Ten Sequoia Union High School District students are seeing what its like this week to live with very little, while helping install a water purification system for those less fortunate than them.

The students, seniors part of Woodside High Schools Green Academy and Redwood High Schools REAL (Redwoods Environmental Academy of Leadership) cohorts, will travel to Redwood Citys sister city, Ciudad Guzman in Mexicos state of Jalisco during Labor Day week. The Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Foundation program H2OpenDoors is donating the SunSpring water purification system, which will ultimately benefit a district of 4,000 of the poorest citizens who receive water from a highly chlorinated and undrinkable city water system.

The four students and teacher from Redwood High and the six students and teacher from Woodside High said they were looking forward to being exposed to a new culture. The students started fundraising last year for the trip and raised about $5,000 through car washes, bake sales, family friends, door-to-door solicitations and other events. For some, its their first time on a plane. Others will be leaving the United States for the first time.

Ive never been out of the country, said Woodside student Keely Camp. Its a great opportunity. Water is a big issue.

This population center currently spends 10 pesos per liter on bottled water each day. That is about 77 cents, or more than $1 million per year, on bottled water. This should be alleviated with the SunSpring, which can purify more than 20,000 liters per day from virtually any contaminated water source, according to Jon Kaufman, the director of the project, who is going on the trip. Kaufman has taken other students on a similar trips to install purification systems in the past, including a trip to Northern Thailand.

It was transformative, he said. One student asked, Im thirsty, is there a drinking fountain? There was a pond infested with E. coli (from which to drink). Theyll be meeting their peers over there and painting a mural with the theme of water education. I hope they come back seeing the world is bigger than what they think.

SunSprings are solar- and wind-powered water purification plants that require no electricity or fuel, and remove all bacteria, viruses and other contaminants using membrane technology. With a design life of over 10 years, they require only one hour of downtime for simple maintenance procedures each month. Manufactured in Rocky Ford, Colorado, by Innovative Water Technologies, the systems are up and running within three hours.

Following the installation, the students will tour the city government, including the metropolitan water company facilities which serve more than 110,000 residents. Mayor Jose Luis Orozco Aldana will hold a water party to celebrate the installation.

During the final three days in Mexico, the students will travel to Guanajuato State and Centro Fox, the international conference complex headed by former Mexican president Vicente Fox.

We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with California high school students in support of H2OpenDoors and Rotary, Fox said in a prepared statement. The world needs to grow global citizens, people of high character who care about the poorest among us.

Original post:
Sequoia students helping install purification system: Weeklong trip to Mexico will bring clean water to more than 4,000

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

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Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Tuesday, September 2.

Butler County, MO

East and westbound traffic will be restricted. Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

The new traffic signal at William Street and Sheridan Drive will be put into flash mode Friday, Aug. 29. It will remain in flash mode through the holiday weekend. The signal will be put in full operation on the morning of Tuesday Sept. 2. Motorists are advised to be aware of this new signal going into operation.

Property owners adjacent to the bridge will have access to their properties. A marked detour is proposed here:

Maps are available at MoDOT's Sikeston Office on N. Main St. Property owners can request a hearing in writing if affected.

Read more from the original source:
Heartland road projects for 9/2

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

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Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Monday, September 1.

The Missouri Highway Department of Transportation reminds behavior is the key to safe driving in work zones and on busy highways this Labor Day. They offer the following tips:

Wear your seatbelt. During the Labor Day holiday in 2013, there were eight fatalities in crashes on Missouri roadways and two of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt.

Butler County, MO

East and westbound traffic will be restricted. Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

The new traffic signal at William Street and Sheridan Drive will be put into flash mode Friday, Aug. 29. It will remain in flash mode through the holiday weekend. The signal will be put in full operation on the morning of Tuesday Sept. 2. Motorists are advised to be aware of this new signal going into operation.

Property owners adjacent to the bridge will have access to their properties. A marked detour is proposed here:

Read more:
Heartland road projects for 9/1

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

?Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Friday, August 29.

Labor Day

The Missouri Highway Department of Transportation reminds behavior is the key to safe driving in work zones and on busy highways this Labor Day. They offer the following tips:

Wear your seatbelt. During the Labor Day holiday in 2013, there were eight fatalities in crashes on Missouri roadways and two of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt.

Butler County, MO

Route CC will be reduced to one lane while crews perform pavement repairs. This section of road is located from Route 51 to Route U. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and Wednesday, Aug. 27 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

East and westbound traffic will be restricted. Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

The new traffic signal at William Street and Sheridan Drive will be put into flash mode Friday, Aug. 29. It will remain in flash mode through the holiday weekend. The signal will be put in full operation on the morning of Tuesday Sept. 2. Motorists are advised to be aware of this new signal going into operation.

