Ethics, Corruption, and Water Lecture

Here is a lecture on ethics, corruption, and water from Oregon State. The guest lecturer, Vivienne Bennett wrote The Politics of Water: Urban Protest, Gender and Power in Monterrey, Mexico.

Test of New Camera Image Feed

Demonstration Flume

The North Carolina State University American Water Resources Association (AWRA) chapter would like to create a small teaching flume. Here is a demonstration flume that looks like it would be a lot of fun to operate. Newbury Hydraulics put this information together, including a construction blueprint at the end of the packet.

Clean Water Act - NY Times

Here's a New York Times editorial regarding the Clean Water Act. There is also a link to these investigative articles.

Water in the Courts

The Supreme Court is considering a case involving North Carolina and South Carolina. My Hydrology professor pointed this article out.

Threatened and Discontinued Stream Gauges

United States Geological Survey (USGS) has posted a listing of threatened and discontinued stream gauges here. Funding from partners has dried up in most of these situations, which I guess is not surprising.

Akron, OH Water Quality

I used to live in Akron, OH, so water quality there is interesting to me. Of course, Akron is located in the Cuyahoga Valley, home of the infamous Cuyahoga River!

The Akron Beacon Journal recently published a couple stories about water quality issues there:
Algae
Sediment

The sediment issue is particularly interesting because they are considering the removal of a dam and want to know what will eventually be transferred downstream.

Water and Energy Nexus

From a WRRI e-mail newsletter: Water & Energy Nexus: Renewable and Sustainable Options for Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plants

Since we experienced drought in North Carolina we've heard a lot about rain barrels and water conservation. Not long ago I was more involved in residential energy efficiency, so I attended several forums and panel discussions about green building and energy efficiency. What struck me was how little was mentioned about energy savings that occurs when we use less water. Or, how water use and ecological impact near power plants could be reduced by conserving energy.

The EPA has thought about it some. Here is their assessment.

University of Iowa, PIV

The University of Iowa has an impressive hydraulics laboratory.

Here is a 1/16th scale channel they used to test their Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry system.

They have also created a tipping bucket rain gauge calibrator. The description of this calibration system is here.

Ground, Water, Stream, Gauge, Gage?

I bumped into the WaterWired blog today. I also bumped into this blog while trying to determine the correct spelling(s) of ground water. I'm still slightly uncertain.

The same thing happened earlier this year when I started reading about stream gauges. USGS seems to favor "gage", at least on this part of their website.

Town of Cary Storm Drain Stenciling

You can find out how to help here.

You will also find links to the Neuse River Foundation and Cape Fear River Assembly.

I also learned about Cary's sludge dryer here.

PIV Research In Iowa - Need for Image-based Stream Stage Cited

The Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been conducting exciting research with Particle Image Velocimetry methods. Engineers and Scientists in Iowa, in collaboration with others, have taken a well-established laboratory measurement method to a field setting. [1] Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) uses mass conservation principles to determine the velocity of particles moving through a given region.[1]

Because they are looking at water in natural settings, they are experiencing some of the challenges we expect to face with the GaugeCam project. The effects of variable lighting, glare and shadows must be addressed.[2] Wind and rain effects are also concerns.[2] In addition, PIV requires observable particles, whether natural or seeded. [1] In some cases, natural occurrences, such as bubbles in the water can be recognized and tracked as particles.[2]

One particular challenge noted by researchers is the incorporation of stage measurement.[3] Specifically, stage measurement using image-based techniques is mentioned as an ideal solution because an image-based solution could utilize the same type of data transmission as the PIV camera system. [3]



References
[1] Bradley, A. A., Kruger, A., Meselhe, E., & Muste, M. (1999). Low flow measurement in streams using video imagery. Water Resources Research,

[2] Creutin, J. D., Muste, M., Bradley, A. A., Kim, S. C., & Kruger, A. (2003). River gauging using PIV techniques: A proof of concept experiment on the Iowa river. Journal of Hydrology, 277(3), 182. doi:10.1016/S0022-1694(03)00081-7

[3] Hauet, A., Kruger, A., Krajewski, W. F., Bradley, A., Muste, M., Creutin, J., et al. (2008). Experimental system for real-time discharge estimation using an image-based method. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 13(2), 105-110. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0699(2008)13:2(105)

Lab Live Feed

You can now view the gaugecam blog here.

