Not Enough Water: Drought in the San Joaquin Valley

BEE LORMS.AYIK WRITING 10 SECTION 15

Rewind : Dust Bowl

Problem: Drought

How can the drought affect the people of Merced?Loss of Jobs: Water is fuel for many jobs over 1,170, 801 acres of land dedicated

to agriculture Recall back to farmers during the Dust

Bowl Many agricultural machinery businesses

across California relies on these farmers and landscapers to buy their products

non-family businesses will start to lay off workers

Environment: less food and water are available for animals

and plants the production of milk for baby mammals

significantly decreases Increase in wildfires aqueous ecosystem If key species, organisms capable of

impacting the balance of an environment, were to die off from an ecosystem, then a catastrophic chain event will occur: species after species will fall, one after another

Salmon crossing through a small stream for spawning season

Urchins and Limpets are examples of key species in many underwater ecosystems

Solution: Recycling Water!

Process of Recycling Water

1. removing solids and oils from the sewage treatment plant

2. microfiltration, pressurized through pipes containing straw-like fibers with pores that are 5,000 times smaller than a pinhole

3. reverse osmosis, in which all impurities are eliminated through even smaller filters (five million times smaller than a pinhole) and ultraviolet light

Why Not?Nature has been recycling the water on the earth for billions of years Water cycle Sand and gravel

There are already many countries and states that are recycling water Singapore Australia Virginia California

Help Economic Growth!

Help generate jobs and revenue for the city From a U.S government report in 2011, over 56,000 water

plants were established in the country, providing jobs for over 1.1 million people with an average national pay

Investment will exceed its costs through its ability to export water Councilman Ed Gallo from Escondido, California,

estimates that with the plants installed, the city schedules to generate about $20 million a year from selling recycled water starting at 2030

How can technology play a role?

Restore and Protect the Environment

Draining water from local lakes and rivers has the potential of destroying its environmental surrounding, especially for the ecosystems that heavily rely on water Branch away decreases wastewater discharges and helps create or enhance the quality of existing wetlands and steams

Deal or No Deal: Funding ProgramsThe state of California’s Water Recycling Funding Program (WRFP) provides three different types of funding for feasible facilities planning to recycle water: Planning Grant, Construction Grant, and Construction Loan. Planning Grant is capable of financing

fifty-percent of initial costs, up to 75 thousand dollars

Its reward varies depending on the scope of the project, work that needs to be accomplished to deliver its service or result with its specified features and functions

The Construction Grant is only available to a limited amount of projects

Unlike the Construction Grant’s limited supply, the Construction Loan has a large amount available for anyone that require financial assistance. The loan has an interest rate of half the state’s bond rate, which is in the range of 2.57% (average yield at the end of 2014) and is predicted to be 2.85% by the end of 2015

Recently, the State Water Board approved $800 million with a 1% interest for recycled water projects, in effort to provide drought relief in the state

Within the past decade, the state has provided $3,203,453 worth of Planning Grants, $95,292,257 worth of Construction Grants, and $1,049,673,445 worth of Construction Loans to facilities within the state

There are also programs from East of the United States are specifically helping to fund for communities in the West. One of these programs is the U.S Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, in which they have already provided $1.3 million this year

OBJECTION!Q:The Government does not give money freely. How do you intend to be rewarded with the money?A: Plans for funding requires communication with the stakeholders and their approval for the project. We would need to contact every resident in the city of Merced who are at risk of the drought and gain their approval for the water recycling facilities by providing information of the many benefits of recycled water in the Central Valley. The plan needs to be broken down into descriptive yet comprehensive steps so that the funding committee can understand the issue, objective, and procedure to solve the drought. It needs to include financial costs, revenue, and time required to complete the project. Consultants specializing in the area of water recycling and business would be hired to help strengthen the project’s proposal. Identifying the team’s expectations, business and management expertise, leadership, and vision will increase the chances of acceptance because it will give the funding program the dedication and commitment level Merced has in effort to save its jobs and wildlife. The project developers will be required to accurately calculate their total costs and marginal costs without over nor underestimating. For this area of subject, the business consultant will explain. It is also important for team Merced to address the risk of our inexperience and how we will deal with upcoming problems relative to the inexperience to demonstrate responsibility, preparation, and courage

TBT: Recap

Merced and all of California should apply enhanced emphasis into the practice of recycling water because it rewarding in costs and benefits, flexible for the needs of the people, and is the most eco-friendly solution to the state Recap Presentation slides and ideas Processing time