[ RadSafe ] Drought relief???

Fri Apr 17 03:08:07 CDT 2015

Many communities in California are already making great use of their treated waste water.  In my community we were forced many years ago by discharge limits to the local river (I think the restrictions were in the summer time when there wasn't much fresh water running down the river and the treated discharges "changed" the river's tidal water quality too much) to come up with alternative uses for the treated water.  The treated water is now used on several golf courses, a College, and a large state facility for landscape irrigation.  The good news for fresh water consumers is that every gallon of reclaimed water that is used for irrigation is a gallon of fresh water that is saved.  Additionally, the users of the treated water pay for the water and therefore help to underwrite the expense of the program. 

My concern is that one day if the drought continues to persists, we will find that we can no longer afford to use this highly treated water for landscaping irrigation and that we will instead have to consider direct consumer reuse of the treated water.  From an energy use perspective I am confident that it would be more efficient to convert this treated water to drinking water standards than it would be to desalinate ocean water, or in our case tidal water from the river.  However, I suspect that this issue would be a tough sale to consumers.
  Roy Herren 

     On Thursday, April 16, 2015 10:18 AM, "Brennan, Mike (DOH)" <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV> wrote:

 I actually heard someone promoting the idea of modular reactors by saying they would be a good way of providing power for desal plants.  I am in favor of modular reactors, but I think there are other options that deserve exploring, first.  

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Baumbaugh, Joel T CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 55360
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 9:41 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Drought relief???

Lack of water issues are WAY off subject for RADSAFE, but I agree with Mike.  San Diego discharges (and thereby loses) 240 million gallons of treated water into the ocean per DAY .  BTW, we used to have a Desalination plant here in San Diego - which utilized a large Co-60 source to monitor discharge flow-volume, but it was shipped to Cuba ...  Happy reading: 
http://12.33.72.15/pdfs/technical/DESAL2-293031scr.pdf

Joel Baumbaugh
Sunny San Diego

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Brennan, Mike (DOH)
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 9:24 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Drought relief???

Desalination is not a solution to the kind of water CA needs to support its agriculture, industry, and urban needs.  There are, however, several moves that would help.  Investment in infrastructure that maximizes use of grey water (as flush water for toilets, for example) would be increase potable water supply, decrease load on treatment plants, and stimulate the economy.  Removing the preferential rates big water users such as golf courses get would encourage them to be more conscientious about efficiency (though the disciples of Market Forces generally howl when the forces impact their entertainments).  Something India is doing could be looked at: they are roofing over aqueducts and irrigation canals with solar cells, reducing evaporation loss and providing power at the same time.    

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of JPreisig at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 8:38 AM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Drought relief???

Radsafe,

    See google news

    California, Texas, other states looking into  desalination.

    San Diego County has such a plant being  built.

    Joe Preisig

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