Adding nutrients back into the lake

[pvelyk]

Adding nutrients back into the lake

Well it looks like a side effect of all this flooding on the big lake is adding some nutrients back into the lake.  Just not the Ideal ones:

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/05/02/rain-flooding-send-sewage-into-local-waterways/101198278/

 

Faced with a lakeshore sewer system brimming with flood water, Greece began pumping partly treated sewage into Long Pond on Monday.

The emergency discharge was continuing Tuesday, town Supervisor Bill Reilich said.

"Had we done nothing we would have had the possibility of sewage pouring into people’s basements," he said. The sewage is chlorinated before being pumped into the pond, Reilich said. State environmental officials were informed of the emergency action.

 

 

Monroe County released 3.4 million gallons of stormwater and untreated sewage into the Genesee River about 6:30 p.m. Monday after the rainfall filled available storage. Sanitary sewage and stormwater that's collected in curbside drains share a combined sewer system in the city of Rochester, and can overflow after heavy rains.

 

[henrybud]

Geeze, this is crappy.  I would say this is #2 on my list of things to find in the water.  Sorry for the "corny" jokes

[jlogger]

Get it out of your system now Larry before you get on the boat Sunday. I guess we'll just fish for browns.

[BSmaster]

Catfishing just got a whole lot better for the trot liners.

 

There is a spot in Vestal where the susquehanna river when low looks just like the sesspool of a faulty septic tank.  You can catch cats all day one after the other.  The cities in this Country are getting away with a lot more than I think most citizens realize.  What can be done about it?  There are so many hot pressing issues in this country that these obvious ones stay under the radar.  How do you get political traction to keep crap out of the river when there is a well funded smear campaign against windmills?  It costs a lot of money to upgrade the waste water treatment facilities.  IMHO, I think this is as important as bridge/road infrastructure.  Everyone flushes and just assumes it is magically taken care of.

[Lucky13]

Infrastructure gets built on the basis of a cost benefit analysis.   If you need a bridge over a river and the population density in the area is very low, therefore few users, the bridge probably won't get built (except in Alaska!)  Wastewater facilities are normally sized to handle up to a 10 year return frequency event, after which some portion of the waste gets discharged.  Costs rise astronomically as the actual use of the facility goes way down above the 10 year event.  This is complicated, however, by the changes in frequency and intensity of rainfall events which is attributed by many scientists to climate change (whatever the cause, it has been documented on the Toronto side of the lake by researchers from Guelph, and for Monroe County by William Coon of USGS in Ithaca, among others around the country.)  So a plant like Van Lare was sized for a storm intensity that is getting exceeded more and more frequently, and there are then more discharges to the river.  The problem on Long Pond is some residents hooking basement drain and pump systems to the sanitary sewer and exceeding its capacity in events like this, that is just good old American selfishness (and a violation of Town and county sewer laws.)

[skipper19]

I am guessing that when the Moses Saunders sphincter opens, the subsequent dump will rid a lot of bio nutrients down the chute. The extra current should be Intresting while trolling. More downrigger tangles...oh boy..[emoji53][emoji34]

 

Money doesn't buy happiness,

but it does buy horsepower....

I've never seen a sad person in a boat haulin' A$$...!

 

 

 

 

[rolmops]

37 minutes ago, Lucky13 said:

Infrastructure gets built on the basis of a cost benefit analysis.   If you need a bridge over a river and the population density in the area is very low, therefore few users, the bridge probably won't get built (except in Alaska!)  Wastewater facilities are normally sized to handle up to a 10 year return frequency event, after which some portion of the waste gets discharged.  Costs rise astronomically as the actual use of the facility goes way down above the 10 year event.  This is complicated, however, by the changes in frequency and intensity of rainfall events which is attributed by many scientists to climate change (whatever the cause, it has been documented on the Toronto side of the lake by researchers from Guelph, and for Monroe County by William Coon of USGS in Ithaca, among others around the country.)  So a plant like Van Lare was sized for a storm intensity that is getting exceeded more and more frequently, and there are then more discharges to the river.  The problem on Long Pond is some residents hooking basement drain and pump systems to the sanitary sewer and exceeding its capacity in events like this, that is just good old American selfishness (and a violation of Town and county sewer laws.)

 

 

That is how its supposed to be,but...the big contractors have their servants in the local and national government positions and plans on infrastructure projects are not built according to need but according to politicians needs.

Edited May 5, 2017 by rolmops