A Lesson from a Student

Well, it is a lot harder then I thought it would be to write a blog consistently. It’s been a bit since my last blog, but I will continue to put an effort into it. Ok, here goes…

One of the most important and most common formulas in waterworks mathematics is the flow rate formula, Q = AV. Q represents flow rate typically expressed in cubic feet per second. A is the area of the object transferring the liquid. This is usually a pipe, channel, aqueduct, etc. V is the velocity of the liquid, usually expressed in feet per second. Now, the science behind fluid dynamics is much more complicated then this formula, but for “Government work” this is sufficient!

This formula is very valuable when trying to determine how much water is flowing, what the diameter of a pipe is, or how fast the water is moving through a channel. There are many examples where this formula is used and many questions on Operator Certification Exams. Therefore, mastering this formula is advised.

An interesting thing happened to me the other day in my Waterworks Mathematics class. Before class we were discussing the devastating oil spill disaster in the Gulf. Early estimates from British Petroleum put the oil leak in the neighborhood of 210,000 gallons per day. A lot? Well if the pipeline was 8 inches in diameter, then the velocity of the spewing oil would be right around 1 foot per second and it would be a lot. But, if you have seen the deep underwater video then you might speculate that the velocity was slightly faster then 1 foot per second. However, let’s be kind to BP and take the conservative velocity of 1 foot per second. Well, this is what one of my students did. He came up to me and said I believe that much more then 210,000 gallons of oil is leaking per day. In fact, I think it is well over 1 million gallons of oil per day. By the way, the pipeline line is not 8 inches in diameter, it has an inside diameter of 20 inches. So, if you use the Q=AV formula and the generous 1 foot per second velocity, the average per day spewing is more then 1.4 MILLION GALLONS. Now we must realize that there are various variables that might alter this classroom calculation, but for BP to feed us a number almost 7 times less then this formula calculates is nothing more then misrepresentation of the truth…or…a flat out LIE!

On the way in to work this morning, I heard a report that BP said they are collecting 210,000 gallons per day through their collection tube. Well, you don’t have to be a genius (so that means even us water geeks are smart enough) to figure out that more then that is causing more destruction then was ever previously imagined. And it only took a Community College student to figure this out. I think he might want to submit his résumé to one of these government agencies overseeing this travesty!

Thanks Mic for the classroom lesson!

Getting Your Feet Wet!

Many of you reading this blog…wait a minute…the FEW of you reading this blog might have an interest in the wonderful world of water. After all, the main reason for me starting this blog was to pass along information to people either in the water industry or wanting to break into the industry. There are a number of ways to find information out about any topic you want since the advent of the Internet. Typically when people are asked a question they don’t know the answer to, they say…”just Google it!” However, with the plethora of information on the web, it can become overwhelming for some to sift through the millions of links in order to find information that is factual and valuable. This blog is designed to help you filter out the…uh um…dirty water!

Regulations, Distribution and Treatment Operator Information

An excellent starting point for regulatory information is the Water Programs page of the California Department of Public Heath (http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DWP.aspx). This page will have everything you need to know about the State’s certification program and any drinking water related regulations. At the top of the page, the State lists several quick links. I typically visit the Operator Certification and Regulations and Statues pages.

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

Water person doesn’t want to know about jobs? The number one site for water jobs in the Brown and Caldwell Water Jobs page! You can sign up to receive daily emails from Brown and Caldwell regarding water news. When you sign up, you can select a specific location to receive your updates about (i.e., Southern California). In the daily emails you will also find various water industry related jobs. However, there are all sorts of jobs listed that are within the water industry, but may not be specifically related to water. Remember, accounting, customer service, safety, are all fields that may not be industry specific.

Other helpful websites

A few other sites that might be helpful are listed below.

American Water Works Association – http://www.awwa.org
CA-NV American Water Works Association - http://ca-nv-awwa.org
EPA Office of Water - http://www.epa.gov/ow/

Happy Surfing!

CHEAP and EASY!

A friend of mine posted something on Facebook that caught my interest. Santa Clara County voted to ban McDonald’s from offering toys with their food. Yep, Happy Meals are no longer “Happy” in Santa Clara. First thought…parental control. No brainer huh? Tell parents not to take little Susie and little Johnny to Mickey Ds and the problem is solved. Well, if it was that simple, childhood obesity would not be on the rise. According to the CDC, childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. No problem for parents who do not take their kids to the smiling clown restaurant! Well, not exactly. Who do you think pays for the rise in diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc? We do of course; through higher health insurance premiums is one way. Don’t worry I am not going down the Obama Care slippery slope. But, this does have major health care cost implications and I don’t think anyone wants to pay more in health care.

The problem is where should government draw the line when it comes to regulating our lives? I can hear it now…”The City of (insert name here) bans the use of (insert topic here). We already have laws about where you cannot smoke, when to wear a seat belt, wearing helmets while riding bikes, and thousands more. How about this law in Burlingame, CA…”It is illegal to spit, expect on baseball diamonds.” Or, in Cathedral City, it is against the law to sleep in a parked vehicle. Obviously laws are important and needed, especially regarding public safety, but to what end?

