Team 2 Blog Entry #1

During and after heavy rainfall the Dog river is challenged to control the surge of the water’s flow rate. Northfield’s waste water treatment plant can be overwhelmed with any rapid rain storm. Flood contaminated materials empty into the Dog River causing damage to the environment. With the use of storm water retention, we can decrease the load on the treatment plant to help limit the probability exceeding maximum capacity. If it exceeds capacity, the treatment plant would over flow, allowing untreated water to flow down river. This has many effects on the environment, and health related aspects.

One method is the collection of roof water using gutters that drain into rain collection barrels. The water can be used for agricultural purposes, such as watering gardens or even washing your car. If the water is filtered to meet water quality standards, then the uses may be able to extend to drinking and cooking purposes. One incentive to install a roof drain collection system is it may help prevent the chances of a basement flooding that causes expensive damage.

Gravity filtration is the collection water that pass through multiple layers of varying materials with specific cleaning properties. Contributing factors to water filtration is the size material as well as the geometric shape. An efficient and practical filter is managing the priorities of what material and how much of each material to have for each layer with the background of being cost effective. This tactic can be used in a rain barrel to increase the quality and allow it to be clean enough for other uses.

A French drain is an underground filtration system that directs seeping water away from building foundations. This is a huge benefit during high volume rain events, a French drain could save a homeowner the annoyance and costs of a flooded basement.

Another way to also conserve water is to improve our technology to be more efficient with less water. This can include showers, faucets, dishes, laundry and toilets. Water consumption and usage is often overlooked when readily available, it becomes expected to have water flow through a faucet when we turn the handle. Limiting the amount of gray water that gets sent to the treatment plant is an important practice for water conservation and optimal water treatment.

A way to help limit the amount of water running through the water treatment system is potentially planting certain plants to help filter the water as it flows down the river. It would be ideal to separate the wastewater from the sewer system. There are many other innovative ways to conserve water usage, it just come down to cost and how much the community is willing to participate in the innovative engineering.