollution

Air Quality Act of 1967:

Authorized enforcement procedures involving interstate transport of pollutants
Expanded research activities

clean_air_act_1970 — President Nixon signs the Clean Air Act of 1970

Clean Air Act of 1970 greatly expanded federal enforcement and the federal mandate, requiring comprehensive federal and state regulations for both stationary and mobile pollution sources:

Established National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Established requirements for State Implementation Plans to achieve them
Establishment of New Source Performance Standards for new and modified stationary sources
Establishment of National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
Increased enforcement authority
Authorized control of motor vehicle emissions

1970 was a big year for the environment. In addition to the comprehensive expansion of the Clean Air Act, the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970 as a means of bringing national awareness to the fact that the environment needed protection. Later that same year, on December 2, the EPA was established to consolidate a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement activities into one agency to ensure environmental protection.

1977 Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1970:

Authorized provisions related to prevention of significant deterioration
Authorized provisions relating to non-attainment areas

1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1970 increased enforcement authority, established a national permits program for stationary sources, and addressed acid rain, ozone depletion, and toxic air pollution:

Authorized programs for acid deposition (acid rain) control
Authorized controls for 189 toxic pollutants, including those previously regulated by the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants
Established permit program requirements
Expanded and modified provisions concerning National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Expanded and modified enforcement authority

In Conclusion

Boston, MA consistently measures "very low" for air pollution — Boston, MA consistently measures “very low” for air pollution

Today, United States air quality is ranked in the top 20% globally, and improves with each passing year. Federal and state regulations, more sensitive air quality monitoring, improved remediation methods, safer manufacturing processes, more efficient automobiles, and increased public education and awareness are all ways in which we as a nation have decreased air pollution in the United States. As we celebrate Clean Air Day and the 52nd anniversary of the Clean Air Act, we can all breathe easy knowing that we as a nation are committed to continually improving our environment so that it is safe now and for future generations.

It Takes a Village to Manage Stormwater

What’s the big deal about stormwater? After all, it’s just rain, right? Not really. Rain or snow that lands on pervious, or porous, surfaces such as forests, gardens, or fields soaks into the ground and is naturally filtered and cleaned by layers of dirt and rocks, after which it finds its way to groundwater and drinking water supplies. Stormwater is precipitation that runs off impervious surfaces, such as rooftops, paved areas, lawns, and bare soil, directly into lakes and streams. Because it does not infiltrate and is therefore not filtered prior to entering ground or surface waters, stormwater is contaminated by everything it picks up along the way. These pollutants include but are not limited to pesticides, motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze, road salt, trash, fertilizers, sewage, bacteria, and pet waste, and they wreak havoc on drinking water supplies.

Common problems associated with waters polluted by stormwater include bacterial and nitrogen overload, low-oxygen dead zones, toxic algae blooms, litter-strewn waterways, damage to coastal marshes, and beach closures. In addition, pollutants carried by stormwater can harm or kill fish and wildlife, destroy vegetation and wildlife habitats, and foul drinking water. And all of these problems come with a very high environmental and monetary price tag. The most cost-effective way to manage stormwater pollution is to prevent it in the first place, which requires the cooperation of the government, municipalities, and individuals.

How the Government Helps

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has instituted stormwater regulations under its Clean Water Act, which aims to protect our nation’s water so that it is clean, drinkable, fishable, swimmable, and healthy. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Three specific contaminants of concern are bacteria, phosphorus, and nitrogen, and many of our nation’s rivers, streams, and lakes are already widely contaminated by these pollutants.

NPDES Municipal Storm Water Permitting Program regulates stormwater discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). MS4 refers to systems including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, and storm drains that are owned or operated by a state, district, county, city, town, or other public body (created by or pursuant to state law).

Phase I of the NPDES stormwater program for MS4s requires operators of medium and large MS4s, or those that serve populations of 100,000 or greater, to implement a stormwater management program in order to control polluted discharges from these MS4s. Phase II extends coverage of the NPDES stormwater program to certain small MS4s, but utilizes a modified approach to how the stormwater management program is developed and implemented.

