Seoul, New York and Ann Arbor Expose Watery Havens

OHM is currently designing a low impact development (LID) stormwater management project for the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor, on U of M's Arboretum property. The project includes step-pool dissipater structures, an intermittent watercourse, a "meadow" infiltration basin and restoration with native plantings. We're pleased to see that Michigan's Ann Arbor is in good company with Yonkers and Seoul, all seeking ways to combine environmental pursuits with urban energy.

Excerpted from the New York Times, July 16, 2009:

In New York State, a long-stalled revival effort for Yonkers’s ailing downtown core that could break ground this fall includes a plan to re-expose 1,900 feet of the Saw Mill River, which currently runs through a giant flume that was laid beneath city streets in the 1920s.

Cities from Singapore to San Antonio have been resuscitating rivers and turning storm drains into streams. In Los Angeles, residents’ groups and some elected officials are looking anew at buried or concrete-lined creeks as assets instead of inconveniences, inspired partly by Seoul’s example.

By building green corridors around the exposed waters, cities hope to attract affluent and educated workers and residents who appreciate the feel of a natural environment in an urban setting.

Environmentalists point out other benefits. Open watercourses handle flooding rains better than buried sewers do, a big consideration as global warming leads to heavier downpours. The streams also tend to cool areas overheated by sun-baked asphalt and to nourish greenery that lures wildlife as well as pedestrians.

Some political opponents have derided Seoul’s remade stream as a costly folly, given that nearly all of the water flowing between its banks on a typical day is pumped there artificially from the Han River through seven miles of pipe.

But four years after the stream was uncovered, city officials say, the environmental benefits can now be quantified. Data show that the ecosystem along the Cheonggyecheon (pronounced chung-gye-chun) has been greatly enriched, with the number of fish species increasing to 25 from 4. Bird species have multiplied to 36 from 6, and insect species to 192 from 15.

The recovery project, which removed three miles of elevated highway as well, also substantially cut air pollution from cars along the corridor and reduced air temperatures. Small-particle air pollution along the corridor dropped to 48 micrograms per cubic meter from 74, and summer temperatures are now often five degrees cooler than those of nearby areas, according to data cited by city officials.

New City in Florida to Run on Solar Power

You can probably guess by our tagline that OHM is a company that is pretty interested in communities. Here's a story that seems ripped, not from the headlines, but directly from a Star Trek episode. While there are some qualifications to the concept (it will rely on conventional power sources during the evening hours), the ideas sure sound intriguing. Here come the flying cars...

New City in Florida to Run on Solar Power
Originally printed in the Miami Herald (04/10/09) ; Dorschner, John

A developer named Kitson & Partners wants to create a city in Florida powered entirely by solar energy. The new city would be called Babcock Ranch and have about 19,500 energy efficient homes. The city would be built on 17,000 acres near Fort Myers, FL, and would feature the globe's biggest photovoltaic power plant, which would be operated by Florida Power & Light (FPL). FPL forecasts that the planned 75 MW solar generator will cost roughly $300 million and will add approximately 31 cents to its average customer's monthly bill. Kitson envisions that FPL's solar plant will generate more electricity for the state's power grid during daylight hours than the city will consume in 24 hours. Although Babcock Ranch will rely on conventional power sources during evening hours, its net impact will enable it to be considered a solar-only city. The plant's solar panels will be situated on 350 acres within the development. Kitson also said Babcock Ranch will have an integrated 'smart grid' allowing electricity users to track and control their power use. The Babcock solar project will be the fourth planned by FPL; the first three total 110 MW and were proposed after the state Legislature passed legislation for full-cost recovery of the projects.

Asset Management for Small Systems

Doing more with less.

It's the top priority for most business people today, but it's imperative for individuals charged with operating and maintaining municipal infrastructure. Declining property values, job losses and revenue sharing reductions strain a community's resources. Attendees at last week's American Water Works Association Small Systems Conference in Ionia, Michigan went looking for answers to a few of these herculean challenges. OHM's resident asset management guru, Dr. Murat Ulasir, joined EPA staffers to present concepts for creating an asset management program.

The takeways? Asset Management for community infrastructure systems serving less than 10,000 users requires a pragmatic and creative approach. Using basic data collection, a simple framework and free asset management tools, an operator can dramatically extend the useful life of the small system. There are several resources freely available for small system owners and operators, ranging from "the STEP guides" and free asset management software applications, such as EPA's CUPSS. For more information on these tools or getting started with asset management, contact Murat Ulasir at 734/522-6711.

Additional Resources
CUPPS Basic Information
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/cupss/basicinformation.html
CUPPS Software
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/cupss/software.html
Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
http://www.rcap.org

Asset Management for Small Systems - AWWA Conference

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