Below is a live feed from the lab:

Christian Sets up Server

Christian and I had a good day at NCSU today!

Christian really did all the work, as you can see:

Without going into details (many of which I don't understand), Christian set up this computer in the lab so we can access it remotely. Ken will be able to view images, etc, that appear on this computer while sitting at home.

While we have the computer and basic configuration in place, Christian has a good bit of detail work to finish. That's the cool part about remote access; he can work on it from home now!

The camera is the next major piece of hardware to put in place.

Water Level Measurement Software

Ken has created this interface for managing images. He says there's a lot more work to do on the software infrastructure to support this, but it's always nice to see the tangible parts!

Hydrometry - Pressure Transducers

Quite a few days have passed since my last post about water level instrumentation, so I should probably mention my source again. Hyrdrometry, 3rd Edition, by Wubbo Boiten. (You can go read the archives if you want an official MLA style citation.) All of the pressure transducer material is based on pages 8-9.

Pressure Transducers:

Three other names commonly used for pressure transducers:
- Pressure Sensors
- Pressure Probes
- Pressure Transmitters

Function:
The basic function of a pressure transducer is to take pressure and turn it into an electric signal. The electric signal is processed, combined with known information about the water density, and converted to a height measurement. The height measurement is typically recorded on a data logger.

Here's a schematic:
Error:
There are a couple sources of error associated with pressure transducers:
1.) Air pressure above the water must be accounted for
2.) Since the pressure transducer is measuring pressure and converting it to water depth, the density of the water is a critical parameter. For instance, salt water has a different density than fresh water. Cold water has a different density than warm water.

Other Concerns:
Pressure transducers may be damaged if exposed to extreme pressures.

Characteristics:
Range: 0-40 feet
Accuracy: 0.1% of the full range

First Look at the Water Level Bench

Today I had the chance to work in the lab a little bit. I spent a while just sweeping up a lot of grit and dirt.

Since the bench has been completed I put some water in it and took a series of photos. Hopefully those will be useful for Ken to look at as he works on his software.

Ken also has been in contact with Ruby Mehrubeolgu, who has some interesting water/machine vision work going on down in Corpus Christi. A lot of grant solicitations emphasize collaboration between universities, so it is possible we could work together on something if interests, timing, etc, align.

BAE (Ag) Shop

I mentioned the BAE shop in my last post. Here's a link! It details all the machines and capabilities of the lab.

BAE Machine Shop

Keys to the Lab

Today I got my keys to the lab where I'll be working! It's an old lab that's been out of use for quite a while, so there is a lot of cleanup to do. I'm not sure how involved I will be in that, but it might contribute to a slower start to the project than I hoped.


I took a tour of the Ag Shop. It's excellent ~ all kinds of tools and machines in there to create stuff with. Hopefully after next week I'll have access to some of the tools in order to make a (very simple) camera mount. And for items I don't know how to create, it sounds like the shop personnel will be able to make just about anything.

In the meantime, I'm working on a preliminary set of deadlines. Dr. Birgand will look it over and help set it up on a realistic time table.

Gig

As of today I officially landed a part time gig to work as an undergraduate researcher with the NCSU BAE department this summer. (See archive posts for details on BAE.) I'll be working with Dr. Birgand and also with my friend Ken Chapman. We're working on some gadgetry to detect stream stage. More later!

Vacation Stream Gauge

In our travels through VA, WV, PA, OH, & IL, I have been seeing stream gauges all over the place!

Here's one on the Potomac River in Paw Paw, WV:

Hydrometry - Float Operated Gauges

Float gauges provide a mechanical means to measure water height.

Here are the basic components:

Float
Line (Tape, or Wire)
Pulley (Float wheel)
Counterweight

Recorder

The line is attached to the float on one end and a counterweight on the other. It hangs on a pulley. The recorder keeps record of the pulley shaft rotation, which can be translated into water height. Recorders have traditionally been paper on a drum, but more are being converted to digital recorders that keep track of the pulley shaft rotation.

