en-us http://www.gongol.net News on water, wastewater, and the environment, especially in Iowa, Nebraska, the Upper Midwest and Great Plains Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:06:02 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/08/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/08/ With severe drought conditions prevailing on the West Coast and in the Southeast, it's good news for our region that drought conditions have eased considerably in the Upper Midwest, including across most of Iowa and Nebraska. Regardless of the month-to-month variations in precipitation and river levels, our interest in issues like water re-use remains high, since we have seen what can happen when nature turns off the spigot. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:06:01 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/07/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/07/ The Papio-Missouri River NRD is working on building an 88-acre lake on the southwest side of Omaha in an effort to help improve flood controls in the area. We can help you with sluice gates and other flow-control gates for dams. Please feel free to contact us with your questions. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:37:02 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/06/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/06/ While the stock market is in disarray, a new report suggests that investing in water and sewer infrastructure improvements yields a very high return. While the report's estimate of a $9 return on every $1 in infrastructure investment is probably much too high, there is plenty of evidence to tell us that much of our water infrastructure is in need of improvement, and that it's impossible to expect a community to thrive when people can't rely on their taps and sewers to work properly. We serve a wide range of needs in the water industry, from monitors for drinking-water quality to the pumps that move our water from place to place. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:37:01 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/03/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/03/ A survey among residents of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska found that about 40% of rural residents are confident in the quality of their groundwater, whereas only about 20% of city residents felt the same way. About 35% of respondents (in total) said that groundwater quality was "fair", "poor", or "good, but deteriorating." Such public-opinion results tell us that those of us involved in delivering safe, clean drinking water and cleaning water for re-use need to do a better job of communicating what we do and the resources we need to do it well. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:53:02 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/02/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/02/ The Cedar Rapids City Council has been given nearly-final plans for a flood-control system including a long pair of floodwalls along the Cedar River that would stretch from upstream of the water treatment plant all the way to south of the cemeteries on the southeast side of downtown. The plan will eventually include levees, parks (that can act as sacrificial flood barriers), and both removable and permanent floodwalls. Many of our water-control gates are used in similar flood-protection systems in other locations. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:53:01 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/01/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/10/01/ Galveston, Texas, should be getting power back today, two and a half weeks after Hurricane Ike made landfall. Long-duration power outages can happen for a wide range of reasons, including tropical storms, earthquakes, and ice storms -- which is why our engine-backup lift stations are a smart investment for many communities. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:23:01 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/30/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/30/ It takes a lot of energy to aerate wastewater in a conventional activated-sludge wastewater treatment plant. With energy prices rising, it becomes even more important to ensure that aeration is performed efficiently and accurately. One way to help is to use effective tools for dissolved oxygen (DO) measurement. The ATI dissolved-oxygen sensor is a highly efficient and effective tool for measuring DO. Request a quote on a DO monitor today and we'll be happy to help you. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:54:03 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/29/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/29/ The Cedar Rapids wastewater treatment plant took an extraordinary hit from the floods in June, but they have managed to make repairs and meet state discharge limits well ahead of schedule. The plant still needs a lot of equipment repairs and new flood-mitigation improvements, but the speed of the repairs is impressive. We contributed with quick shipment on replacement control panels for diaphragm pumps. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:54:02 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/26/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/26/ One hundred years ago today, Jersey City, NJ, became the first city in America to chlorinate its drinking water. Chlorination remains the most common method of disinfection in American water systems today, and for good reason, given its safety and efficacy. Our chlorination tablet systems are appropriate for small municipal systems as well as remote sites not served by conventional municipal water systems. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:54:01 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/25/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/25/ There is talk of a second economic-stimulus bill being considered by Washington, and the American Society of Civil Engineers is encouraging lawmakers to include lots of money for infrastructure. We can help you with products for infrastructure jobs like water plants and wastewater-treatment plants. Please feel free to contact us with your questions. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:29:02 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/24/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/24/ Iowa has a natural abundance of water, but it's an ongoing challenge to keep that water safe and fit for human use. As demand for ethanol and biodiesel continue to rise, more pressure will be put on waterways as fertilizer and other runoff enter the streams and rivers of the state. Economically, we simply cannot do without agriculture and the fertilizer it requires -- but managing those nutrients before they endanger public health can be costly. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:29:01 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/23/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/23/ Most of the major water-industry organizations have come together to initiate the WaterISAC security network, which is intended to provide rapid-response information from Federal agencies and authorities to the utilities in the field. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:20:03 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/22/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/22/ Coralville and Iowa City are working on ways to install future protections so that the nearly 600 homes that aren't being bought-out after this summer's flooding (of about 650 that were badly damaged) won't be hit hard by future floods. Floodwalls will likely be a major component, and those will probably include both flap gates and sluice gates. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:20:02 CDT http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/19/ http://gongol.net/newsletter/2008/09/19/ T. Boone Pickens, best-known as an oil magnate, has suspended a plan to ship water from the Texas Panhandle to urban areas in other parts of the state. The water would have come from the Ogallala Aquifer, which also sits below much of Nebraska. Pickens had been planning to make dual use of the land needed for the water pipeline by building wind farms along the route, but now the wind power project has been separated from the water project. While the Mesa Water project may be suspended for the time being, Pickens undoubtedly still knows that water demand is going to rise in the future, and the supply simply isn't increasing. We noted the original plan back in May, and there should be no doubt that it will either return, or others will emerge in its place. The amount of pumping power that would be required to move lots of water cross-country anywhere would be pretty amazing.