Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  water management

    Posted 03-08-2017 09:35 AM
    Currently working as Scientist in Water Quality Division of Kerala State, India. While working in the lab I feel that the water quality of the ground water as well as surface water  of the area is deteriorating every day. But the awareness of the people in developing countries like India is increasing. Lot of samples from private parties are coming to the lab for testing. Even though water scarcity is not a problem in Kerala, but the current climate change had a negative effect on the ground water level. Here the scientists/engineers are doing their best to override the situation. I Need expert opinion in rain water harvesting, water/land management, new technologies in sewage treatment, river rejuvenation.

    Regards

    --
    Dr. Dipu Sukumaran
    Scientist
    Water Quality Division
    Centre for Water Resources Development and Management
    Kozhikode, Kerala
    Mob: +917034943531
    Off: +914952351870
     


  • 2.  RE: water management

    Posted 03-09-2017 02:20 PM
    Dr. Sukumaran,

    I am not an expert yet, but I am working on it. The problems of deteriorating water quality and ground water level are my main motivations for studying civil engineering and focusing on water resource management. I am now a Student. I wish I could contribute knowledge that would help you in your dilemma. However, I plan to become expert in slowing the travel of water from the time it falls as precipitation to the point that it meets the surface waterways; streams rivers and oceans. The trick, I think, will be how to get the water from the surface to the subsurface while improving the landscape for the natural flora and fauna--the age of dams is over, at least in the U.S.. I believe water can be moved to the subsurface while regenerating the natural  environment in the watershed.
    One obvious answer that won't work downstream of any civilization, including agriculture--lest the groundwater become polluted as the surface water-- would be to build percolation ponds fed by rivers but then again, this would most likely not improve the environment where these ponds were installed. 
    I plan on doing research on modifying the landscape of desert and temperate forests through planting native shrub and tree lines on contour to get water that is sheeting towards a creek to slowdown and sink to the subsurface. 
    I wish you success in your endeavors. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.


    ------------------------------
    Carl Humphrey S.M.ASCE
    Oxnard CA
    (805)982-0189
    [carl.humphrey.294@...]
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: water management

    Posted 03-13-2017 05:55 PM
    Dipu, can you be more specific in what kind of information you are looking for?  I'm working with my local Engineers Without Borders chapter here in Houston to design and install a rainwater harvesting system in Peru.  We completed the installation in November.  There is a lot of info available on Rainwater Harvesting as well as other technologies that might be applicable but they all have different degrees of applicability and ways of approaching depending on the local capabilities and resources (including money).  I have included a few links and resources I have used below.

    Safe Global Water Institute

    Home | Safe Global Water Institute - Illinois
    Illinois remove preview
    Home | Safe Global Water Institute - Illinois
    SGWI taps the power and energy of students and faculty towards global development challenges to create collaborative research experiences, new globally accessible academic courses, international student and faculty exchanges between consortium members, fieldwork in target countries, technical training and short courses, outreach programs to local communities, internship programs hosted by UNESCO-IHE and KAUST WDRC, and capacity building courses and workshops on safe water and sanitation co-organized with UNESCO-Africa and USAID Missions in East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
    View this on Illinois >

    http://publish.illinois.edu/safeglobalwater/


    World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality
    Guidelines for drinking-water quality, fourth edition

    World Health Organization remove preview
    Guidelines for drinking-water quality, fourth edition
    The 4th ed. of the WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality is the product of significant revisions to clarify and elaborate on ways of implementing its recommendations of contextual hazard identification and risk management.
    View this on World Health Organization >



    A couple of references on rainwater harvesting from  Texas

    http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/

     

    https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/brochures/conservation/doc/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rdedition.pdf



    ------------------------------
    Dennis Beckmann D.Eng., P.E., M.ASCE
    Houston TX
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: water management

    Posted 03-14-2017 10:18 AM
    Dipu,

    A good amount of time has passed since I worked with Sonoma County Water Agency. They were and I think still are experimenting and institutionalizing not only with rainwater harvesting but also groundwater banking using existing aquifers. They funded several studies to better understand the science, engineering and injection needed to avoid destroying the natural structure. California has been experiencing a severe drought since 2012, although there has been some recent respite. The Russian River watershed (including Sonoma) is very vulnerable to unique precipitation conditions (atmospheric rivers) and its "flashy" hydrogeology. It's very dry about 8-9 months of the year and have intermit flooding but particularly during 3-4 months of winter. Some solutions they've been working on are programs for rainwater harvesting and rainwater banking for groundwater Sonoma Valley Groundwater Banking Program - Bay Area IRWMP recharge fit well with this regime. Their 2020 plan might contain some useful info. The following has some overview information but again this is old: http://www.scwa.ca.gov/files/SV_NVAA_2014.pdf. Their water utility is very unique and really state of the art in many ways. BTW, they also recycle wastewater and send it to recharge the steam fields for the largest geothermal electric facility in the world-The Geysers! 

    ------------------------------
    Miriam Heller Ph.D., M.ASCE
    Principal, MHITech Systems
    Arlington VA
    (202) 494-5391
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: water management

    Posted 03-15-2017 11:39 AM
    A good source of information on Water Harvesting is the Water Resource Research Center - University of Arizona. Web address is 
    wrrc.arizona.edu  - I served as moderator for the session topic of water harvesting at the AZ Water Association annual conference several years ago. Our water resource engineers use information from that conference and contacts I made when they were preparing a water resource manage master plan in UAE. 

    ------------------------------
    Frederick Rouse P.E., M.ASCE
    CHF ENVIR ENGR
    Stanley Consultants
    Phoenix AZ
    (602) 222-6770
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content