Innovative Solutions For Sewer Sludge
Every day, millions of gallons of sewer grease are processed in the United States, alone. This mixture of fatty solids from restaurants, home kitchens and other sources poses a double threat to the wastewater industry. The sewer grease, or sludge, is energy intensive and thus costly to process and it is also corrosive and can damage the sewer infrastructure including sewer pipes and fittings. New technology has the potential to turn this nuisance into a benefit for the industry, however. By looking at sewer grease as a potential energy source, wastewater treatment facilities may be able to offset not only the cost of treating the sludge, they may also be able to reduce their overall operating costs in the process.
Rivers Under Stress
Rivers, one of the greatest sources of freshwater on the planet may be in peril according to a new study recently published in the journal Nature. The study found, among other things, that rivers worldwide are experiencing similar stresses and are being degraded. Rivers most removed from human populations – in the arctic and the tropics – appear to be in the best state.
The symptoms of this degradation are almost as complex as the causes. Agricultural intensification, industrial development and river habitat modification were noted in the majority of the world’s watersheds. No longer limited to the developed world, the damage appears far-flung and crosses many economic and cultural boundaries.
The symptoms of this degradation are almost as complex as the causes. Agricultural intensification, industrial development and river habitat modification were noted in the majority of the world’s watersheds. No longer limited to the developed world, the damage appears far-flung and crosses many economic and cultural boundaries.