Typically, float gauges are installed in stilling wells, which help to produce stable measuring conditions.

There are several sources of error that must be considered when using the float operated gauges.

Systematic Effects:
1.) Float lag: The float tends to lag behind the true water level as the float rises and falls. This can be minimized by selecting an appropriate diameter float and sufficiently large float wheel.

2.) Intake pipe effects: The intake pipe (horizontal pipe in figure to the right) diameter can also introduce measurement error. A diameter that is too large can reduce the effectiveness of the stilling effect of the well by allowing water to surge in and out of the well. However, a too small diameter can introduce measurement lag because of head loss in the intake pipe.

3.) Chimney Effect: How far the intake pipe extends into the river cross section also impacts measurement due to chimney effect. This can produce a systematic underestimation of the water height.

Other Concerns:
4.) Counterweight: The counterweight location must be configured so the counterweight does not hit the float as it drops. Ideally, the counterweight is never submerged, as the effect of bouyancy on the counterweight will affect measurement.

5.) Tape/Wire: Kinks or twists in the line can cause measurement error. In addition, surges of water can potentially unseat the wire from the pulley.

Float Gauges in Stilling Wells
(Source: USGS)

Hydrometry Introduction

I found this book at the NC State Library:

Hydrometry, 3rd edition: A comprehensive introduction to the measurement of flow in open channels
UNESCO-IHE Lecture Note Series
Wubbo Boiten, Wageningen University, Delft, The Netherlands

Here's the publisher's description.

Based on this book and other sources I may find along the way, I hope to post a few times about the basic measurements taken along streams and rivers.

Initially, water resource measurements can be broken into two categories; quantity and quality. On the quantity side, we want answers to questions such as: do we have enough to drink, is there a risk of flooding in a certain location, are impermeable surfaces such as parking lots creating too much increase in stream flows, etc. The quality side seems obvious because we all want clean drinking water, but there are also less obvious concerns such as sediment transport, nutrient levels, wildlife impacts, and so on.


First let's look at quantity measurement.
When news about a flood hits the airwaves, we're always given stats like flood stage and water height. So water height is necessarily of interest. How do we measure it?
In talking to Dr. Birgand and in reading this book, I find five basic measuring techiques for water height.
1.) Staff Gauge
2.) Float/Counterweight Systems
3.) Pressure Transducers
4.) Bubble Gauges
5.) Ultrasonic sensors

The image on the left is a USGS Stream Gauge Station near Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC. In the background, you can see a white "stick" in the water. That is a staff gauge, which looks a lot like a measuring stick.


In addition to height, we also like to know how much water is flowing in a stream or contained in a reservoir. In streams this is measured as volumetric discharge, in units such as cubic meters per second or gallons per minute. Here are some classic methods for calulating discharge:
1.) Velocity Area method
2.) Slope Area method
3.) Stage Discharge method
4.) Acoustic Methods
5.) Electromagnetic Methods

I've used the Velocity Area method for calculations in class. The remaining four methods I hope to learn more about.

There's plenty to read about quantity measurements, so I think I'll leave the discussion of quality for another time.

Surprise Field Trip!

After my Environmental Engineering Exam today Dr. Knappe asked if I would like to join a few grad students who were headed out to see the Cary/Apex water treatment plant! It was a great trip. I wasn't prepared, so I didn't have a decent camera, but here are a few photos from my phone.

Heading up to look at the clarifiers (particles in the water settle out here) :

Clarifier

The Town of Cary uses Ozone for disinfection of the drinking water.
They have to produce the ozone onsite:

Dr. Knappe and Qianru check out the filters.
(Qainru has been an awesome TA for my hydraulics class)

Water level sensor placed over the filter. The filters are typically anthracite and sand, several feet thick. Every so often they must be backwashed, which is controlled by a computer. These sensors are part of that process.

