Comments for SIWW Diary http://siwwdiary.com Black & Veatch Water from Singapore International Water Week 2009 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:56:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Meet Peer Kamp…. by sahanasingh http://siwwdiary.com/2009/06/25/meet-peer-kamp/#comment-201 sahanasingh Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:56:11 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=726#comment-201 Haha I like the consequence quote! It was good to meet him. Haha I like the consequence quote! It was good to meet him.

]]> Comment on How much do you value water? by Gerry O'Toole http://siwwdiary.com/2009/06/30/how-much-do-you-value-water/#comment-182 Gerry O'Toole Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:27:07 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=815#comment-182 All good stuff Roger. I see that OfWat does not agree that UK water companies should be allowed in general to raise water tariffs to the extent requested over teh coming 5 years. While that probably hurts our business in the UK, it is hard to see much sympathy coming from Joe Public in these times. All good stuff Roger. I see that OfWat does not agree that UK water companies should be allowed in general to raise water tariffs to the extent requested over teh coming 5 years. While that probably hurts our business in the UK, it is hard to see much sympathy coming from Joe Public in these times.

]]> Comment on How much do you value water? by Roger Middleton http://siwwdiary.com/2009/06/30/how-much-do-you-value-water/#comment-152 Roger Middleton Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:06:08 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=815#comment-152 Jim & Gerry, Thanks for these thoughts, all good and mostly fundamental to human nature. First a little history: a lot of people think Singapore fell to the Japanese in WW2 because "the guns were pointing the wrong way" i.e. over the naval harbour instead of over the Johore Straits. I understand the Aussies were quite happily defending the north of the island, until the island ran out of water. Then, as until recently, most of Singapore's water came from Malasia; all the Japanese had to do was turn off the tap and wait. So the lesson was slightly earlier than 1965! An update: at a conference in the UK last year it became clear that the UK Government still have a vision of unlimited clean water for everyone at minimal cost (preferably free), without regard to the population distribution, or even the total population. This may be a nice vision, but it has never been tenable. In the past, even if a King built his castle in the wrong place, without a good water supply for his army, his castle would fall at the first siege. Check the current issue of National Geographic: there are suggestions that the Cambodian temples at Angkor fell because of water supply problems. The future: I agree with the implications that financial regulation only brings financial benefits and economics treats water as a commodity to be traded. Trouble is that limits to any resource are externalities: to be ignored until the market falls apart. The parallels between the banking industry and environmental management are alarmingly close. I also agree with the sentiment behind Gerry's statement on access to clean water being a basic human right. But both parts of the demand side of the equation have to make sense. We can reduce our demand per head, especially if we are personally aware of a drought situation, and we have the technology to pump water long distances efficiently. But if we put too many people in the wrong places we simply won't have the energy in future to pump water. And if there are so many people on planet Earth that the available water per head is insufficient, the maths are simple and the answer can only go one way. Humans only have rights if we exercise them responsibly. Jim & Gerry,
Thanks for these thoughts, all good and mostly fundamental to human nature.
First a little history: a lot of people think Singapore fell to the Japanese in WW2 because “the guns were pointing the wrong way” i.e. over the naval harbour instead of over the Johore Straits. I understand the Aussies were quite happily defending the north of the island, until the island ran out of water. Then, as until recently, most of Singapore’s water came from Malasia; all the Japanese had to do was turn off the tap and wait. So the lesson was slightly earlier than 1965!
An update: at a conference in the UK last year it became clear that the UK Government still have a vision of unlimited clean water for everyone at minimal cost (preferably free), without regard to the population distribution, or even the total population. This may be a nice vision, but it has never been tenable. In the past, even if a King built his castle in the wrong place, without a good water supply for his army, his castle would fall at the first siege. Check the current issue of National Geographic: there are suggestions that the Cambodian temples at Angkor fell because of water supply problems.
The future: I agree with the implications that financial regulation only brings financial benefits and economics treats water as a commodity to be traded. Trouble is that limits to any resource are externalities: to be ignored until the market falls apart. The parallels between the banking industry and environmental management are alarmingly close.
I also agree with the sentiment behind Gerry’s statement on access to clean water being a basic human right. But both parts of the demand side of the equation have to make sense. We can reduce our demand per head, especially if we are personally aware of a drought situation, and we have the technology to pump water long distances efficiently. But if we put too many people in the wrong places we simply won’t have the energy in future to pump water. And if there are so many people on planet Earth that the available water per head is insufficient, the maths are simple and the answer can only go one way.
Humans only have rights if we exercise them responsibly.

]]> Comment on Forget Bottled Water…. by Gerry O'Toole http://siwwdiary.com/2009/07/02/forget-bottled-water/#comment-150 Gerry O'Toole Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:48:56 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=827#comment-150 Depends on the bottled water Zahzam. But 850 litres of tap water woudl caots less than S$1. So yes that is correct in general. Depends on the bottled water Zahzam. But 850 litres of tap water woudl caots less than S$1. So yes that is correct in general.

]]> Comment on Forget Bottled Water…. by zahzam http://siwwdiary.com/2009/07/02/forget-bottled-water/#comment-148 zahzam Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:03:25 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=827#comment-148 Is it really 850 times more or 85 times? Is it really 850 times more or 85 times?

]]> Comment on Using wastewater in the biofuels cycle by Jim Howlett http://siwwdiary.com/2009/07/01/using-wastewater-in-the-biofuels-cycle/#comment-144 Jim Howlett Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:05:36 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=819#comment-144 Look forward to hearing more about this research as it progresses. Look forward to hearing more about this research as it progresses.

