Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

A trio of skaters who connected during the pandemic are inviting fellow eight-wheelers to roll into the night with them this Saturday.

Golda Ferrer, Signy Thorsteinson and Jill Munro, collectively known as the Skate Sisters, are the brains behind IllumiSkate the Night, an outdoor, disco-inspired roller rink making its debut at this years Nuit Blanche, the annual free night of art exploration held as part of Culture Days.

For one night only, a car park in the East Exchange will be transformed into a 70s-esque roller rink, complete with disco lights and retro music.

This is a dream we are making come true, Ferrer says. Winnipeg doesnt have an outdoor roller rink and for one night we are doing just that.

Kicking off at 6 p.m., IllumiSkate promises a night full of thrills and maybe some spills as everyone is invited to join in, as long as they bring their skates.

For Ferrer and her skate sisters, the hobby is more than just a way to keep fit; its an art form. She also credits the activity for keeping her sane during the height of COVID-19.

In isolation we were keeping apart from our families, but when we were out skating, we would accidentally run into other skaters, and we could all do this thing together. We would socially distance, wearing masks, and just skate with each other. There was just something about it the freedom we felt in those isolated times, and we still got together to share our common love of skating. And this was the culture that emerged out of it.

Getting the event ready hasnt been easy a small budget, together with a tight turnaround time, has seen everyone pitching in to do their bit.

Ferrer credits the skating community shes part of, Peg City Rollers, for coming together to ensure everything rolls smoothly.

Its been all hands on deck putting the event together, Ferrer explains. We (the Skate Sisters) had the underlying assumption that our community would come in and make this happen.

I think the most notable thing is that, because of a location issue, weve only had nine weeks to plan the event. We also received a $2,000 grant from Nuit Blanche. A lot of our installation relies on our skate-community friends and family support. We were able to borrow and repurpose most things. There is so much artistic talent in the group. We had to get really creative.

We are here to give the Skate Sisters any help they need, says Genie Nizigiyimana, founder of the Peg City Rollers.

There are a lot of members in our group who are more than willing and currently helping them. Its all about community enthusiasm. We want the event to be successful.

Nizigiyimana, who started skating in October 2020, established Peg City Rollers in January of the following year to meet more like-minded people. The group now hosts more than 100 members, although not everyone turns up to all the skate meets.

I started a social media account, and the goal was to find other skaters in Winnipeg to skate with. In May 2021 we had our official skate meet with 10 people, and we have 141 members right now.

People come and go. We have open skate meets and sometimes there are 30 people, sometimes there are five people.

The skaters meet at Sargent Skate Park on Sundays in the warmer months and move to a community centre in winter. Summer events are free but winter events are charged a fee to cover the rent of the indoor location.

Last year it was $50 per person and we had just enough to cover the rent. When there was extra we saved that and this year in March we had a live DJ come in and perform when we skated, Nizigiyimana explains.

Roller skating has a long history in Winnipeg, with its roots in the city going back 140 years. The citys first roller rink, as reported in the Free Press, opened in 1883 at 12 Graham St., now known as Graham Avenue.

The history of skating in the city is something that interests Ferrer, and she has made sure it is a part of the IllumiSkate experience.

We convinced my favourite local building archivist, Christian Cassidy, to write a five-part blog about Winnipegs roller-skate history. Its a key part of our installation, Ferrer says.

Ferrer is expecting between 80 to 100 skaters to turn up at the 70s-inspired roller rink throughout the course of the evening.

Expect to time-travel back to the disco era with disco balls, sparkly drapes and warm lights for this installation, Ferrer says.

For non-skaters, there will also be a Zumba section where spectators can dance the night away.

The installation will have a disco photo booth with a red-carpet walk and a lit-up floor, along with three picture walls two of which attendees will have to spot somewhere in the East Exchange.

av.kitching@winnipegfreepress.com

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Saturday night fever - Winnipeg Free Press

My first indication that Qatar is a country unlike any other is the herd of metallic oryxes that greets me in the arrivals hall at Dohas Hamad International Airport. Designed by Dutch sculptor Tom Claassen, its one of a dozen world-class artworks scattered throughout the terminal. But it isnt until Im standing at the paws of a 23-foot-tall pineapple-yellow teddy bear with a glowing lamp for a head the eerily brilliant work of Swiss artist Urs Fischer that I really start to wonder: Is this an airport or an art museum? The answer is both.

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums and sister of the ruling emir, is one of the most powerful art buyers in the world. Her taste influences everything in this oil-rich nation. The royal family set a record when it paid a whopping $6.8 million for Fischers 20-ton teddy, but thats chump change for a monarchy determined to transform its sliver of the Arabian Peninsula into a cultural polestar. Those strapping bronze oryxes? Theyre just an amuse-bouche for the aesthetic feast thats to come.

Photography provided by 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum

Qatar has been on a spending spree ever since it landed its bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with more than a million visitors expected to descend upon the capital city come November. The frenzied expansion includes luxe hotels, shiny stadiums, and a slew of new and revitalized museums. Cranes are a staple on the skyline which is so iconic now that it rivals Manhattan and Hong Kong. Even my Sri Lankan taxi driver, who has lived here on and off for six years, says he gets lost because the city changes so quickly.

Im in town for the ribbon cutting of the new 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, which is timed to the World Cup draw. Drafted by Catalan architect Joan Sibina, its one of the largest sports museums on the planet and the first Arab institution to join the Olympic Museums Network. Its sprawling galleries trace the global history of sport, from Roman charioteers to Jamaican bobsledders, and showcase every Olympic torch from the 1936 games onward. I spend an hour strolling through the Hall of Athletes, taking in the stories of both icons (Babe Ruth, Tom Brady) and trailblazers (Japanese Paralympic swimmer Mayumi Narita).

The National Museum of Qatar, the brainchild of Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel, is another recent addition that stops me dead in my tracks. Circling its exterior, Im captivated by the buildings curvaceous interlocking discs, said to be inspired by the crystallized petals of the desert rose. I find the collection inside even more striking especially the Pearl Carpet of Baroda, a 19th century rug embellished with more than 1.5 million pearls, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. By the time I plunge into the rabbit hole that is Pipilotti Rists hallucinogenic Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You, the Swiss creatives first site-specific installation in the Middle East, Ive become officially entranced by these superlative museums.

But my checklist of must-sees doesnt end there. Word has it Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas is so in love with his work at the Qatar National Library that he visits monthly. I see why as soon as I set foot in its soaring all-white interior. More than 400,000 books are shelved in a tiered lobby, while a maze of earthy Iranian marble displays collectible manuscripts. A tour typically takes three hours, but I have just one, most of which I spend scooping my jaw up off the floor.

Photography provided by Finn Partners

Im equally impressed with I.M. Peis Museum of Islamic Art, which rises like a cubist wedding cake out of the jade-hued Arabian Gulf. Slated to reopen shortly before the World Cup, its been undergoing a reimagining for the past 18 months. I sneak into the multistory lobby for a quick look and risk fainting like a Victorian duchess while taking in its glory.

In between museum hopping, I make the rounds to headlining shows at flagship galleries, including a haute couture Christian Dior retrospective at fashion incubator M7. I nosh on luscious halvah ice cream at contemporary Qatari eatery Saasna and get a behind-the-scenes tour of Culture Pass Club, the countrys first members-only arts club. Situated in a suite of 14 townhouses decorated by Diane von Furstenberg, India Mahdavi and other design luminaries, its the kind of place where VIP creatives go to hobnob and rest their heads.

