Posted on 10/21/2003 12:52:25 PM PDT by hsmomx3
Edited on 05/07/2004 5:21:44 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Investigators have found contaminated groundwater near the site of ruptured Kinder Morgan pipeline in Tucson, raising speculation that the pipe may have been leaking before the July 30 break.
"It looks like substantially more than 10,000 gallons was released," said Steve Owens director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
(Excerpt) Read more at azcentral.com ...
The pipe and valve sealing components are breaking down, or "aging," much more quickly.
I expect large array failures; meaning that whole cities' streets will be torn up during Orange Barrel season.
Moneies that we now waste on the social indulgences in order for politicians to get themselves re-elected on feel good campaigns, are going to be badly needed to get the drinking water flowing again.
The older pipelines will, of course, fail somewhat earlier than the newer, but many are older.
Because wintertime is when most of the water systems failures show up, because of the temperature changes, that is when these "water blackouts" will strike.
Emergency water distribution will probably go into effect for months thereafter.
No doubt, some civil engineers, here and there across the country have been trying to alert the politicians ... but ...
But the company can also be required to pay clean-up costs, which can make the $25,000/day look like peanuts.
When they shut it down to make repairs, XGov. Davis loudly accused them of purposly shutting off the supply to jack up the price. Incredibly enough, that story is the one which prevailed in the media and therefore in the minds of most Americans.
Instead, seepage will "simply" be worse, or accelerated more, than before the "additives."
As the seepage becomes leaks and washes out the foundations of roads, in most cases, the city streets will show it. I suspect that the level of this, being a surprise to the public, will happen sometime over the next three years.
There is already some good bypass gear (plastic pipes and valves) available, but not on the scale that I expect we will need. And, in the northern climates, especially north of the 40th parallel, the bypass gear will probably be set up and remain until the weather improves.
Some logistical preparation, based upon known ages of water lines, might already be long overdue.
You might suggest, as silly as it seems, that some civil engineers try to keep data on the sales of toilet bowl gaskets, flush-valve seats in particular. If sales are significantly up where new home development cannot account for it, that might show the caustic effects of the newly, post-9-11, treated municipal water supplies.
Some of the pilots flew for the gas pipeline companies. All day long, all they did was fly cross country and observe the ground over the pipelines, in order to spot changes in the land that would indicate erosion, presumably caused by pipeline failures.
The first time that I learned of this kind of work, I was a bit fascinated because I had watched the building of pipelines, how they ran out to the horizon and were marked by poles and plaques.
I also had spent time inspecting gas and oil pipeline junctions along the Ohio River, looking for leaks and damage, though, at the time, I was not, in my view, any kind of expert from the standpoint of knowing the details of the business, that is, the terminology of the industry.
I was able to identify a leak --- that's all that mattered to the "higher-ups."
However, the whole of it, was very interesting. (Not to mention that an uncle of mine owned one of the largest mid-West pipe and valve distributorships; something that, around the dinner table, "you could not miss.")
So, when I hear of pipeline stories in the news, they get my attention more than as a passing interest.
Recently, I have been watching the construction of local water main lines. In particular, I've been examining up close, the gaskets; very, very tough stuff.
It has been my concern, given that so much is being overlooked by city hall, because city hall is not listening to "the troops" (in the name of not embarrassing the bureaucratic chiefs'-dumb) on matters regarding The Defense Against and Treatment of Terrorist Attacks, that we will get hit in the flank.
I've listened to some officials relate how there has been planning, and I'm sure there has. But when one fellow got all hot under the collar and said that "Well, we have video cameras everywhere, and we don't need people ... " then, I began to wonder a little more, about what exactly our city has planned for us.
Under the heading of pipelines, most being out of the public eye, there is much to overlook, especially when the "experts" are looking through cameras.
Maintenance plays second fiddle, be it the body with which, or the tools by which, we work to survive.
I keep hoping that the self-improvement concept of conditioning the body, though much of that appears to be for the purpose of "looking good," will rub off on taking care of your car, that is, your horse.
Investmenet in short, medium, and long term maintenance costs less that waiting for a break in the action.
Ask any pilot.
Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections
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