Josh Cronin Blog Entry #1

To begin our project we experienced some difficulty selecting an appropriate topic that would apply to issues that the Dog River might experience. After some input from both professors Kulkarni and Zemba, we decided that we would take an unconventional look at water conservation. In an effort to reduce the amount of water that actually penetrates the ground and enters the water table, we figure that if each home in Northfield were to install rain barrels hooked up to their roof gutters or other drainage system and collect the water for use at their leisure, then we can reduce the volume of water that our treatment facility is forced to accommodate. Another method we are potentially looking into exploring is the french drain. With this simple yet effective drainage technique we can divert the drainage around properties and decide were the precipitation is going to flow after penetrating the ground. With these two methods and any others we might discover during our research, we believe we can intercept a considerable volume of water. By intercepting this volume of water before it is able to enter the water table and eventually reach the dog river, we can reduce the flow of the river and keep the treatment facility under its capacity, preventing any contaminated material from being allowed through the facility’s gates. By conserving our water, even though we live in a very wet climate, we might be able to have an impact and improve on our ability to keep our waters flowing clean. Our group has been working together since the beginning of the semester so we already have a foundation of team chemistry built through the previous work that we have accomplished thus far. Throughout this project I am sure that we will get a better idea of everyone’s strengths, and perhaps some weaknesses as well, but I believe we have a strong group that will produce a viable finished product.