Photography provided by Finn Partners

Most enjoyably, I wander the back alleys of Souq Waqif, a shopping bazaar built on the site of a century-old trading market. My curiosity leads me to a row of Oudh vendors, hand-blown perfume bottles cluttering their shelves, and to spice shops selling mountains of pistachios and dried figs. I shuffle past men puffing clouds of fragrant shisha and women in niqabs ladling out batter for Nutella crepes. In the chaos of it all, I find more art: a giant severed thumb painted gold. One of the best-known sculptures by late French Nouveau Ralisme pioneer Csar Baldaccini, it stands out in the bustling market like, well, a sore thumb.

This high/low mix seems strange at first, but incongruity is a theme here. Women cover themselves head-to-toe in black abayas, for instance, but their hands are adorned with rare jewels and designer handbags. Bentleys and Lamborghinis idle at stoplights, driven by men dressed in princely thobes and gutras, while dust-caked laborers toil in the blazing sun just beyond the windshield. I quickly come to realize that Dohas mind-boggling growth wouldnt be possible without the migrant workers who grind away in the shadows, hammering the rafters of half-erect stadiums and delivering mint lemonades to poolside terraces. Most of these laborers come from Southeast Asia, and more than 6,000 of them have died in the citys breakneck race to World Cup dominance a distressing fact that any visitor marveling at these vertigo-inducing skyscrapers must grapple with.

Photography provided by Finn Partners

In that way, Im grateful to escape the city. Paradoxically, the most memorable experience I have in Qatar happens in the middle-of-nowhere desert. After bouncing around in the back of a 4WD past gypsum plateaus and Duneesque scrubbiness, I happen upon the holy grail: four steel slats some 170 feet tall standing upright in the ecru-colored sand.

East-West/West-East is the work of minimalist American sculptor Richard Serra. He named it this because viewers are supposed to start on one end, walk a kilometer east, then whirl around and walk back. I just happen to have timed it perfectly, so Im the only one there as the sun sinks into the horizon, bleeding a tangerine puddle as it goes. Far removed from the glitz and glam of Doha, its just me and the art and we both feel grounded.

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.

Link:
How Qatar Became an Arts and Architecture Hot Spot - Artful Living

We have a short, concise list of gallery shows and activities this weekend, a variety of events that will suit different tastes.

Whats your taste? Check the list and plan your menu.

Lamp composed of art glass pieces designed 1903-1904 by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), glass with copper-plated zinc caming. Gift of Louis Newman and Justin Ferate; collection of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.

Photo: Wes Magyar

Holly Nordeck and Cami Golofre collaborate on "Thicket," a new installation at the Storeroom.

Courtesy of the Storeroom

Reassess Devon Dikeou's Mid-Career Smear and celebrate the equinox at the Dikeou Pop-Up.

Courtesy of Dikeou Pop-up

Eugene Stewart: Color Fields Emma Krantz: Reactive Self-Portraits Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden StreetThursday, September 22, through October 23Opening Reception: Thursday, September 22, 6 to 9 p.m.Taos-based artist Eugene Stewart shows monotypes in a variety of abstract expressionism of his own invention that reveals a more concrete direction of exploration. New Art Gym member Emma Krantz hangs a series of portraits from photographs of strangers whose images reveal inner deepness. Krantz manipulates those images to express her own thoughts, and pairs them with meditative, abstracted landscapes.

JayCee Beyale, Nihodootlizh (Blue World/2nd World) (details from an installation), acrylic on canvas.

Courtesy of JayCee Beyale

Ana Maria Boter, Pair Twist (detail).

Courtesy of Artworks Center for Contemporary Art

Rocky Mountain National Watermedia 2022 Center for the Arts Evergreen, 31880 Rocky Village Drive, EvergreenFriday, September 23, through October 29, 2022Opening Reception: Friday, September 23, 4 to 7 p.m.Think of this show as a meeting of the minds for watercolorists across the nation. In its 49th year, its recognized as a top honor for all involved, with $10,000 of prize money divvied out after the jurist, Texas-based watermedia painter Soon Y. Warren, introduces the top six works via Zoom at the live opening in Evergreen. Warren took on nearly 500 submissions, paring them down to 62 works by artists from 25 states for the exhibition. You know its got to be good.

Joseph Coniff, "Panel Situation 6," 2022, enamel and pigment print on panel in artist frame.

Joseph Coniff, Rule Gallery

Bug, Dj Vu Pirate Associate Members, Works on Paper Pirate: Contemporary Art, 7130 West 16th Avenue, Lakewood Friday, September 23, through October 2Opening Reception:Friday, September 23, 6 to 10p.m.The longtime Pirate known as Bug is back with another multimedia installation, this time bearing the theme of Dj Vu. Were not certain what you will see at the gallery, but Bug usually hits a note parallel to the times were living through at the moment. Pirates associate members have gathered together for a group show in their gallery space this time.

Ben Shores shares his personal Colorado vibe at Spectra.

Courtesy of Ben Shores

Interested in having your event appear in this calendar? Send the details to [emailprotected].

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Art Attack: Everything to See in Denver Galleries This Week - Westword

Prefabricated sunrooms are a wonderful addition to any home. Traditionally, sunrooms have always been labor-intensive and expensive to build. However, the prefabricated sunroom has made this luxury affordable for any middle-class American family. Whereas traditional sunrooms require expert contractors to build, prefabricated versions come in a kit of easily-assembled parts.

This simplifies the entire process, as important information like weather resistance, design, size, etc. is standardized and laid out up-front. All that you need to do is compare the specifications to local building codes and weather requirements, pick out a suitable kit, and follow the instructions. Once thats done, youll have your gorgeous sunroom. When youre interested in getting a sunroom, look for a prefabricated sunroom for sale.

Before choosing between a prefabricated sunroom for sale or a custom, contractor-built model, you might need to know why sunrooms are such valuable additions. Once you install your sunroom, youll find yourself with all sorts of benefits and potential uses for the new room.

One of the most obvious benefits of a sunroom is its role in enhancing the value of your home. On the one hand, youre increasing the ground area of your home, but youre also adding a touch of luxury. A quality sunroom should always comfortably boost the value of your real estate. If you ever choose to sell your home, your sunroom addition may well pay for itself.

Besides increasing the value of your property, extra space is useful and versatile on its own. A home can often feel cramped with possessions, so adding extra space can finally let you fulfill your interior design dreams. A sunroom is perfectly suited to being a new, tailor-made family area, a plant room, a peaceful place to enjoy your hobbies and passions, or anything else that captures your imagination.

One use for a sunroom is to have a lush, vibrant room filled with plants and vegetation. Glass has a modest insulating effect, and the high sun exposure allows a good sunroom to function in a manner somewhat similar to a greenhouse. If youve always wanted to have plants but your home didnt get enough sunlight, this is just what youve dreamed of. Not to mention, you can deck your sunroom with plants and still use it for other purposes. The beautiful, stimulating environment of a garden sunroom will make it even better suited to use for hobbies or family time.

Do you enjoy writing, reading, knitting, or any other passion best enjoyed in peace? If so, then a sunroom will fulfill your purposes perfectly. You can pick out a prefab sunroom kit with the perfect dimensions to house a comfortable work area and any decorations you might like. After that, you can enjoy the warm rays of the sun while enjoying shelter from adverse weather conditions, insulation from outside temperatures, and some protection from insects and other nuisances. Affordable window-tint services can also afford a comfortable balance of natural light and privacy.

Adding a new space with excellent lighting and a comfortable, naturally-regulated temperature can make for a great place for family and friends to unwind. You could bring a TV or music system out and enjoy all the perks of the indoors with the unique comfort of a sunroom. Not to mention that sunlight is free: spending time in the excellent lighting and balanced temperature of your sunroom may cut into your electric bill.

Prefab and custom-built sunroom are both excellent choices that will transform your home for the better. Custom options seem to have the advantage of carrying more options and being easier to tailor to your needs and preferences, at first. However, there are countless unique prefab sunroom kits on the market that fill every stylistic and practical need imaginable and offset this advantage.