Water samples are taken from these faucets. Each one comes from a different place in the treatment plant, so the operators can trace what is happening at each stage in the process.
The water in the far left faucet does not come from the plant. It comes from the source water, Jordan Lake, which is approximately seven miles away.

Here's a view of the lab.
(Erin, who I study with, is talking in the foreground)

Nobody mentioned this during the tour, but I notice they must test for these toxic substances - look closely and see botulism, ricin, cyanide, anthrax, etc. They're keeping us safe!

Neuse River, Riverkeepers

Including a video with special guest, Lora R. Oh, wait, is that really Lora?

Other people who are concerned about water quality in the Neuse River are found here.

Durham Water Supply

Youngin found this article today:

Durham Water Supply
The article mentions aluminum sulfate. See below for more detail on that.

Whether treating drinking water or wastewater, there are two main goals. One is to remove particles that are suspended in the water. The other is to remove pathogens and other contaminants that pose health risk or taste and odor problems. These goals can overlap, as the particles being removed are also contaminants. Certain pathogens or micro-organisms are removed using disinfection.

The basic process of drinking water treatment when using surface water is:
1. Screening - basically this separates the really big debris out of the raw water
2. Coagulation - chemicals are added to change the surface characteristics of particles. The particles are then more inclined to clump together. Aluminum sulfate is commonly used for this purpose, though Durham has switched to ferric sulfate.
3. Flocculation - this is more of a mixing, or mechanical, step that further encourages particles to clump together
4. Sedimentation - this step slows down the flow of water and allows time for the particles, or clumps of particles to settle out of the water. They form a sludge in the bottom of a basin, and are disposed of from there.
5. Filtration - water is filtered
6. Disinfection - the addition of chlorine or other disinfectant to kill pathogens

Intro to Environmental Engineering

My next Environmental Engineering exam includes Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment topics.

*Totally new idea...*
- Did you ever think about sludge being generated by the treatment of Drinking Water? I hadn't. Plants that treat surface water (from reservoirs or streams) have to use sedimentation tanks, etc, to get rid of solids suspended in the water. This produces sludge, which is something I associated with waste water only. (Sludge example: that thick black junk in the bottom of your septic tank)

Side note: My last post talked about USGS evaluating surface water quality. One reason it's so important to monitor/improve surface water quality is because it's more and more costly to treat that water for our use. If we have fewer suspended solids (that's the stuff that gets settled out and we call sludge eventually), and fewer contaminants that we have to remove before we use the water, it will cost us a lot less to treat the water.

*Kind of knew something like this was happening...but now I get some detail...*
- Why is chlorine the disinfectant of choice for drinking water? One reason is that it's relatively cheap. Another reason is that chlorine (in a certain form) can remain active as a disinfectant (residual time) even while the water travels out of the plant and through pipes, etc.
Here's and article: Chlorination: The Love/Hate Relationship
(Wow - all we need is a little violence/action and this topic would have all the intrigue of Shakespeare!)

--- AND ---
Notice the new link I added on the right hand side:
Water & Wastes Digest

USGS National Water Quality Assessment

According to the USGS website, "The National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) provides an understanding of water-quality conditions and how those conditions may vary locally, regionally, and nationally; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions."

There is a ton of information here about NAWQA, including some links to research about chemicals found in source water. USGS calls this program SWQA, for Source Water Quality Assessment. The source water program is interesting because they are looking at the water that's flowing IN the water treatment plants, as well as the water that is leaving the plants. So far they have found a lot of chemicals surviving the treatment process. However, they stress that many of the chemicals they are looking for are unregulated, and often found in very low doses that don't have known consequences to the end user. They also delve into the various ways the study could have been flawed (ex. how can you be sure you are testing the same water at both ends of the treatment plant?).

From my limited conversations with people who look at stream water quality and people who look at water treatment processes, it sounds like there isn't a lot of communication between the two groups. It would seem logical that the two groups would have a lot of information to share, or at least compare. This gets into one of my pet peeves, actually. We seem to exert a lot of energy chasing after answers that someone else has already caught. That said, I know how easy it is to be busy trying to be productive and not have the leisure time to go listen to someone else talk about what they've been up to. And, I suppose there are times when we want the same information, but in a different context.