]]> Comment on Using wastewater in the biofuels cycle by Jim Howlett http://siwwdiary.com/2009/07/01/using-wastewater-in-the-biofuels-cycle/#comment-143 Jim Howlett Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:45:19 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=819#comment-143 Hi Gita, thanks for the comment about whether wastewater from a factory could be used to feed algae. There's two points here. One is that the wastewater from a treatment plant that serves a community will different from that coming out of a factory. From a factory it is likely to more chemical pollutants whereas from a community wastewater treatment plant it will be more biological in nature. You'll need to find a different type of algae to feed on the factory wastewater. Second is a question of volume and how much algae you could grow from a community vs a factor plant. Having said that though I think this does present an opportunity for firms that have rely on manufacturing to boost their "green" credentials. These type of programmes should be researched more. A factory might able to grow the algae and turn into a biofuel that could help run their plant or as they are doing in Gilbert, Az make the biofuel available to the community at the cost of production and processing. Hi Gita, thanks for the comment about whether wastewater from a factory could be used to feed algae. There’s two points here. One is that the wastewater from a treatment plant that serves a community will different from that coming out of a factory. From a factory it is likely to more chemical pollutants whereas from a community wastewater treatment plant it will be more biological in nature. You’ll need to find a different type of algae to feed on the factory wastewater. Second is a question of volume and how much algae you could grow from a community vs a factor plant. Having said that though I think this does present an opportunity for firms that have rely on manufacturing to boost their “green” credentials. These type of programmes should be researched more. A factory might able to grow the algae and turn into a biofuel that could help run their plant or as they are doing in Gilbert, Az make the biofuel available to the community at the cost of production and processing.

]]> Comment on Using wastewater in the biofuels cycle by Alice http://siwwdiary.com/2009/07/01/using-wastewater-in-the-biofuels-cycle/#comment-141 Alice Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:30:27 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=819#comment-141 This is actually the project that my group as part of the Water Leadership Intern Experience (WLIE) researched last summer.. As an advanced biofuel, algal oil is on the cutting edge of technologies. Through our expertise in water and wastewater treatment, Black & Veatch currently possesses knowledge of processes very similar to those involved in the cultivation and harvesting of algae. -Alice This is actually the project that my group as part of the Water Leadership Intern Experience (WLIE) researched last summer.. As an advanced biofuel, algal oil is on the cutting edge of technologies. Through our expertise in water and wastewater treatment, Black & Veatch currently possesses knowledge of processes very similar to those involved in the cultivation and harvesting of algae.

-Alice

]]> Comment on How much do you value water? by Jim Howlett http://siwwdiary.com/2009/06/30/how-much-do-you-value-water/#comment-140 Jim Howlett Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:37:17 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=815#comment-140 Gerry, good comments. Water is after all limited, there's not much "low hanging" fruit as far as water sources are concerned. If a new power station comes online and needs water, then chances are it will have to take the water from already allocated sources. As populations continue to grow competition for water increase. Tough decisions will have to be taken on where the priorities lie. I would have thought one of the paths of least resistence is to persuade people to use less water. In Australia through a combination of severe water restrictions, as a result of drought, and education communities have made impressive reductions to their water use. What's interesting to me is that those people that have had to live under those restrictions have changed their behaviour. Now they take 4 minute showers wherever they are. Granted it's easier to make people change their water usage when faced with a severe drought. But as you point out education is a key point here, if more investment is made in educating the public on how their water supply is managed then that would help to raise the value people place on water. As we've seen on this blog, Singaporeans are pretty savvy when it comes to water issues. Your average cab driver is pretty clued up on water issues, why? he/she has been exposed to water issues in the mainstream media ever since Singapore declared independence in 1965. It's a national security issue here. My belief is that water conservation measures and public education will become increasingly seen as an important component of water utilities to manage their water supplies better. Gerry, good comments. Water is after all limited, there’s not much “low hanging” fruit as far as water sources are concerned. If a new power station comes online and needs water, then chances are it will have to take the water from already allocated sources. As populations continue to grow competition for water increase. Tough decisions will have to be taken on where the priorities lie. I would have thought one of the paths of least resistence is to persuade people to use less water. In Australia through a combination of severe water restrictions, as a result of drought, and education communities have made impressive reductions to their water use. What’s interesting to me is that those people that have had to live under those restrictions have changed their behaviour. Now they take 4 minute showers wherever they are. Granted it’s easier to make people change their water usage when faced with a severe drought. But as you point out education is a key point here, if more investment is made in educating the public on how their water supply is managed then that would help to raise the value people place on water. As we’ve seen on this blog, Singaporeans are pretty savvy when it comes to water issues. Your average cab driver is pretty clued up on water issues, why? he/she has been exposed to water issues in the mainstream media ever since Singapore declared independence in 1965. It’s a national security issue here. My belief is that water conservation measures and public education will become increasingly seen as an important component of water utilities to manage their water supplies better.

]]> Comment on Using wastewater in the biofuels cycle by Lucia http://siwwdiary.com/2009/07/01/using-wastewater-in-the-biofuels-cycle/#comment-139 Lucia Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:31:44 +0000 http://siwwdiary.com/?p=819#comment-139 Dear Jim Glad to know that the world becomes green in to this project. Hopefully using the project, our wish come true to have the world healthier, clean and no gasoline polution. I also hope that the project will not giving bad impact to our ozone. Good luck for Gilbert and glad to see the further progress news of this. Thanks + regards Lucia Indonesia Dear Jim

Glad to know that the world becomes green in to this project.

Hopefully using the project, our wish come true to have the world healthier, clean and no gasoline polution.

I also hope that the project will not giving bad impact to our ozone.

Good luck for Gilbert and glad to see the further progress news of this.

Thanks + regards
Lucia
Indonesia

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