On the other hand, a prefabricated sunroom comes with incredible practicality. While building a sunroom from the ground up is a complex task that requires skilled labor, anyone with DIY skills can put together a sunroom kit. You also have the choice of taking it apart and packing it back up. If youre renting or planning on selling your home and buying a new one, a prefab kit is a less permanent, more mobile commitment. As labor is simpler and often DIY-capable, a kit is far more affordable.

Prefab sunroom cost is lower than a custom-built sunroom by an order of magnitude. Even a basic custom-built sunroom with poor weather resistance and a small floor area may cost you $10,000 for materials and labor at a minimum. However, that cost may easily rise as high as $50,000. Depending on the rigors of local weather, a four-season sunroom capable of withstanding strong winds, snow, and hail while maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature ranges from $20,000 to $80,000 for materials and labor. Other expensive, luxurious types of sunroom such as a solarium or conservatory might range from $30,000 all the way up to $100,000.

In comparison, prefab sunroom kit prices are far lower even with contractor services. Brands such as Champion and Patriot offer prefabricated sunroom prices starting from $5000 up to $25,000. Both of these brands send their own teams to work as contractors and install your sunroom, yet the prices remain much lower. Prefab sunroom prices for DIY kits typically dont grow higher than the $5,000-$15,000 models that California Sunrooms sells with a limited lifetime warranty. Not to mention, you can find even cheaper prefabricated sunrooms for sale if you turn to DIY options.

However, a DIY sunroom prefab kit can get even cheaper while maintaining good quality. Sojag has a prefabricated sunroom for sale that offers a rugged design with 12 ft. x 12. ft dimensions, thick glass, and galvanized steel construction. As a result, its suitable for extreme weather conditions. Despite being undoubtedly good quality and reasonably spacious, it retails for approximately $3,500. Some affordable sunrooms dont require a contractor team or DIY construction, as theyre pre-built before shipping. You might need to factor in the price of add-ons such as a pre-fab booth or booth features, but the overall cost should remain a bargain.

When you pick out your prefabricated sunroom kit, youll have a variety of styles to choose from. Some options are simple and built for modest weather, while others are more rugged. You can also pick out a sunroom with a glass roof, maximizing sun exposure, and outdoor visibility. When youre looking for a prefabricated sunroom for sale, consider your practical needs and the weather-resistance of your choices.

A three-season sunroom is suitable for spring, summer, and fall as a rule. However, they lack the insulation and tougher construction to stay comfortable during icy weather. Youll want to cover it during winter or choose a sturdier, better-insulated model.

Four season sunrooms can resist the rigors of extreme weather and maintain comfortable indoor temperatures thanks to their high-quality insulation. Steel frames and impact windows are common design features that fend off snow pileup, hail, and other forms of extreme weather.

Conservatories and solarium designs tend to have glass roofs, whereas standard sunrooms have glass walls and covered roofs. The result is brighter interior lighting, although the cost and difficulty of installation are often greater if youre performing a DIY project.

While many sunrooms stand alone in the yard, you can also choose an addition: this is a structure that stands alongside the home and works as an extension of the house. Prefab sunroom additions cost more than a standalone sunroom as a rule, with a total price of $5,000 at the very lowest up to to $30,000 for a standard sunroom.

Prefabs built for mobile homes are a great way to add a little extra space, comfort, and luxury to your house-on-wheels.

There are many different prefabricated sunrooms for sale, competing to be the kit that you choose for your home. The right choice of prefab sunroom kit comes down to your needs, your purpose for the room, and the climate where you live. Additionally, youll need to check with local building ordinances or your HOA if youre beholden to one. Consider the following characteristics when choosing your sunroom.

If you intend to use the sunroom as a hub for the family and neighborhood get-togethers, then youll have to choose a larger kit. On the other hand, a 1212 will be more than enough for more personal uses.

Do you want maximum light exposure or are you interested in stargazing from your sunroom? Then a solarium is certainly for you. If your needs are simpler and you live in an area with mild weather, a three-season sunroom will do the job perfectly.

Since construction is so much simpler on a prefab kit than a custom-built sunroom, DIY and contractor-built choices are both relatively affordable. However, hiring a contractor is essential if you feel you might struggle to establish a sunroom kit. When you see a prefabricated sunroom for sale, make sure to consider how complex construction is and whether or not youll need extra assistance.

While Guardian Booth does not sell prefabricated sunrooms, we do sell all types of prefabricated booths. Choose from a wide array of prefabricated structures such as security shacks, cashier booths, portable office trailers, modular offices and more. Each prefabricated structure can be customized with a wide array of custom features, such as custom exterior color and design and many other features.

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Prefabricated Sunroom for Sale: Buy or Build Sun Into Your Life

Children are naturally curious; they learn by observing people and the world, imitating what they see, and experimenting by instinctively mixing in their thoughts, ideas, and feelings to create new scenarios.

The wonderful world of playing dress-up taps into your childs boundlessly inquisitive nature and sets the stage for discovery. Lets look at some of the benefits of dress-up play, how to encourage your kids to give it a try, and how to create an irresistible dress-up play center.

Dress-up play opens up whole new worlds of adventure. This type of pretend play sparks creativity and stretches the imagination. Your kids can soar like Superman and swoop in to save people in distress, roam the jungle and roar like a lion, or impersonate their favorite singer and put on a solo concert. The possibilities are endless.

Playing dress-up also encourages self-exploration. Children are free to explore myriad identities, personalities, and behaviors, and to discover new things about themselves such as their likes and dislikes. Its a healthy, safe, and creative way to experiment and try new things. Its common to see kids acting out their dreams and passionstrying them on for size, so to speak.

Childrens brains are highly stimulated during dress-up play; it requires thinking and remembering what theyve seen and heard, and using this information to work out the details of the different personas and scenes in their minds as they play.

Dress-up play can also really strengthen communication skills and expand your kids vocabulary. Youll often hear a running commentary as your kids dress and change outfits. They may make up new dialogue and carry on lively conversations; either playing by themselves or with others, these scenarios are ideal opportunities for kids to practice basic social skills.

For many kids, dress-up play offers an opportunity to immerse themselves wholeheartedly in the moment. Just think about the powerful concentration going on.

When youre getting dressed up to go out to a party, to work, or to play in a tennis match, or simply donning an apron to bake cookies, be dramatic and exaggerate the motions. Talk about how much fun it is to play these different roles. To encourage them further, create a dress-up center to arouse your kids curiosity.

Creating the ultimate dress-up play center doesnt have to be expensive or extravagant. In fact, thrift and vintage stores should be your first stop. They get new items in daily, so if you visit regularly, its quite possible that youll discover some one-of-a-kind treasures. Some of my kids all-time favorite finds were a mink stole, a poofy pink tutu, an old suitcase, and a gentlemans hat from the 1920s. Your next stop should be neighborhood yard sales where you can also find great bargains for incredible stuff.

Dont forget about the hidden gems in your closet and your spouses. Items you havent worn for a long time or no longer care for make perfect additions to your childrens dress-up collection.

Right about now, you may be wondering where youre going to set up all this stuff. Well, we housed our dress-up collection in my old college trunk in the spare bedroom, which doubled as the playroom. I loved the authentic feel and look of the trunk; it was kind of like rummaging around in Grandmas attic. You dont need a lot of space, but if your kids have a playroom, thats a perfect fit. Otherwise, a corner in the sunroom or family room will do nicely. Attach a few nice hooks on the wall, store some baskets on a low bookshelf, or designate a freestanding coat rack, and youre good to go.

The most important must-have is a full-length mirror, whether its a standing mirror or one hung on the door or wall. Kids can try on all manner of combinations and assortments, admire their handiwork in the mirror, and better visualize their characters wardrobes.