Economic Stimulus in NC

You can find information on how the Economic Stimulus might affect North Carolina here.

And if you click on the little link at the bottom, it will take you to this document, where you can read the breakdown of where stimulus money is headed. If you go to page 12 of the document, you will find, among other water related items, this information:
_____________________________________________________

Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): $140 million to repair and modernize USGS science facilities and equipment, including stream gages.
_____________________________________________________
Interesting.

Fire Water

Here's a crazy article Dr. Knappe forwarded to our class today!

Article & Link to Video:
Fire Water

Water Research Symposium, info on Particle Inspection

Reading this document from the 2003 Water Research Symposium, I found some interesting background to the use of Particle Inspection and Image Analysis. The file is here.

The title of the section I found interesting:

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT SURROGATE RESEARCH,
PART II: OPTIC TECHNOLOGIES
John R. Gray, Danie l J. Gooding, Theodore S. Melis,
David J. Topping, and Patrick P. Rasmussen
U.S. Geological Survey
415 National Center, Reston, VA 20192
jrgray@usgs.gov

And here is some of the text...

"... Photo-Optic Imaging Data as Laboratory and Stream Suspended-Sediment Surrogates: Photo-optic imaging of fluids was pioneered by the medical industry in the 1980’s for determining red blood cell concentrations. This technology, which is used to delineate, characterize, and enumerate organic particles in blood samples, is being adapted to quantify the concentration and selected size and shape characteristics of suspended sediments in water samples. Research to apply photo-optic imaging for laboratory (Gooding 2001) and field applications is centered at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington (U.S. Geological Survey 2003).

Photo-optic imaging has the capability to provide in real time suspended-sediment concentrations, and measurements of the size and shape of individual particles in addition to statistics on size and shape for all particles. Laboratory applications include concentration and size- fraction determinations in addition to shape computations. Potential field applications include automatic point measurements and manual measurements as part of a modified depth-integrating sampler (Edwards and Glysson 1999, Gray et al. 2002)."

Water Wiki, NC

Here's information on some of the latest water legislation in North Carolina.

...And here's a link to the main page of the Water Wiki, where you will find the following introduction:

FROM WATER WIKI______________________________________

This website is a place where you can contribute.

How should water be managed in the southeastern United States? This wiki is devoted to discussion and debate of the many facts, issues, opinions and points of view this question raises. Please add your thoughts by registering (it's simple) and writing or editing articles, or by commenting on any of the discussion pages.
~Richard Whisnant, UNC-Chapel Hill; Bill Holman, Duke University

"You cannot step twice into the same river, for fresh waters are flowing in upon you." ~Heraclitus, 500 B.C.
"You cannot click twice into the same water wiki, for fresh data are flowing in upon you." ~An Editor of the Water Wiki, 2007 "
___________________________________________________

BAE Faculty, NCSU

Here are four faculty members working in areas I am interested in:

Stream Restoration -
Dr. Greg Jennings

Urban Stormwater Management -
Dr. Bill Hunt

Wetlands -
Dr. Mike Burchell

Nutrient Retention in Surface Waters &
Improving Sampling Techniques -
Dr. Francois Birgand

As you can see from their web sites, they all have interests beyond the short heading I give...

Graduate School Rankings

There will probably be a lot more of this to come, so here's the first!

NC State compares favorably to other Biological and Agricultural Engineering Graduate Programs.

For this ranking, I eliminated all the factors except:
1. Time to degree
2. Cost
3. Placement Rate (further research or a job)

Click here.

Water Research Institutes

Each state in the US has a Water Resources Institute. Federal legislation directing water resource research was passed in 1964. Amendments were made in 1978 and then the legislation took its current form, The Water Research and Development Act of 1984. Among other things, the 1984 legislation authorized the creation of Water Resource Research Institutes for each state. The program, commonly referred to as WRRI, is currently administered by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

In North Carolina, the Water Resources Institute is headquartered at the University of North Carolina. Here's a link.

Institutes for each state are located here.