How Municipalities Help

parking_lot_impervious — Stormwater fees are based on the amount of impervious surfaces on a property

Increasingly, municipalities are addressing the issue of stormwater through regional collaboratives, education, legislation, and taxation. Last January, the Portland, Maine City Council unanimously voted to charge property owners a stormwater fee, which is dependent on the size of their rooftops and driveways or parking lots. The fee goes into effect this coming January and will cost the average homeowner roughly $4.50 per month, but will have a much larger impact on businesses like L.L.Bean, which will incur a monthly fee of just under $10,000. Several other municipalities in New England have implemented similar fees, including Chicopee, Fall River, Northampton, Newton, and Reading, MA, and Burlington, VT. Across the nation, over 500 municipalities, including major cities such as Minneapolis, Baltimore, Charlotte, Des Moines, Philadelphia, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Orlando, have also begun imposing stormwater fees. While many residents and businesses have complained about this alleged “rain tax,” the fees actually assist with the remediation and cleanup necessary due to stormwater pollution, which is exacerbated by impervious cover. It is possible for homeowners and businesses to reduce stormwater fees by reducing the square footage of their property’s impervious surfaces.

Regional collaboratives, aiming to comply with the NPDES Permit Program, are becoming increasingly common with MS4 permittees. These collaboratives, such as the Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition (CMRSWC) in south-central Massachusetts, hold workshops together with stormwater engineering consultants in an effort to determine the most essential tasks for stormwater management as well as the critical content of each task. With this method, these municipalities are able to pool resources to identify and implement the most efficient, cost-effective methods of meeting MS4 Permit compliance within their communities.

green_roof_stormwater — Green roofs help manage stormwater in urban settings

How Individuals Can Help

Mitigating stormwater pollution requires a multi-faceted best practice approach that involves not only federal and local agencies and municipalities, but also homeowners and individuals. There are many ways for individuals to reduce stormwater pollution including cleaning up and properly disposing of pet waste in a timely fashion, maintaining healthy septic systems, reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and implementing cleaner automotive operations. In addition, homeowners may implement Low Impact Development (LID) practices on their property to manage stormwater and to save water. Some of the easiest and most cost-effective LID practices include installing rain barrels, rain gardens, green roofs, and permeable pavers. Comprehensive information on LID may be found here, and of course, public education is key. Some other important ways that individuals can mitigate stormwater pollution are as follows:

ladybug_pest_management — Ladybugs are a natural predator to pests such as aphids

- - - Unclog residential storm drainages that become blocked
    - Cover truck loads or piles of dirt, mulch, yard waste, and other debris
    - Dispose of chemicals, such as motor oil, paint, and grease, properly
    - Have septic systems professionally inspected and pumped at a minimum of once every three years
    - Wash vehicles on on the lawn or other unpaved, porous surface
    - Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces and clean roof gutters annually
    - Check vehicles for leaks
    - Avoid pesticides by utilizing Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
    - Cover bare spots in the yard with plants, rocks, or even a water garden
    - Sweep driveways and walkways instead of hosing them off
    - Make sure all trash containers are tightly covered so that trash doesn’t enter the environment

Rain gardens filter stormwater, provide habitat for wildlife, and beautify the area

Because the monetary and environmental cost of damage caused by stormwater is so exorbitant, it is imperative that communities take action to proactively prevent stormwater runoff before it causes damage. The old adage about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure is quite applicable in the case of stormwater, as methods for stormwater prevention are both inexpensive and simple to implement, whereas cleanup and treatment are costly. However, best stormwater management practices require cooperative involvement of governments, municipalities, businesses, and residents. In other words, it really does take a village to manage stormwater.