Halloween costumes and sport uniforms that still fit are a great addition. Large rolls of fabric can be fashioned into capes, apparel from other cultures, tents, royalty trains, and anything your childs imagination can dream up.

Dont forget about props. Do your kids have a play kitchen set? If not, give them some rubber cooking utensils such as a spatula, a pancake flipper, a spoon, and some plastic bowls. Our daughter loved to play business, so I equipped her with a calculator, pencils, and paper, and she happily attended to business for hours at a time. Playing teacher and doctor are popular with many young kids, so you could attach a chalkboard or whiteboard to the wall and put some one-dollar workbooks and picture books in a basket or bin. Look for a doctor kit at a yard sale, or pick up an inexpensive one at a dollar store.

Add a little style with accessories such as shoes, scarves, gloves, handbags, ties, hats, jewelry, aprons, belts, and vests for the perfect finishing touch.

Visit link:
Discovering the World by Playing Dress-Up - The Epoch Times

This week CityNews speaks with the people and services passionate about improving the lives of Canberras older community.

From looking after their health to getting their affairs in order, these Canberra businesses know the importance of helping the older community.

This expertise allows seniors to balance their priorities with ease, making time for both the necessary and the fun.

CityNews speaks with the people and services passionate about improving the lives of Canberras older community.

AS one of Canberras largest independent law firms, MV Law delivers a comprehensive range of specialised legal services. Multiple award-winning MV Law Partner, Tanya Herbertson, and her team offer a wealth of experience in wills and estate planning and disputes. Tanya says shes been in the industry for more than 20 years and loves connecting with her clients.

Personal law is just that: personal. All the expertise in the world doesnt mean anything if you dont also have the emotional IQ to truly put yourself in someone elses shoes, she says.

Tanya says that their focus is on estate planning, making wills, and organising peoples power of attorney, as well as answering questions about guardianship issues and tribunal issues.

I love the people side of it, I love hearing peoples stories, hearing their issues or problems and helping them to work out a path forward.

MV Law, Level 2, 121 Marcus Clarke Street, Civic. Call 6279 4444, email info@mvlaw.com.au or visit mvlaw.com.au

TONY Ayres, manager of Sears Morton, says for people who experience mobility issues, daily tasks that many people take for granted can become quite difficult.

A seemingly simple task, like getting out of a chair, can be a hazard, he says.

Thanks to innovations from furniture designers and manufacturers, there are items of furniture such as lift chairs that can be of much-needed assistance to those facing this problem.

An electric lift chair allows the user to transition comfortably from standing to a seated position, and then back up again. Lift chairs aim to fully support the user throughout the entire motion from standing to sitting, reducing the likelihood of potential injuries or falls.

This type of chair is recommended for those with limited mobility such as the elderly or those recovering from injuries or surgery.

Tony prides himself on his customer service.

Ive had feedback from seniors, they appreciate old-fashioned, personal customer service, says Tony.

I realise the importance of helping people find the right chair.

People can personalise the colour of their lift chairs, too. They come in both neutral colours and bright colours, and theres a spring sale across the store now.

Sears Morton, 167 Newcastle Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 5587, or visit searsmorton.com.au

FIVE days a week Arthritis ACT hosts senior exercise classes that CEO Rebecca Davey says are a great way to stay fit and meet new people.

Theyre great exercise for seniors but more importantly theyre a really nice way to meet other people that might be going through some of the same challenges, says Rebecca.

Other people living with pain, other people who are not happy with the fact that their body isnt working quite as well as they are used to anymore. What most people find is its the friendships they make thats the really special thing the social connections.

Rebecca says that the classes have no upper or lower age limit, either.

Anyone of any age can come, she says.

Most of our classes do tend to have people that are retired and are older but there is no age limit.

Occasionally we have some young people come as well and that gives a nice mix because its more like a community.

Rebecca says the classes cover everything from strength and balance training to chair yoga to tai chi, as well as specially tailored classes for small groups.

Thats only the start, Rebecca says, with Arthritis ACT also offering services such as exercise physiology, disability support and meal planning to help people in managing their pain.

No question is too big or small for us, she says.

Arthritis ACT, Building 18, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041 or visit arthritisact.org.au

YOUR Property Profits is here to make sure people who are physically or financially limited in their ability to renovate their homes are not disadvantaged by their current circumstances, says owner Sophie McLean.

Our renovations are strategic, we only renovate where we can create an uplift in value, she says.

Our most recent sale, at Holt, attracted more than five times the number of visitors to the property than other comparable properties on the market in the area at the time.

Sophie says the expert team undertakes cosmetic and reconfiguration renovations designed to maximise profit and offer a bespoke service catered to the individual needs of each of their clients, especially seniors who can often face problems when selling their homes.

They may need or choose to downsize their homes, or to move into a retirement village. They may have medical issues that leave them physically restricted. They are often on the pension which limits their ability to lend from major financial institutions, says Sophie.

We do all the work. We pay all the costs and we make sure they walk away with more money in their pockets than they would have had selling without us. And theres a lot people can do with that extra cash!

For some this cash is essential for their ongoing care and medical bills, for others it has a huge impact on their quality of life and independence. Either way, more cash in their pockets gives them greater freedom to choose how they spend their retirement.

Your Property Profits. Call 1800 225597 or visit yourpropertyprofits.com.au

CAPON and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators can help clients update their will as they get older to ensure their wishes are respected, says wills and estate-planning lawyer Ashilpa Khanna.

Ashilpa, who has also recently been made a notary public, says some people dont have a will, which means their possessions are instead distributed by the rules of intestacy.

This distribution means that someone your spouse or a family member will have to apply to the court to be appointed administrator before they can handle your estate, she says.

This can be costly and time-consuming. Even if they have a will, Ashilpa says its important that seniors periodically review it, especially after significant events such as when children get married or the birth of a grandchild.

At the forefront of peoples minds is making sure their financial and legal affairs are in order so that, in the event of a crisis, their loved ones are secure and can be provided for as intended, she says.

Capon and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators has been helping people with their legal matters for more than 34 years and can also help seniors with a range of legal issues in areas such as family law, childrens matters, conveyancing, and power of attorney.

We are focused on giving honest and expert advice at all times, she says.

Our staff are experienced in their fields and we take pride in knowing that they will always use common sense, respect, courtesy and good judgement when dealing with clients.

Capon and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators, first floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Email enquiries@chsol.com.au, call 6152 9203 or visit chsol.com.au

AS people approach retirement, they start to consider the things that are most important, says Warrigal Aged Care CEO, Mark Sewell.

It should be time to be excited about whats next, and with Warrigals network of community villages across NSW including Queanbeyan on the doorstep of the ACT you have keeping social, connected and cared for, your way, to look forward to, he says.

Warrigals community villages are carefully designed to foster a caring and connected community of like-minded people looking to enjoy their later years. These spaces nurture the ability to form new friendships over shared hobbies, while boasting modern facilities for a comfortable life.

In addition to emergency call systems and in-home care options for peace of mind, Warrigals villas and apartments are modern, open plan, with high-quality features and fittings. Depending on your location choice, you can enjoy a one to three-bedroom property with a courtyard, maintained or self-maintained gardens, barbecue areas with car spaces, carports and garages.

Mark says recreational activities take place in outdoor areas, such as games, hobby clubs, exercise groups, happy hour and many other leisure activities.

You can also take advantage of on-site libraries, wellness centres including hairdressers, transport assistance, and of course bring your pets along, too, as most Warrigal communities are pet friendly.

Warrigal regularly takes feedback on-board to upgrade whats on offer.