See the original post:
Heartland road projects for 8/29

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

?Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Thursday, August 28.

Labor Day

The Missouri Highway Department of Transportation reminds behavior is the key to safe driving in work zones and on busy highways this Labor Day. They offer the following tips:

Wear your seatbelt. During the Labor Day holiday in 2013, there were eight fatalities in crashes on Missouri roadways and two of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt.

Butler County, MO

Route CC will be reduced to one lane while crews perform pavement repairs. This section of road is located from Route 51 to Route U. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and Wednesday, Aug. 27 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

East and westbound traffic will be restricted. Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

The city of Cape Girardeau says striping and related work at the intersection of William and Sheridan will prepare for the new signal. You can likely expect lane closures on Thursday, Aug. 28. The signal should be operational soon. For more information, you can contact Development Services at 573-339-6327.

Excerpt from:
Heartland road projects for 8/28

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

?Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Tuesday, August 26.

Labor Day

The Missouri Highway Department of Transportation reminds behavior is the key to safe driving in work zones and on busy highways this Labor Day. They offer the following tips:

Wear your seatbelt. During the Labor Day holiday in 2013, there were eight fatalities in crashes on Missouri roadways and two of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt.

Butler County, MO

Route CC will be reduced to one lane while crews perform pavement repairs. This section of road is located from Route 51 to Route U. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and Wednesday, Aug. 27 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

East and westbound traffic will be restricted. Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

The Fruitland rest area on Interstate 55 mm 110 in Cape Girardeau County will be closed as contractor crews perform repairs. Closures for the north and south facilities will occur the week of Aug. 25, weather permitting. Work will begin at the southbound rest area at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25 with crews moving to the northbound rest area on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Repairs are expected to be finished by 8 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 29

Originally posted here:
Heartland road projects for 8/25

Wednesday, August 20, 2014 | 6:00 a.m. CDT; updated 7:21 a.m. CDT, Wednesday, August 20, 2014

COLUMBIA John McLeod is frustrated with sewage overflows from two manholes in a private park near his home that have become "geysers of sewage."

Ridgefield Park is a private park in southwest Columbia, and McLeod, who lives at 2307 Ridgefield Road, is president of the Ridgefield Park Association. Homeowners in the surrounding neighborhood own the park.

According to Columbia Public Works Department documents, the two problem manholes in the park have overflowed a combined 20 times in the past five years, with 12 overflows recorded in 2013 alone. The manholes are visible from the County House Trail, which runs through the park.

McLeod believes the best solution would be replacing the sewer as soon as possible. The city plans to install a new sewer line in 2021, and city sewer utility manager David Sorrell said that project would significantly reduce the frequency of overflows at the park.

The Ridgefield Park sewer upgrade, estimated to cost $700,000, is one of many sewer projects in line for help across Columbia. According to city documents, there are 13 city sewer projects in progress and 25 others scheduled for construction by 2019 before the sewer would be replaced in Ridgefield Park. The cost of the 25 projects is an estimated $22 million, and the city still needs $18 million in funding.

Projects that are scheduled before Ridgefield Park include repairs downtown in the Flat Branch watershed, sewer main construction near the upper part of Hinkson Creek and maintenance to reduce sewer backups near Stewart Road.

The problems at the park are primarily due to inflow and infiltration of groundwater or rainwater into the sewer system through leaky pipes or improperly installed downspouts, problems that can cause manholes to overflow.

McLeod said he has spoken four times about the sewer troubles of Ridgefield Park at City Council meetings, most recently on July 21.

"The work we want done, they want to do it in seven years," McLeod said. "We want it done now."

Visit link:
South of downtown, park has its own sewer troubles

Could Holladay Park project be a model for future plans?

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, OBryant Square in downtown Portland is mostly deserted. On the parks raised northeast corner, two piles of discarded clothing and one discarded shoe sit in the shade of a tree, a flattened cardboard box on the ground beside them.

Four men are sleeping on the parks upper level. A dozen or so people rest on the parks perimeter, on benches and retaining walls, most in shade, all but a few balancing lunches from the nearby 10th and Alder food carts on their laps.

Five park garbage cans are already overflowing at 3:15 p.m., with chopsticks and half-filled sauce cups on the ground beside the cans. Plastic forks and paper napkins are scattered throughout the parks bark dust.

A tall, 30-ish man with a scruffy beard scavenges a couple of the garbage cans, coming away with what looks like some leftover biryani and a half-filled paper Coke cup with straw.

There is absolutely nobody in the center of the park, its plaza. The large bronze fountain built in the shape of a rose dominates the plaza but is empty. The fountain hasnt spouted water for at least 13 years.

