Some in Washington think that reinvesting in our sewage and storm water infrastructure might be throwing good money down the toilet. In Israel this week some one really did flush good money down the drain. According to the Associated Press, workers at the sewage treatment facility in Tiberias found roughly $2,000 floating in and amongst the solids and toilet paper. The workers called the police, who at first didn't believe them. When the supervisor at the facility insisted, the police came and fished the dirty cash from the stinky stew. Police can only speculate, but they think it might be the result of a domestic disturbance. Now that really is flushing money down the drain!

And Now the Spills of the Week:

As worldwide demand for energy increases, prices at the pump and at the meter will continue to rise. Similarly, rapid development across the U.S. increases the demand placed on our aging and failing sewage and water infrastructure systems , our water and sewer bills are only going to increase. But recentinterest in alternative fuels and water supplies might produce solutions to both challenges.

Scientists and students from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, are working on a project/experiment aimed at producing bio-diesel from our sewage. ODU students are using the nutrient rich sewage to grow algae which conveniently love the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. They use the natural oils that the algae produce to make bio-diesel. Apparently it is more efficient than traditional agriculturally based bio-fuels.

On the other side of the country, Los Angeles is implementing a project to capture, treat and reuse its sewage as a renewable resource and water supply. The new program could process, treat and provide up to 70 million gallons of fresh water to the LA region a day. With so much sewage going around (we all make it) why not reuse it. Increased interest and research into alternative fuels and water supply ideas will help us cope with the very real challenges of running out of these important resources and global climate change. Great work ODU and LA.

And Now the Spills of the Week:

Ryan Severn of Seattle takes dedication to a whole new level. Last week while Ryan and his wife, Ann, were cleaning an office building, Ann accidentally dropped her wedding band down in to a sewer. Not just a sewer pipe, but a full on vat of sewage. Ryan, seeing that his wife was very upset at losing their symbol of matrimony, dove into the sewer and starting searching for the ring in the sewage! "I strip down in underwear," he said, "and went in." Unsuccessful, Ryan left and immediately bought a wetsuit, came back and gave it another go with a handmade strainer. Yet again, he was unsuccessful. So, being the committed husband, he hired professionals to drain the cesspool, sift through the slimy mess and sure enough he found the ring!!! That takes a level of commitment that is hard to find. Amazing and impressive.

And now the Spills of the Week:

It's been a tough week for streams, creeks, rivers, lakes and oceans thus adding to the unfortunate doom and gloom that pervades the Slog from week to week. For this week's ‘Spills' topper I could have used the story about poop falling from the sky in Chicago, sewage diving in Nebraska, or the story in New Orleans of 126 out of 188 inspected businesses are violating their sewage discharge permits and are dumping raw sewage directly into nearby ditches and creeks, or anyone of California's weekly and sometimes daily beach closures due to sewage leaks, runoff, bypasses, and pump failures. However, amongst the messy world of sewage news I found a very encouraging story from Minnesota that I'd like to share instead. According to the Star Tribune, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minneapolis has met its goal of "zero-discharge" into the Mississippi River. After years of infrastructure redevelopment and rigid enforcement of stringent storm water runoff diversion requirements, Minneapolis and St. Paul are seeing significant decreases in their discharges into the river. Beginning as far back as the 1960's, the city recognized that separation of storm water drains from the sanitary sewer systems was necessary to reduce wastewater pollution. Over the course of the last decade steady decreases in discharges have helped prove that the actions taken were working to reduce sewage pollution. The system isn't perfect but it is a step closer to keeping our communities safe from harmful pollutants. Congratulations to Minneapolis for having the foresight to act for a healthy river.

Now the Spills of the Week: