TerreKleen Low Impact Development Protector

Putting in a rain garden?  Worried about sediment, trash, debris, or oils getting into and blinding your rain garden?  Perhaps you would consider installing our newest product, the TerreKleen LID Protector. 


The TerreKleen LID protector was designed in response to concerns of several of our large city clients who are installing rain gardens.  Their concerns include: cost, ease of maintenance, sediment, debris, and oils getting into their rain gardens, blinding the rain gardens and killing the plants.  In response to concerns about budget and lack of manpower, the TerreKleen LID protector was designed.


This small vault system was designed to capture sediment, trash, debris, and oils, and as a shallow vault, a central maintenance location makes makes $en$e and can easily be performed with a shovel.

TerreKleen LID Protector

Lengthen the life of your rain garden!  If you are interested in learning more about the TerreKleen LID protector, give us a call!

EPA Asks for public comment on new proposed permit for stormwater runoff from construction activities

If you have an opinion about the new EPA proposed permit for stormwater runoff, please contact the EPA.  Here is a fact sheet regarding the new proposed permit including instructions on how to comment.  If you do have a comment, better get on it soon as there is a 60 day time limitation from the publish date in the Federal Register and I am not totally sure when that was.

TerreKleen hydrodynamic separator installed at Eastchester DPW Yard - TK27

All of the action started at about 
9:00 AM yesterday morning 
at the Eastchester, NY DPW yard.  Here is the 
TerreKleen ready for installation.

The hole where the TerreKleen is being
 installed is already prepared.

This is the base which installed quickly.
The white pipes and red hose
are the manifold system.  Confined Space
Entry is NOT required on the TerreKleen.  This
will mean a significant short and long term
cost savings.

 

This is the mid-section.  Tight installation
since the TerreKleen had to fit right up
against the outlet pipe.  The left
side of the unit is the primary chamber
where large sediments, trash and oil
will be contained.  The plates on
the right side of this picture shows
the stacked inclined plates where
small sediments will settle out.

The riser is on in no time.

The top stacks in no time.
Total installation time:  approximately 1 hour.

The Cost of Nitrogen Pollution on the European Economy

A first ever report (ENA - European Nitrogen Assessment) was just released outlining the cost of nitrogen pollution on the European Union's Economy.  


The study carried out by 200 experts from 21 countries and 89 organizations estimates that nitrogen pollution costs Europe between USD 101 Billion - 461.7 Billion per year or USD 212.00 and USD 1,062.00 per person per annum.   These costs are more than double the income gained from using nitrogen fertilizers in European agriculture.


The report also details a number of key assessments of nitrogen pollution including: 
Nitrates cause toxic algal blooms and dead zones especially in the North, Adriatic and Baltic Seas and along the West Coast of France in Brittany.
AND
at least ten million people in Europe are potentially exposed to drinking water with nitrate levels above recommended levels.


The study also states that at least half the world's population is dependent on food that is grown with nitrogen based fertilizers but that the environmental costs of nitrogen pollution to Europe are very high and that the benefits of nitrogen abatement achieved by applying and using fertilizers more efficiently and reducing meat consumption outweigh the costs of other options.


Click here for the full report

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - it is time to think of roof runoff as an asset. Discounted Rainbarrel Program - sponsored by Aquarion, Connecticut

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - it is time to think of roof runoff as an asset.


I was just looking at the USGS seasonal drought predictions.  It is eye opening to look at the map of the US and notice the large red and yellow sections which anticipate drought conditions persisting and intensifying in a large part of the south - through June.  


We, in the Northeast, are very lucky to have had a lot of snow this winter and it seems right now we are in a good position with our water resources for the next several months.  However, we really do not know what is ahead.  Why not take this opportunity to maximize your water resources by investing in a rain barrel for your home?


Aquarion Water is sponsoring again this year a discount rainbarrel program.  The rain barrels are designed to hold 55 or 60 gallons of water, they attach directly to your down-spout and fill automatically when it rains.  They even come with brass attachments, a hose and a screen which prevents insects from making your rainbarrel their home.


Captured rain can be used for lawn watering and car washing or other outdoor chores.  It really is baffling to understand why one would need treated water for these activities.  In fact, I think my garden grows better with roof runoff!


Here is the link to Aquarion's rainbarrel program
You must order by May 31st for pick-up in Trumbull, CT on June 4th.

It is time for smart water

I was listening to WNPR radio show "Fresh Air" this morning and heard Terri Gross' interview of Charles Fishman the author of a new book called The Big Thirst, The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water.  I had to agree with Mr. Fishman's point of view that the golden age of water  (defined as: cheap, abundant and safe water)  is coming to an end here in the US and that it is time to get creative on ways to save and re-use this limited natural resource as well as take a fresh look at ways to maximize our water resources for the future.  


Especially interesting to me were several examples of US cities and industry who have focused on stretching their water resources:


1- City of Las Vegas, NV - Homeowners are incentivized to remove their turf lawns to the tune of $40,000/acre because it is cheaper to pay the homeowner to remove their lawn and re-plant using xeriscaping (native plants that use minimal water resources)  than it is to capture and treat for re-use water that would be used for lawn watering in a city that was built in a dessert.


2- Orlando, FL - 25 years ago, Orlando, Florida mandated a that gray water systems be installed in new construction.  Orlando uses almost as much gray water as potable water, but have not had to pay to treat the gray water that is used for lawn watering and car washing.


3- IBM Corporation - Vermont.  Over the past 10 years, IBM evaluated their factory building and costs associated with heating/air conditioning systems.  After careful study, they re-plumbed their building to maximize the efficiency of their manufacturing process by coordinating the needs of the building and manufacturing processes with change in water temperatures as the water flows through the building.  The money they have saved by re-plumbing their building adds to their ability for their products to be competitive. 


It is time to take a fresh look at how we do things so that we can maximize our water resources.

Superbug (NDM-1) spreads in Delhi sewers

Scary!  Just when you thought it wasn't safe to go in the water!  A report published yesterday warns of a newly discovered bacterial resistant gene (NDM-1) has been found in drinking water, sewers and puddles in Delhi, India.  This new superbug invades other bacteria including cholera and dysentery and can readily jump to other bacteria.  Last ditch anti-biotic treatments will not work against bacteria with the NDM-1 gene.  


Honestly, the implications of this are pretty SCARY.  It seems a number of patients from UK that sought medical treatment in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan returned with this superbug.


Click here for the full report