Warrigal Aged Care, call 1800 927 744 or visit warrigal.com.au

HIGHER Function offers a range of classes that are taught by experienced physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, using evidence-based exercises, says physiotherapist Andrea Rich.

Strong Bones is a group class designed specifically for people with osteoporosis and osteopenia (low bone density), she says.

This class focuses on exercises to safely improve bone density stomping, holding weights and incorporates strength training, mobility and balance exercises to improve overall mobility and prevent falls.

Strength For Life is a class for people over the age of 50 in which you receive your own personalised strength and exercise program and are working towards your own individual goals.

Golf Fit is great for those who want to play longer games of golf without pain, prevent injuries and improve mobility, strength, power and speed.

Andrea says people come to class to work hard, get stronger and reduce their pain, but the atmosphere is still fun and friendly.

Lots of people have become friends and go for a well-earned coffee after classes, she says.

Our small group classes allow for everyone to receive attention from the therapist, ensuring they are performing exercises correctly, safely and can offer modifications where needed.

We have a 90-year-old client who attends three classes a week. We have lots of fun but still work hard.

Higher Function Physio & Pilates, Suite 4, Level 1/23 Petrie Plaza. Call 6262 9664 or visit higherfunction.com.au

ORTHOPAEDICS ACT was established in 2013, and provides a complete range of care for patients with orthopedic conditions.

Associate Professor Chris Roberts says they are the largest and most comprehensive orthopedic practice in Canberra.

Our specialists are experienced orthopedic surgeons, he says.

The goal at Orthopaedics ACT is to treat patients with musculoskeletal disorders, strive to reduce pain, and improve their patients function and quality of life.

Chris Roberts says this may involve trauma and fractures, sporting injuries, high-speed motor vehicle accidents, overuse injuries, arthritis and disabling pain.

There is nothing more satisfying than hearing from our patients that there has been a reduction in their pain or that they are pain free and able to get back to activity without restrictions, he says.

At Orthopaedics ACT we have all devoted ourselves to caring for our patients and striving to be the best in our field.

Orthopaedics ACT, Woden Specialist Medical Centre, level 2, 90 Corinna Street, Phillip. Call 6221 9320 or visit orthoact.com.au

VILLAGGIO Sant Antonio is a multicultural aged-care facility that feels like home, says general manager Alan Hardie.

Its a calm, peaceful place with beautiful gardens and we try to keep that relaxed ambience, he says.

We have an activities lifestyle co-ordinator who organises functions, outings and buses for residents.

Our villa residents also have access to a bus so they organise their own happy hours, travels, visits to galleries and more.

Alan says the facility, licensed for more than 100 residents, is conveniently located nearby everything that seniors need.

Were about one and a half kilometres from shopping, medical centres, main highways and on-site parking, he says.

He also says Villaggio provides 24-hour nursing care to residents.

Weve got visiting doctors, a podiatrist, physiotherapist on-site and more.

Residents consider it as their own home and we try to make them feel as comfortable as we can and look after their needs as much as possible.

Villaggio Sant Antonio, 35 Burkitt Street, Page. Call 6255 1794 or visit villaggio.com.au

TAKING the first step in estate planning is often an enlightening experience, with many people surprised to find out what theyre actually worth, says KJB Laws estate planning special counsel Kerstin Glomb.

I have clients who believe they dont own much, but then when we walk through things like superannuation and life insurance theyre surprised to find out how much theyre actually worth and what they have to organise, she says.

After that initial meeting I find people feel a lot of relief and peace of mind that theyve started the process.

Although it can be an uncomfortable topic to approach, Kerstin says estate planning is something everyone should think about and KJB takes pride in helping ease the burden and making clients feel comfortable.

We guide people through what options they have and what they should address so that they can take charge in providing protection for themselves and their loved ones, says Kerstin.

Its about working out with a client who are the right people in their family or broader surroundings and then structuring their document to reflect that. Theres nothing better than when people say after signing that theyre happy to have it in place, feel comfortable and most importantly that they understand what theyve signed.

KJB Law, ground floor, 10 Corinna Street, Woden. Call 6281 0999 or visit kjblaw.com.au

SUNROOM for Seniors is a small, welcoming group providing an opportunity for social interaction and friendship, says program co-ordinator Tegan Johns.

We provide a program of activities adapted to attendees needs and interests, says Tegan.

Sunroom for Seniors meets in a specially designed facility at the North Belconnen Uniting Church on Conley Drive, Melba, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm.

Tegan says the group offers enjoyable activities in a warm and friendly setting where seniors can meet and get to know each other, all supported by qualified staff and volunteers.

Read more here:
Health, wealth and wisdom... its all about seniors - Canberra CityNews

Septic Pumping

We make pumping your septic tank and easy, painless, efficient procedure. Septic tank pumping services are available year round. Call 585.359.9330 to set up your appointment.

Need a new septic system? We have been designing and installing septic systems in the Greater Rochester Area since 1961.

We have been trained and certified through the Onsite Training Network (OTN), SUNY Delhi, and NYSDEC sponsored Inspection of Existing Onsite Residential Wastewater Treatment Systems training course.

We are here for you for all your emergency septic needs. Call us at 585.359.9330.

A properly maintained septic system and a healthy, clean environment in your yard and property is just a phone call away! At Barefoot Septic & Sewer, Inc. we make pumping your septic tank an easy, painless, efficient procedure.

We have been designing and installing septic systems in the Greater Rochester Area since 1961. We have the equipment and expertise needed to trouble-shoot your system and advise you of the necessary repairs.

A septic inspection is required when selling a home with a septic system. We have developed a septic inspection procedure that is clear and thorough and is sure to satisfy all parties involved in the real estate transfer process.

Barefoot Septic & Sewer offers services such as: Sewer and drain cleaning, pump station service, site work ( basement excavation, Water line installation, sewer line installation) and more.

24-Hour Emergency Service Call 585.359.9330

Barefoot Septic & Sewer, Inc. was established in 1961 and incorporated in 1991. For over half a century, we have been developing personnel and equipment to meet our customers needs promptly, efficiently, and at responsible prices. We are prepared to meet all of your septic system needs including installation, repair, maintenance, and septic inspections.

Barefoot Septic & Sewer, Inc. proudly serves ALL of Monroe County and the Rochester, NY area (including Ogden, Pittsford, Riga, Rush, Spencerport, Wheatland, Webster) and ALL of Livingston County (including Avon, Caledonia, Consesus, Dansville, Geneseo, Groveland, Leicester, Lima, Livonia, Mt. Morris, Nunda, Ossian, Portage, Sparta, Springwater, West Sparta, York) as well as eastern Genesee County, Western Ontario County, northeastern Wyoming County, southeastern Orleans County, and western Wayne County... and many more! Call 585.359.9330 to set up your appointment.

Do you have a Google account? We want to hear your feedback! Follow the link, fill out the form, and you will be entered into a drawing to win a $5 Dunkin Gift Card!

If your home is not connected to the public sewer system, all the wastewater your home generates is treated by an Individual wastewater treatment system, commonly called a septic system.

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Barefoot Septic & Sewer | Installation, Pumping and Service in ...

Who doesnt love discussing the topic of alternative waste management?From septic tanks to sewer systems, the manner in which you dispose of human waste and water from your toilets, showers, dishwashers, washing machines, and floor drains is sometimes a matter of choice and other times a matter of home location.

Regardless of which system you currently have, understanding how both waste management options function and the way in which they impact your home is must-know information for any homeowner.

If youve already been doing your research, are you still wondering which option is better for you?

Truth be told, both options have their pros and cons depending on the location of your home. The following are a few differences between the two options and examples of why some homeowners prefer one option over the other.

Septic Tanks Septic systems are considered a bit more environmentally friendly since they dont require chemicals to clean the water.

