Posted on 02/28/2011 6:33:25 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
San Francisco's big push for low-flow toilets has turned into a multimillion-dollar plumbing stink.
Skimping on toilet water has resulted in more sludge backing up inside the sewer pipes, said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the city Public Utilities Commission. That has created a rotten-egg stench near AT&T Park and elsewhere, especially during the dry summer months.
The city has already spent $100 million over the past five years to upgrade its sewer system and sewage plants, in part to combat the odor problem.
Now officials are stocking up on a $14 million, three-year supply of highly concentrated sodium hypochlorite - better known as bleach - to act as an odor eater and to disinfect the city's treated water before it's dumped into the bay. It will also be used to sanitize drinking water.
That translates into 8.5 million pounds of bleach either being poured down city drains or into the drinking water supply every year.
Not everybody thinks it's a good idea.
A Don't Bleach Our Bay alert has just gone out from eco-blogger Adam Lowry who argues the city would be much better off using a disinfectant like hydrogen peroxide - or better yet, a solution that would naturally break down the bacteria.
As for whether the supposedly environmentally friendly, low-flow toilets are worth the trouble? Well, according to Jue, they have helped trim San Francisco's annual water consumption by about 20 million gallons.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
wow.... hot chicks dig the composting toilets...
i’m gonna get one.
Nailed it.
Maybe so for you pal, but I have NEVER got one to last even 6 months and at 10 times the cost, I am not about to replace all my lights. I do use them in the kitchen as the fixture is high up and a pain to change. They do last longer then the regular bulbs but at 10 times the cost, are not a solution for me.
Maybe so for you pal, but I have NEVER got one to last even 6 months and at 10 times the cost, I am not about to replace all my lights. I do use them in the kitchen as the fixture is high up and a pain to change. They do last longer then the regular bulbs but at 10 times the cost, are not a solution for me.
I know research on FR has shown that incandescent bulbs have essentially an infinite shelf life.
So if you can find them, and have storage space, you can load in few decades supply.
Our local WM in Indiana still has a full selection of incandescents (not sure for how long).
Turns out....the idea...STANK !
There’s a Freeper {I can’t remember user name} who says he owns a plumbing company in Cali and swears they are great. Blames the owners for all the malfunctions of course LOL. I imagine they generate many service calls. Oh course that person would think they were great.
yes, unless they’re the only thing on the line, as the public toilets (location of the odor problem) are...
“yes, unless they’re the only thing on the line, as the public toilets (location of the odor problem) are...”
No. The toilets are hooked up to the main...there isn’t a special network of toilets only sewer in SF.
One of my duties as a civil engineer is to design sewer lines. You cited the 2 fps rule earlier. Take a look at the dead end manhole at the high end of any line. The velocity will be much less than 2 fps. In general, I have discovered that you have to accumulate 4-5 houses to get 2 fps, even if the sewer is at 8% grade. Do all these dead end manholes stink? No. I believe the smell people find objectionable is hydrogen sulfide, which is a gas. Whenever the liquid sewer splashes (like a drop in a manhole), hydrogen sulfide is released. The longer liquid sewer is in the system, the more hydrogen sulfide is produced...so pumping stations with very long times between cycles are usual culprits. Manholes, pumping stations...what do they have in common? They have lids. This magical sludge in the sewer line is 12 feet down, nowhere near any access point.
Let me explain what this story is really about:
Dick: “Residents are complaining about the outfall manhole in Manly Love Estates.”
Jane: “That’s because the pump station is too large for the rate of build out. We should have built two smaller stations, in phases, instead of one big one.”
Dick: “I know, but its too late now, we’ll just have to dose it. It’ll cost $50,000 to install and $10,000 a year.”
Jane: “How do we get THAT past council, without getting the finger pointed back at us?”
Dick: “I have an idea - we’ll blame it on low flow toilets. Most people don’t know anything about sewer, and most people don’t like the low flow toilets. It will be Washington’s fault”
Jane: “Very good idea. Do you think they’ll buy it?”
Dick “Listen, people lose their minds when they hear about low flow toilets. Its a lock!”
I don’t like low flow toilets either; but good grief people! One of the useful natures of a site like this is you can learn the details of an issue, before going off half cocked. This story does not have legs!...and if you try to run with this story in a discussion with a liberal, you will look foolish. Its not something I brag about at high school reunions; but, I design sewers for a living...I thought I’d give some perspective, that’s all.
Engineers generally use 50 gal per person per day. I know cause I is one. ;)
Engineers generally use 50 gal per person per day. I know cause I is one. ;)
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