So, what are you recommending Mike? Sometimes I like to refer to myself in the 3rd person. Bob Dole and Jimmy from Seinfeld are near and dear to me…but I digress. I am not recommending anything. After all, I am not all knowing (don’t tell my kids.) I am merely sharing another dilemma in our culture. The easy response is that it is the parent’s responsibility and I actually agree with that response. But, what do we do when the parents fail? And, unfortunately, parents are failing on many fronts. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting banning Happy Meal Toys. This is a band-aid fix on a major wound and band-aids only last a little while before they fall off. What is needed is a major shift in American Culture. Why do we feel the need to have FOOD served FAST? Isn’t food the very thing that keeps us alive? Then why are we so QUICK to eat whatever is convenient? As long as we make it EASY and CHEAP for parents to feed, occupy, entertain, or whatever it takes to pacify our kids many people will take that route. The CHEAP and EASY doesn’t stop with fast food. What about our shopping habits? Hey, I hear there is a store where you can buy your underwear and your groceries for CHEAP! Are these giant mega-stores better or worse for our society as a whole? What happened to the days of knowing your grocer by name and taking his/her recommendation on which fruit was in season? Today it seems to be more important not what is in season, but how many can I get for the least amount of money.

I am not trying to pass judgment on anyone. We each have unique and challenging circumstances that might dictate some of the choices we make. Fortunately we live in a country that is full of choices. Unfortunately there are a lot of bad choices out there. No one ever said parenting was EASY!

Oil and Water Do Not Mix!

Oil and water do not mix. Well, someone forgot to tell Transocean, Ltd and British Petroleum. A sunken oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico about 100 kilometers off the coast of Louisiana is leaking petroleum at estimates ranging from 1,000 – 5,000 barrels per day as industry officials and the U.S. Coast Guard struggle to contain it. There is concern the oil slick could reach the shore and damage the local ecology and economy. Where is the balance between oil and the environment? Some will say that it is more important to have oil independence then worry about these types of “infrequent” disasters. Others will argue that we should not drill for oil at all in order to prevent environmental degradation. Both sides have legitimate arguments.

Where do we get our oil and whom are we trying to get our “independence” from anyway? In January 2010, the U.S. bought 4 times as much oil from Canada, Mexico, and Nigeria then we did from Saudi Arabia. In fact besides Saudi Arabia, the only other significant oil purchase from the Mid East was from Iraq. And hey, aren’t they our “friends” now? The point is what does oil independence mean and why are we striving for it?

1,000 – 5,000 barrels of oil per day may sound like a lot, but there is 3.55158 x 10^20 gallons of water in the ocean and 1,000 – 5,000 barrels a day is a drop in the bucket in comparison. However, if one fish or bird dies is that too much? What about 100? Where should the line be drawn? How will this disaster affect the local ecology? How about the Louisiana fishing economy?

I don’t think we will ever agree on the correct approach, especially while there are so many special interests entrenched in our political system. However, this will continue to be a big problem for US. As of writing this, the Department of Defense might be getting involved to assist with the clean up efforts. Uh….are we going to send a bill to Transocean and BP? Uh…if we do, they will just adjust their costs to…you guessed it, pass on the costs to US! Uh…if not, who will pay for it? Uh…Uncle Sam to the rescue…oh wait, that is US too. Either way, we will pay for the oil and the disasters. What can US do? To me the solution is easy. USE LESS OIL! Independence? Wasn’t it President George W. Bush who said, “We are addicted to oil.” Well, let’s stop the addiction. Let me offer this for you to ponder. How much are you willing to spend to drive your car and when will the well run dry? Remember, Oil and Water do not mix. And personally, I prefer water!

Why Blog?

Why Blog? I have no clue, other then to express my opinions and share information with like minded (or not) people. Most of what I will blog about has to do with water, since that is the industry I have worked in for the past 15 years. I will hopefully shed some insight on the state of our water and help those that are in this industry or those who want to get in, with information regarding the treatment and distribution certification program. I hope to further the efforts of conservation and understanding of our fragile world of water.

Many of you know that I teach part-time, so I will discuss various water and environmental related topics. Some people get turned off by the term "environmental," but I hope to tie in the aspect of conservation and ecology when discussing the environment and how it relates to our daily lives and less about the differences of opinion regarding our responsibilities to protect and preserve our environment.

I also hope to talk about music. My personal endeavors and various tidbits about shows I have seen and anything else music related since it has been and I hope continues to be a big part of my life.

Politics? Most definitely. If you know me outside of the classroom, I have strong political opinions. I try to limit my political discussions to outside of the classroom because I do not want to persuade or dissuade anyone from their beliefs simply because I am the "Professor." I try to present facts and let others figure out what they want to do about it. I am willing to hear what other people think and believe about our political landscape, but in a thoughtful and positive approach.

I have no idea how often I will do this "blogging" thing, but if you are so inclined check back periodically and hopefully you will find something of interest.

In the meantime, here is an interesting link regarding Southern California's drinking water. Our water supply is being increased for 2010. http://www.water.ca.gov/news/