Waste water is typically filtered through the ground, shedding bacteria through this natural filtration system. However, septic tanks must be pumped out every 3 to 5 years, and at times more often, depending on the size of the tank and the amount of waste water being produced within the home.

This expense can add up, but it is a necessity, and having it done professionally is vital to the longevity and proper upkeep of the septic system.

Sewer System Sewer systems require less regular maintenance by the homeowner and are typically less sensitive to non-human waste that is commonly flushed down sewer pipes.

Even when maintenance is required, a majority of the time, it is covered by your local municipality and can be dealt with by a simple phone call to your local public works department.

However, sewer systems are not free, so homeowners will pay for their sewer service just like they pay for water and electricity.

The most important thing to understand when discussing septic tanks versus sewer systems is that if trouble arises with a septic tank, the homeowner is usually on their own to address the situation.

From overflow to simple malfunction, a septic tank on the fritz is the sole responsibility of the homeowner to deal with and correct.

Making the switch from septic to sewer is definitely possible but must be approached properly in order to avoid unnecessary headaches.

If you are thinking about switching from septic to sewer, the first thing to do is contact your local municipality to see if a sewer line runs close enough to your home/property to make the switch possible.

Once it is confirmed that it is possible, the next step is to obtain the necessary building permits to avoid any local violations and potential fines associated with unauthorized construction projects.

At his point, you need to contact a licensed plumbing and excavation expert to facilitate the installation of sewer piping that will connect your tank to the nearest sewer line.

Following these steps may seem difficult and overwhelming, but if you plan and approach the installation process appropriately, connecting your home to the public sewer system is a relatively simple procedure typically taking only a few days to complete.

Working with reliable plumbing and excavation professionals will ensure all the labor-intensive work is handled, including running the new line and taking care of the draining and disabling of your old septic tank.

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As previously stated, the first order of business is to obtain all of the necessary permits to begin the job. This will include any tie-in fees that your municipality charges to connect to the existing sewer line, but a professional plumbing and excavation expert can help you identify what type of connecting pipe is needed and what initial costs are required.

Here is a more in-depth breakdown of whats required to connect to the citys sewer line:

Cleanouts are typically required every 90 feet of pipe and there are additional steps required, depending on where your home is located, such as placing stone around the pipe throughout the installation.

In addition to our expert sewer pipe repair services in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio areas, we can help homeowners proceed as quickly and cost effectively as possible when switching from a septic to sewer system.

As long-standing plumbing and excavation experts, we can help you get the ball rolling. Always standing behind our work, we work hard to provide a seamless, expertly run process.

Lets get in touch today:

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Septic to Sewer: How to Connect Sewer Line to City - Invisible Excavations

Septic to Sewer Conversions | Port St. Lucie

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Solid Waste Update: New waste and recycling service began the week of Sept. 5; learn your new collection day.

Please remember to place all of your carts at least 3-feet apart from each other and anything that may block the collection truck. Make sure the handles face your house.

Government Departments Utility Systems

Avoid flushing certain items to prevent clogs and protect the sewer system.

The City uses a low-pressure wastewater disposal system that helps move wastewater from your home to the City's sewer collection system and then on to a wastewater treatment facility. Watch the video to learn about your home's sewer system, how it works and how to keep it working properly.

Through Port St. Lucies Septic to Sewer ConversionProgram, our goal is to connect homes and businesses currently on septic systems to the citys wastewater collection and treatment system.

The reduction and elimination of septic systems is one way we can proactively improve the health of our local waterways, inclusive of the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

Connect to Protect our community's...

More than 8,800 residents have made the connection from septic to sewer since 1999. On average, Port St. Lucie has completed 350 conversions annually. From application to installation completion, theentire process takes 40 to 46 weeks with minimal interruptions to your sewer service.

Schedule an in-person appointment, or request the paperwork be mailed to you, by calling the Connection Support Office in City Hall at 772-873-6400 or emailutility@cityofpsl.com.

Note: All property owner signatures will need to be notarized if youre choosing to take advantage of the interest free, 10-year payback program. Learn More

Septic systems have limited life spans and frequently fail, impacting the environment and the community's water quality. When you Connect to Protect, youll have the satisfaction of knowing you are part of the solution to reduce pollution and help protect our waterways.

Effective January 1, 2022, the cost to convert an existing septic systems is $5,937, or 120 monthly (interest free) payments of $49.48.Customers are also responsible for paying a $90 sewer deposit and document recording fees of $32.50 with their application. Take the first step by calling one of the Citys friendly and knowledgeable Utility Connection Support Specialists at 772-873-6400.

More than 50 wastewater technicians and support staff are solely dedicated to keeping our sewer system working properly. The health and safety of your family is the City's top priority. Some of the biggest challenges staff faces is maintaining our wastewater system. You can help by keeping fats, oils and grease (FOG), wipes, plastics, needles and garbage, etc. out of our sewer system.

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Septic to Sewer Conversions | Port St. Lucie - cityofpsl.com

Sewage collection system of pipes and tunnels designed to also collect surface runoff

A combined sewer is a type of gravity sewer with a system of pipes, tunnels, pump stations etc. to transport sewage and urban runoff together to a sewage treatment plant or disposal site. This means that during rain events, the sewage gets diluted, resulting in higher flowrates at the treatment site. Uncontaminated stormwater simply dilutes sewage, but runoff may dissolve or suspend virtually anything it contacts on roofs, streets, and storage yards.[1]:296 As rainfall travels over roofs and the ground, it may pick up various contaminants including soil particles and other sediment, heavy metals, organic compounds, animal waste, and oil and grease. Combined sewers may also receive dry weather drainage from landscape irrigation, construction dewatering, and washing buildings and sidewalks.

Combined sewers can cause serious water pollution problems during combined sewer overflow (CSO) events when combined sewage and surface runoff flows exceed the capacity of the sewage treatment plant, or of the maximum flow rate of the system which transmits the combined sources. In instances where exceptionally high surface runoff occurs (such as large rainstorms), the load on individual tributary branches of the sewer system may cause a back-up to a point where raw sewage flows out of input sources such as toilets, causing inhabited buildings to be flooded with a toxic sewage-runoff mixture, incurring massive financial burdens for cleanup and repair. When combined sewer systems experience these higher than normal throughputs, relief systems cause discharges containing human and industrial waste to flow into rivers, streams, or other bodies of water. Such events frequently cause both negative environmental and lifestyle consequences, including beach closures, contaminated shellfish unsafe for consumption, and contamination of drinking water sources, rendering them temporarily unsafe for drinking and requiring boiling before uses such as bathing or washing dishes.[2]

Mitigation of combined sewer overflows include sewer separation, CSO storage, expanding sewage treatment capacity, retention basins, screening and disinfection facilities, reducing stormwater flows, green infrastructure and real-time decision support systems.

This type of gravity sewer design is less often used nowadays when constructing new sewer systems. Modern-day sewer designs exclude surface runoff by building sanitary sewers instead, but many older cities and towns continue to operate previously constructed combined sewer systems.[3]

The earliest sewers were designed to carry street runoff away from inhabited areas and into surface waterways without treatment. Before the 19th century it was commonplace to empty human waste receptacles, e.g., chamber pots, into town and city streets and slaughter animals in open street "shambles". The use of draft animals such as horses and herding of livestock through city streets meant that most contained large amounts of excrement. Before the development of macadam as a paving material in the 19th century, paving systems were mostly porous, so that precipitation could soak away and not run off, and urban rooftop rainwater was often saved in rainwater tanks. Open sewers, consisting of gutters and urban streambeds, were common worldwide before the 20th century.