World Soil Day 2015 — Why It Matters

World Soil Day, which was officially sanctioned by Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2012, falls on December 5 each year, the same day as King Adulyadej’s birthday. Bringing together nations around the globe, World Soil Day led to 2015 being declared International Year of Soils. This special year, which has promoted soil awareness through events and education, will come to a close at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, on World Soil Day 2015. To further illustrate the success of World Soil Day, this same day will also serve as the launch of the first ‘Status of the World Soil Resources Report’.

Fast facts on soil

Soil provides habitat to an abundance of species both above and below ground
The health of soil has a direct impact on the nutritional value of the food we eat – both animal and plant
Carbon is a key component of the soil as it controls many processes, including water storage, soil structure, and nutrient cycling
Soil that is high in organic carbon content increases infiltration and water retention, which in turn increases drought resistance
Every gram of soil organic carbon holds up to eight grams of water
Soils lose carbon through degradation, but can be restored through best management practices
Conventional agricultural practices cause soil erosion at a rate of up to 100 times greater than the rate of natural soil formation
One inch of topsoil takes over 500 years to form through natural processes
Soil stores 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions
By increasing soil organic matter by only 1%, all of the carbon added to the atmosphere since the Industrial Age would be removed

Why is soil so important?

Only 15% of the Earth’s land is suitable for growing crops. With the rapid increase in global population, demand for food is on the rise and it has become more important than ever to maintain the health of the land’s fertile soil. In fact, over the past 40 years, one third of our world’s arable land has become degraded. Even more concerning, 75% of the degradation of the soil is considered severe. Contributing to the degradation is the practice of continual plowing of fields, excessive use of fertilizers, and deforestation.

Healthy soils not only provide the basis for our global food supply, they also hold far more water than unhealthy soils. The organic matter in soils acts as a giant sponge, holding about 20% of its weight in water. It also recycles nutrients that plants require, improving the health of plants and greatly reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Because healthy soils hold so much water, they also reduce stormwater runoff, nutrient loading, erosion, and the need for irrigation. Healthy soils are a key contributor to the overall health of our environment, and they also provide significant cost savings to farmers, homeowners, and municipalities by reducing the need for chemicals, irrigation, and water treatment. Therefore, it is paramount that we protect the arable land that we have and try to increase the health of our soils.

How soil becomes contaminated

Soil contamination is caused by the addition of human-made chemicals to soil. The contamination typically exists as a result of leaking or ruptured underground storage tanks (USTs), pesticide application, contaminated surface water infiltration, landfill waste leaching, or direct discharge of oil, fuel, or industrial waste. The most common chemical contaminants are pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents (such as those from dry cleaning operations), lead, and other heavy metals.

What we can do

There are many methods by which to protect our existing soils as well as to improve the health of degraded soils. To do this, we need to implement best land management practices including holistic farming methods, reduction in impervious surfaces, reforestation, and restoring wetlands. In addition, remediation of contaminated soils, particularly those in urban settings, greatly increases environmental health.

Fortunately, just as our water can be treated and cleaned, our soil can be remediated as well. Many contaminated sites can successfully be remediated with in-situ cleanup using soil vapor extraction, air sparging, bioremediation, and enhanced monitored natural attenuation technologies. Because our natural ecology is so interconnected, remediation of contaminated soils brings a myriad of environmental benefits including improved soil, air, and water quality, increased future arable land, and decreased virgin land development.

Besides soil remediation, which needs to be performed by licensed experts such as Licensed Site Professionals in Massachusetts and Licensed Environmental Professionals in Connecticut, there are steps we can take at home to improve soil. Planting intelligently within managed landscapes, increasing groundcover and vegetation, applying mulch and composts, retaining crop stubble, reducing tillage, and using organic fertilizers all contribute to improving the health of soil. In addition, Low Impact Development (LID) practices, typically utilized to manage stormwater, also help to save topsoil and improve the health of our soils. Installing rain barrels, planting rain gardens, utilizing permeable pavers, and disconnecting impervious surfaces are just a few of the ways in which we can do our individual part to save the world’s arable land.

Happy World Soil Day!

Category: The T&H Blog