Two men and two women, travelers maybe, homeless quite possibly, have taken ownership of the parks northwest corner. Approached by a reporter, one of the women shakes her finger and shouts, Keep walking.

A few blocks away, lively Director Park has shown what intelligent programming and around the clock security can accomplish. Holladay Park next to the Lloyd Center is on its way to joining the list of Portland destination parks. OBryant Square is, well, the counterpoint, an example of what happens when a city park is badly designed and allowed to determine its own fate.

Design is the primary reason OBryant cant be made to feel safe, says Matthew Arnold, associate principal director of urban design and planning at SERA Architects. More specifically, Arnold says, the problem is the altered grade of the park.

Read more here:
Tale of two designs: O'Bryant Square languishes; Director Park flourishes

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last week adopted an ordinance that requires the installation of new water bottle filling stations where drinking fountains are required in private commercial development projects in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The ordinance is a local amendment to the California Plumbing Code that includes the installations of water bottle filling stations for new construction or renovations in government facilities and commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.

"Increasing water consumption in our community starts by providing fresh, accessible, and free water where residents work and gather," said County of Santa Clara Supervisor Ken Yeager, who introduced the ordinance. "Encouraging residents to drink water instead of sugar-loaded beverages will help us curb the obesity crisis facing Santa Clara County."

Also known as "hydration stations" or "drink tap stations," bottle filling stations are locations where water bottles can be filled with potable water. The stations are designed so water bottles can be placed below a downward facing water tap, and be filled with potable water activated by a sensor or manual button. Unlike water fountains, water filling stations are attractively designed to provide clean, safe drinking water, as the water tap is often protected and the water provided is usually filtered and chilled.

"We want to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to provide a convenient way to fill reusable water bottles with clean potable water," said board President Mike Wasserman, who is vice chair of the Board's Housing, Land Use Environment and Transportation Committee. "This new requirement will make clean drinking accessible for Santa Clara County residents and visitors."

Despite the belief that bottled water is a safer source of drinking water, studies have shown the potential for contamination and exposure to toxins can be higher than tap water. In comparison with municipal tap water, bottled water has a substantial environmental impact, as petroleum is needed for the creation of disposable plastic water bottles, as well as extensive energy and materials for packaging and transportation.

According to the Container Recycling Institute, while most water bottles are recyclable, more than 85 percent of plastic water bottles become garbage or litter. Like tap water, water bottle filling stations have a smaller environmental footprint and represents substantial savings to consumers.

The county ordinance would apply to new buildings, additions to buildings, and instances where building permits are required to change the occupancy of a building (for example, from a barn to a reception facility). The ordinance would only apply to commercial buildings or buildings in unincorporated Santa Clara County where the existing California Building code requires the installation of drinking fountains.

"Under the new ordinance, bottle water filling stations will be installed at a ratio of one water bottle filling station per each floor applicable to construction projects required by the California Building Code to install drinking fountains," said Nash Gonzalez, director of the Department of Planning and Development. "Our goal is to support those involved in new commercial projects or renovations to ensure they install stations that are highly visible and accessible."

Bottle filing stations are usually installed using one of two design options: Either as a stand-alone station or a station integrated together with a drinking fountain. The product and installation costs for bottle filling station will depend upon the design type (from stand-alone to integrated fountain/water bottle filling), location (water piping extensions might be required) and features, such as filtration cooling systems, which will require ongoing maintenance associated with routine replacement of filters.

The county's Facilities and Fleet Department has already begun incorporating hydration units in county facilities remodeling projects.

Visit link:
Santa Clara County adopts water bottle filling station ordinance

REDDING, Calif. -

The city of Redding and the City of Shasta Lake are enacting new restrictions on outdoor water use. The water limits are in response to the state's emergency conservation regulations to address California's drought.

Both cities will start enforcing limits on the hours during which water users can run landscaping irrigation.

REDDING:

The Redding City Council approved the following water regulations at its meeting Tuesday night. The rules were listed in the packet of information provided to council for consideration, and linked on the water department's website.

To promote water conservation, the following actions are prohibited: 1. The application of potable water to outdoor landscapes that causes runoff. 2. The use of a hose to wash a motor vehicle, unless a shut-off nozzle is attached. 3. Application of potable water to driveways and sidewalks. 4. Use of potable water in a fountain or decorative water feature, except where the water is part of a re-circulating system.

Outdoor irrigation with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems is permitted only between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Redding water customers whose street address end with an odd number may water only on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and only within the permitted time period.

Redding water customers whose street addresses end with an even number may water only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and only within the permitted time period.

There is no watering allowed on Monday.

Original post:
City of Shasta Lake makes water waste violations a criminal offense