In the majority of developed countries, large efforts were made during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to cover the formerly open sewers, converting them to closed systems with cast iron, steel, or concrete pipes, masonry, and concrete arches, while streets and footpaths were increasingly covered with impermeable paving systems. Most sewage collection systems of the 19th and early to mid-20th century used single-pipe systems that collect both sewage and urban runoff from streets and roofs (to the extent that relatively clean rooftop rainwater was not saved in butts and cisterns for drinking and washing.) This type of collection system is referred to as a "combined sewer system". The rationale for combining the two was that it would be cheaper to build just a single system.[4]:8 Most cities at that time did not have sewage treatment plants, so there was no perceived public health advantage in constructing a separate "surface water sewerage" (UK terminology) or "storm sewer" (US terminology) system.[2]:pp. 23 Moreover, before the automobile era, runoff was likely to be typically highly contaminated with animal waste. Further, until the mid-late 19th century the frequent use of shambles contributed more waste. The widespread replacement of horses with automotive propulsion, paving of city streets and surfaces, construction of municipal slaughterhouses, and provision of mains water in the 20th century changed the nature and volume of urban runoff to be initially cleaner, include water that formerly soaked away and previously saved rooftop rainwater after combined sewers were already widely adopted.

When constructed, combined sewer systems were typically sized to carry three[2]:pp. 24 to 160 times the average dry weather sewage flows.[5]:136 It is generally infeasible to treat the volume of mixed sewage and surface runoff flowing in a combined sewer during peak runoff events caused by snowmelt or convective precipitation. As cities built sewage treatment plants, those plants were typically built to treat only the volume of sewage flowing during dry weather. Relief structures were installed in the collection system to bypass untreated sewage mixed with surface runoff during wet weather, protecting sewage treatment plants from damage caused if peak flows reached the headworks.[6]

These relief structures, called "storm-water regulators" (in American English - or "combined sewer overflows" in British English) are constructed in combined sewer systems to divert flows in excess of the peak design flow of the sewage treatment plant.[6] Combined sewers are built with control sections establishing stage-discharge or pressure differential-discharge relationships which may be either predicted or calibrated to divert flows in excess of sewage treatment plant capacity. A leaping weir may be used as a regulating device allowing typical dry-weather sewage flow rates to fall into an interceptor sewer to the sewage treatment plant, but causing a major portion of higher flow rates to leap over the interceptor into the diversion outfall. Alternatively, an orifice may be sized to accept the sewage treatment plant design capacity and cause excess flow to accumulate above the orifice until it overtops a side-overflow weir to the diversion outfall.[5]:112114

CSO statistics may be confusing because the term may describe either the number of events or the number of relief structure locations at which such events may occur. A CSO event, as the term is used in American English, occurs when mixed sewage and stormwater are bypassed from a combined sewer system control section into a river, stream, lake, or ocean through a designed diversion outfall, but without treatment. Overflow frequency and duration varies both from system to system, and from outfall to outfall, within a single combined sewer system. Some CSO outfalls discharge infrequently, while others activate every time it rains.[2]:pp. 23,24

The storm water component contributes pollutants to CSO; but a major faction of pollution is the first foul flush of accumulated biofilm and sanitary solids scoured from the dry weather wetted perimeter of combined sewers during peak flow turbulence.[7] Each storm is different in the quantity and type of pollutants it contributes. For example, storms that occur in late summer, when it has not rained for a while, have the most pollutants. Pollutants like oil, grease, fecal coliform from pet and wildlife waste, and pesticides get flushed into the sewer system. In cold weather areas, pollutants from cars, people and animals also accumulate on hard surfaces and grass during the winter and then are flushed into the sewer systems during heavy spring rains.

CSO discharges during heavy storms can cause serious water pollution problems. The discharges contain human and industrial waste, and can cause beach closings, restrictions on shellfish consumption and contamination of drinking water sources.[2]

CSOs differ from sanitary sewer overflows in that the latter are caused by sewer system obstructions, damage, or flows in excess of sewer capacity (rather than treatment plant capacity.)[2]:Ch.4 Sanitary sewer overflows may occur at any low spot in the sewer system rather than at the CSO relief structures. Absence of a diversion outfall often causes sanitary sewer overflows to flood residential structures and/or flow over traveled road surfaces before reaching natural drainage channels. Sanitary sewer overflows may cause greater health risks and environmental damage than CSOs if they occur during dry weather when there is no precipitation runoff to dilute and flush away sewage pollutants.

About 860 communities in the US have combined sewer systems, serving about 40million people.[8] Pollutants from CSO discharges can include bacteria and other pathogens, toxic chemicals, and debris. These pollutants have also been linked with antimicrobial resistance, posing serious public health concerns.[9] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a policy in 1994 requiring municipalities to make improvements to reduce or eliminate CSO-related pollution problems.[10] The policy is implemented through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The policy defined water quality parameters for the safety of an ecosystem; it allowed for action that are site specific to control CSOs in most practical way for community; it made sure the CSO control is not beyond a communitys budget; and allowed water quality parameters to be flexible, based upon the site specific conditions. The CSO Control Policy required all publicly owned treatment works to have "nine minimum controls" in place by January 1, 1997, in order to decrease the effects of sewage overflow by making small improvements in existing processes.[11] In 2000 Congress amended the Clean Water Act to require the municipalities to comply with the EPA policy.[12]

Mitigation of combined sewer overflows include sewer separation, CSO storage, expanding sewage treatment capacity, retention basins, screening and disinfection facilities, reducing stormwater flows, green infrastructure and real-time decision support systems. For example, cities with combined sewer overflows employ one or more engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated sewage, including:

The United Kingdom Environment Agency identified unsatisfactory intermittent discharges and issued an Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive requiring action to limit pollution from combined sewer overflows.[14] In 2009, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment adopted a Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent including national standards to (1) remove floating material from combined sewer overflows, (2) prevent combined sewer overflows during dry weather, and (3) prevent development or redevelopment from increasing the frequency of combined sewer overflows.[15]

Rehabilitation of combined sewer systems to mitigate CSOs require extensive monitoring networks which are becoming more prevalent with decreasing sensor and communication costs.[16] These monitoring networks can identify bottlenecks causing the main CSO problem, or aid in the calibration of hydrodynamic or hydrological models to enable cost effective CSO mitigation.

Municipalities in the US have been undertaking projects to mitigate CSO since the 1990s. For example, prior to 1990, the quantity of untreated combined sewage discharged annually to lakes, rivers, and streams in southeast Michigan was estimated at more than 30billion US gallons (110,000,000m3) per year. In 2005, with nearly $1billion of a planned $2.4billion CSO investment put into operation, untreated discharges have been reduced by more than 20billion US gallons (76,000,000m3) per year. This investment that has yielded an 85 percent reduction in CSO has included numerous sewer separation, CSO storage and treatment facilities, and wastewater treatment plant improvements constructed by local and regional governments.[17]

Many other areas in the US are undertaking similar projects (see, for example, in the Puget Sound of Washington).[18] Cities like Pittsburgh, Seattle, Philadelphia, and New York are focusing on these projects partly because they are under federal consent decrees to solve their CSO issues. Both up-front penalties and stipulated penalties are utilized by EPA and state agencies to enforce CSO-mitigating initiatives and the efficiency of their schedules. Municipalities' sewage departments, engineering and design firms, and environmental organizations offer different approaches to potential solutions.