Bowling Green, Purdue, Algae/Cyanobacteria

Bowling Green University and Purdue University have some interesting image libraries for algae and cyanobacteria. The Bowling Green site also has a link to a program that was written to aid in counting specimens in images.

Here they are!

Bowling Green (Image Library and other algal links)

Purdue (Cyanobacteria)

Also, I found this book, written in part by one of my professors (Dr Knappe) is availabe at NCSU library. Hopefully I'll be able to check it out the next time I go in.

Algae, Cyanobacteria, and FlowCAM

I found two great books at NCSU library last night.

Detection methods for algae, protozoa and helminths in fresh and drinking water. Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley, 2002.

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms state of the science and research needs. Vol. 619. New York: Springer, 2008.

Cyanobacteria is really not a true algae, but acts like one and is commonly referred to as blue-green algae. There are surveys suggesting that half of the Cyanobacteria blooms are toxic. This creates a lot of concern should blooms form in reservoirs that are used for drinking water. Cyanobacteria also can have a negative impact on odor and taste in drinking water. Musty, earthy and stale are common descriptions of these odors and tastes. Efforts are being made to reliably detect the presence of Cyanobacteria as well as associated toxins.

One of the books also refers to this flowcam, for remote analysis of water particles:








There is a bench model and a portable model.

Sample Images

More Water at NC State!

It looks like the Biological and Agricultural Engineering programs here at State have some good water resources work going on. Some of the material connects to my Advanced Energy work, since they're looking at water conservation, rain barrels, etc, as well as the large scale water runoff issues.

Water Quality Group
Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Biotechnology Meets Environmental Engineering

Here's a link to some of the research going on at NC State...

and detail about some of the equipment they use for image capture and analysis...

Liquid Assets II

Youngin and I watched Liquid Assets on DVD tonight.

It is very interesting and educational. It gives a nice overview of how water systems work, as well as a lot of specific stories about the challenges that everyone faces, from small towns to large cities.

A couple tidbits:
- New York City's water supply, for the most part, is gravity fed from distant lakes through two huge tunnels.
- Las Vegas actually claims they are using less water despite rapid population increases in recent years.
- Lots of camera technology is being used to inspect pipes. Atlanta has video of thousands and thousands of feet of pipe. They can use it to compare current conditions to past conditions, etc.

Check out the Trailer.

Particle Inspection - First Pass

My friend Ken has been working on some interesting software lately. You can see some images below that this software analyzes. The particles you see are tiny, as in one millionth of a meter. They are suspended in a water sample, which is flowing past a camera.

Fig. 1

This first image is an example of a background image. These are particles already in the camera's field of view before a new water sample is presented.

Fig. 2

In this image we see particles that are suspended in the water sample that we have put in front of the camera. Notice the squiggly particle (middle, left) that was also present in the background image. Now comes the cool part...

Fig. 3

When we run the Particle Inspection software on this image, the particles outlined in yellow are analyzed. Notice that the squiggly and the other background images are left out of the analysis, since they are not part of the current sample.

I'll talk more later about the analysis the software does, how the samples are presented to the camera, and how this technology is useful in the water resources world.

*Disclaimer: This project is still developing, and I am giving an explanation as a novice. Ken, feel free to comment with any corrections or clarifications.

State of the CE Department

I found the source for the "State of the NCSU CE Department" reports:

Reports

These are really interesting as they give a great overview of enrollment, graduation, etc!

AND, here are my current classes and professors

Hydraulics - Dr Ducoste
Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering - Dr Knappe
Civil Engineering Systems - Dr Baugh
Linear Algebra - Dr Hong

Liquid Assets

Here's the trailer to a documentary I would like to see.

Liquid Assets

The DVD

Starters

Since I am interested in the Water Resources segment of the Civil Engineering field, I have been doing a bit of reading about it online. I'll post interesting articles here. I would like to track interesting developments and better understand the field so this blog will allow anyone interested to follow along. I'm not expecting much of an audience, but I feel this blog will help me keep a list of references, etc, for my own use as well.

A quick google search finds the following water resources blogs:
American Water Resources Association
NY State (Cornell)
University of California