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Wet
Weather Issues:
A
Complicated Environmental Challenge
As pollution from wastewater treatment plants has
been reduced, it has become clear that further cleanup can be
achieved only if we control pollution from urban system wet weather discharges.
. .
Brownfields
Revitalization:
Charles Town/Ranson West Virginia
On
Friday, October 4, the Cities of Ranson and Charles Town, WV, launched their
“Commerce Corridor” Revitalization Project at the Dixie Narco building in
Ranson. Representative
Shelley Moore Capito and USEPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman.
. .
National
Dam Award
The
Black Rock, a historic embankment built by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in
New Mexico, recently received the Association of State Dam and Safety Officials
(ASDSO) National Rehabilitation Project of the Year Award.
SWPhII
Communities: A Watershed Approach
One of the cornerstones of
Pennsylvania’s storm water strategy is watershed planning under Act 167.
. .
Pennsylvania
Phase II Regs:
What To Expect
The USEPA and the states have
designated “urbanized areas” with storm sewer systems subject to
the new Phase II Storm Water Regulations. . .
A
Virginia First:
A 10 MGD Underground Pump Station
In
her paper entitled, "It's Not Just Groundwater, It's Just Water
Underground," Gannett Fleming's Jessica Waibel discusses the creative
challenges involved with designing a 10 mgd underground water booster pumping
station.
 The
facility, designed for the City of Falls Church, VA, was
the largest underground water booster pumping station ever supplied, by the largest package pumping
station manufacturer in the U.S. (Engineered Fluids, Inc.).
The
paper explains how this fast-track design project was accomplished in less than
90 days, while overcoming several obstacles along the way.
As reported last issue, Jessica presented her paper at Water Jam 2002. Contact
her for more information, and be sure to check back next issue for more on this feature project.
Dam Engineering
Roller-Compacted
Concrete (RCC) Technology. Gannett Fleming's Paul
Schweiger, Rodney Holderbaum and Don
Roarabaugh recently wrote a paper entitled "Timber-Faced RCC Dam: A
Historic Look At State-of-the-Art Technology." 
The paper presents the
challenges faced and approaches used to economically replace
the deteriorated Bear Creak Timber Crib Dam using modern materials and
techniques.
Key issues
included selecting the RCC mix and mixing plant, quality control during
construction, RCC delivery and placement equipment and the facing treatment.
Grouting.
"A New State-of-the-Art In Grouting -AIA Grouting Systems," written by
Gannett Fleming Engineers Dave Wilson and
Trent Dreese, discusses the first Advanced Integrated Analytical (AIA) System for grouting, the
IntelliGroutTM System (U.S. Patent Pending- introduced in
2001).
AIA Systems are fundamentally different in nature from Data Collection
& Display (DCD) Systems, and they represent an enormous leap forward beyond
what recently has been considered state-of-the-art grouting technology.
The IntelliGrout System is a comprehensive integration of data
collection, real-time data display, database functions, real-time analytical
capabilities and CADD. Information can be
input or extracted and displayed real-time through any of the source component
To
learn more about this impressive new technology and AIA systems, be sure to stay
tuned to future issues.
Water:
Our Most Precious Resource
Part
2: System
Vulnerability Assessments,
A Federal/Legal Perspective
As
reported last issue, the Pennsylvania Section AWWA and Water Works Operators' Association
recently held a joint meeting to
discuss water utility risk and vulnerability assessments (VAs).
USEPA
and legal representatives discussed current federal
guidelines and approaches for water utilities to consider when
planning and implementing security protocols.
Meeting
highlights included:
Capabilities.
USEPA's core VA responsibilities are to:
>
provide guidance
> educate
> keep water flowing
> mitigate (eg, protect SCADA systems)
> review alternatives
> enact emergency powers (in the event of
an attack)
USEPA's
Water Information Sharing Access Center (ISAC) is also an important VA
resource. ISAC is a secure web site accessible to community water systems.
System
Liability. An important legal point is to involve counsel early in the
VA design process (see Issue 6 for more on VA design). This will help
avoid water system liability in the event of a catastrophe.
Big
Picture. VAs need only be conducted once; but it's important for water
systems to account for security issues 5 - 10 years down-the-road.
For
more information access the USEPA web site at www.epa.gov/safewater/security.
Storm
Water TV
On October 3, 2002, the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (PADEP) conducted a webcast on PADEP’s new storm
water management policy.
According to PADEP more than 200 people viewed the
webcast, in addition to 150 in its regional offices.
This was a far-ranging presentation
that covered all aspects of the policy.
Presentation materials from the webcast can be viewed
on-line by going to www.GreenWorks.tv.
Brownfields National Conference
As
mentioned in Issue 5, The
Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania is presenting the
Brownfields 2002 conference at the Charlotte Convention Center,
Charlotte, NC, Nov. 13-15, 2002.
The conference will include 75 sessions, mobile workshops and
40 roundtable discussions.
For more information, logon to the conference
web site.
Representative
Wet Weather Sites:
National
Science Foundation (Regulatory World Publication) Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Water
Environment Federation
USEPA
(Urban Watershed Management)
USEPA
Region 3 (Combined Sewer Overflows)
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