Some US cities have undertaken sewer separation projects building a second piping system for all or part of the community. In many of these projects, cities have been able to separate only portions of their combined systems. High costs or physical limitations may preclude building a completely separate system.[19] In 2011, Washington, D.C., separated its sewers in four small neighborhoods at a cost of $11million. (The project cost also included improvements to the drinking water piping system.)[20][21]

Another solution is to build a CSO storage facility, such as a tunnel that can store flow from many sewer connections. Because a tunnel can share capacity among several outfalls, it can reduce the total volume of storage that must be provided for a specific number of outfalls. Storage tunnels store combined sewage but do not treat it. When the storm is over, the flows are pumped out of the tunnel and sent to a wastewater treatment plant.[17] One of the main concerns with CSO storage is the length of time it is stored before it is released. Without careful management of this storage period, the water in the CSO storage facility runs the risk of going septic.[clarification needed][citation needed]

Washington, D.C., is building underground storage capacity as its primary strategy to address CSOs. In 2011, the city began construction on a system of four deep storage tunnels, adjacent to the Anacostia River, that will reduce overflows to the river by 98percent, and 96percent system-wide. The system will comprise over 18 miles (29km) of tunnels with a storage capacity of 157million US gallons (590,000m3).[22] The first segment of the tunnel system, 7 miles (11km) in length, went online in 2018. The remaining segments of the storage system are scheduled for completion in 2023.[23] (The city's overall "Clean Rivers" project, projected to cost $2.6 billion, includes other components, such as reducing stormwater flows.)[24] The South Boston CSO Storage Tunnel is a similar project, completed in 2011.

Indianapolis, Indiana, is building underground storage capacity in the form of a 28-mile (45km) 18-foot (5.5m) diameter deep rock tunnel system which will connect the two existing wastewater treatment plants, and provide collection of discharge water from the various CSO sites located along the White River, Eagle Creek, Fall Creek, Pogue's Run, and Pleasant Run.[25] Citizens Energy Group is managing the efforts to construct the first phases of the work, which includes a 250-foot (76m) deep Deep Rock Tunnel Connector between the Belmont Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Southport Wastewater Treatment Plant. Additional tunnels will branch under the existing watercourses located in Indianapolis. The planned cost for the project will total $1.9 billion dollars.[26]

Fort Wayne, Indiana, is constructing a 4.5-mile (7.2km), 14-foot (4.3m) diameter, $180M tunnel under the 3RPORT[27] (Three Rivers Protection and Overflow Reduction Tunnel) to address the myriad CSOs which outfall into the St. Mary's, St. Joseph, and Maumee Rivers. The 3RPORT is approximately 160 feet (49m) below grade, and is anticipated to enter service in 2023.

Some cities have expanded their basic sewage treatment capacity to handle some or all of the CSO volume. In 2002 litigation forced the city of Toledo, Ohio, to double its treatment capacity and build a storage basin in order to eliminate most overflows. The city also agreed to study ways to reduce stormwater flows into the sewer system. (See Reducing stormwater flows.)[28]

Retention treatment basins or large concrete tanks that store and treat combined sewage are another solution. These underground structures can range in storage and treatment capacity from 2million US gallons (7,600m3) to 120million US gallons (450,000m3) of combined sewage. While each facility is unique, a typical facility operation is as follows. Flows from the overloaded sewers are pumped into a basin that is divided into compartments. The first flush compartment captures and stores flows with the highest level of pollutants from the first part of a storm. These pollutants include motor oil, sediment, road salt, and lawn chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) that are picked up by the stormwater as it runs off roads and lawns. The flows from this compartment are stored and sent to the wastewater treatment plant when there is capacity in the interceptor sewer after the storm. The second compartment is a treatment or flow-through compartment. The flows are disinfected by injecting sodium hypochlorite, or bleach, as they enter this compartment. It then takes about 2030minutes for the flows to move to the end of the compartment. During this time, bacteria are killed and large solid materials settle out. At the end of the compartment, any remaining sanitary trash is skimmed off the top and the treated flows are discharged into the river or lake.[17]

The City of Detroit, Michigan, utilizes a system of nine CSO retention basins and screening/disinfection facilities that are owned and operated by the Great Lakes Water Authority. These basins are located at original combined sewer outfalls located along the Detroit River and Rouge River within metropolitan Detroit. These facilities are generally designed to contain two inches of stormwater runoff, with the ability to disinfect overflows during extreme wet-weather rainfall events.

Screening and disinfection facilities treat CSO without ever storing it. Called "flow-through" facilities, they use fine screens to remove solids and sanitary trash from the combined sewage. Flows are injected with sodium hypochlorite for disinfection and mixed as they travel through a series of fine screens to remove debris. The fine screens have openings that range in size from 4 to 6mm, or a little less than a quarter inch. The flow is sent through the facility at a rate that provides enough time for the sodium hypochlorite to kill bacteria. All of the materials removed by the screens are then sent to the sewage treatment plant through the interceptor sewer.[29]

Communities may implement low impact development techniques to reduce flows of stormwater into the collection system. This includes:

CSO mitigating initiatives that are solely composed of sewer system reconstruction are referred to as gray infrastructure, while techniques like permeable pavement and rainwater harvesting are referred to as green infrastructure. Conflict often occurs between a municipality's sewage authority and its environmentally active organizations between gray and green infrastructural plans.[citation needed]

The 2004 EPA Report to Congress on CSO's provides a review of available technologies to mitigate CSO impacts.[2]:Ch. 8

Recent technological advances in sensing and control have enabled the implementation of real-time decision support systems (RT-DSS) for CSO mitigation. Through the use of internet of things technology and cloud computing, CSO events can now be mitigated by dynamically adjusting setpoints for movable gates, pump stations, and other actuated assets in sewers and storm water management systems. Similar technology, called adaptive traffic control is used to control the flow of vehicles through traffic lights. RT-DSS systems take advantage of storm temporal and spatial variability as well as varying concentration times due to diverse land uses across the sewershed to coordinate and optimize control assets. By maximizing storage and conveyance RT-DSS are able to minimize overflows using existing infrastructure. Successful implementations of RT-DSS have been carried out throughout the United States [30][31][32] and Europe.[33]

Real-time control (RTC) can be either heuristic or model based. Model-based control is theoretically more optimal,[34] but due to the ease of implementation, heuristic control is more commonly applied. Generating sufficient evidence that RTC is a suitable option for CSO mitigation remains problematic, although new performance methods might make this possible.[35]

There is in the UK a legal difference between a storm sewer and a surface water sewer. There is no right of connection to a storm-water overflow sewer under section 106 of the Water Industry Act.[36]

These are normally the pipe line that discharges to a watercourse, downstream of a combined sewer overflow. It takes the excess flow from a combined sewer. A surface water sewer conveys rainwater; legally there is a right of connection for rainwater to this public sewer. A public storm water sewer can discharge to a public surface water, but not the other way around, without a legal change in sewer status by the water company.

Combined sewer systems were common when urban sewerage systems were first developed, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[3]

The image of the sewer recurs in European culture as they were often used as hiding places or routes of escape by the scorned or the hunted, including partisans and resistance fighters in World WarII. Fighting erupted in the sewers during the Battle of Stalingrad. The only survivors from the Warsaw Uprising and Warsaw Ghetto made their final escape through city sewers. Some have commented that the engravings of imaginary prisons by Piranesi were inspired by the Cloaca Maxima, one of the world's earliest sewers.

The theme of traveling through, hiding, or even residing in combined sewers is a common plot device in media. Famous examples of sewer dwelling are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stephen King's It, Les Misrables, The Third Man, Ladyhawke, Mimic, The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Jet Set Radio Future. The Todd Strasser novel Y2K-9: the Dog Who Saved the World is centered on a dog thwarting terroristic threats to electronically sabotage American sewage treatment plants.

A well-known urban legend, the sewer alligator, is that of giant alligators or crocodiles residing in combined sewers, especially of major metropolitan areas. Two public sculptures in New York depict an alligator dragging a hapless victim into a manhole.[38]

Alligators have been known to get into combined storm sewers in the southeastern United States. Closed-circuit television by a sewer repair company captured an alligator in a combined storm sewer on tape.[39]

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