December 2009

Engineers & Surveyors

www.wgkengineers.com

Healthy Sewers

Don’t Happen By Accident

Volume 1, Issue 17, December 2, 2009

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS

In February of 2007, a sinkhole 330 feet deep opened up in a poor neighborhood in Guatemala City, swallowing about a dozen homes and killing three residents in the process. The likely culprit was a sanitary sewer which had been overloaded by days of heavy rain.

The sewer was in poor condition and broke, eroding the surrounding soils and eventually pulling the overlying structures down into the hole. While this is an extreme example of what can happen when out-of-sight infrastructure goes bad, less dramatic events are likely to result from ignoring sewer system operations and maintenance.

Our municipal sewer systems represent a significant investment by taxpayers, an investment that should be protected. While not the most attractive area to invest scarce public resources, efficient sewage collection is vital to maintaining public health and protecting the environment.

The U.S. EPA estimates there are between 23,000 to 75,000 sanitary sewer overflow events per year in the US. To combat what the EPA sees as a nationwide problem, the agency began investigating a regulatory mechanism to correct these deficiencies. What they came up with was the Capacity Management Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) Program. The intent behind CMOM is to prevent the overloading of wastewater treatment facilities and to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows, to include basement backups.

At its core, CMOM is a “sewer system business plan.” The major elements of CMOM include procedures for self-assessment, plans for ongoing maintenance and improvements (to include system growth), hydraulics analyses to ensure capacities are adequate, and emergency response procedures for spills and overflows. The original intent of CMOM was that collection systems would have their own permits separate from the wastewater treatment facility.

So far, this has not happened, however, the EPA has created language that permit writers may use to make CMOM an enforceable part of existing facility discharge permits. While it appears the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is not moving in this direction, it is common for MDEQ to include permit language which prohibits bypasses and requires permittees to care for upkeep of collection systems.

The EPA intended to have a public review period for a CMOM rule in 2002 however a search of the Federal Register can find no mention of it. Several states voluntarily instituted mandatory CMOM programs in anticipation of federal EPA requirements. EPA Region IV has been running a voluntary pilot program since 2003 which has involved several Mississippi communities.

One may ask oneself, “Self, if no one is making me do CMOM, why should I care?” The answer to this question rests in the fundamental purpose of CMOM – taking care of a valuable piece of infrastructure to protect human health and the environment. Some communities will spend more on their sewer systems than on any other single element of their infrastructure. Unfortunately, as with many things in life, after the streets are paved, sewers are “out of sight, out of mind.” That is, until there’s a problem.

While not being mandatory, most of the elements of CMOM are valuable for prolonging the life of these important assets. A few key elements of CMOM to consider include:

1. Insuring there is an accurate map of the existing sewer system.

2. Having a system to locate and disconnect illegal connections (mostly sump pumps & downspouts) through procedures such as dye and smoke testing.

3. Systematically pursuing funds for televising existing sewer lines to assess conditions and plan for improvements.

Having this information at-hand positions a community to know with some certainty the improvements required to have a well-functioning collection system. The next time Uncle Sam decides to open his wallet, it is these towns and cities that will be ready to get to the front of the line. For more information about how your community can implement some of these ideas, see the resources below or contact WGK.

Resources:

“Guide for Evaluating Capacity, Management, operation, And Maintenance (CMOM) Programs at Sanitary Sewer Collection Systems.” EPA document 305-B-05-002 Available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/sso/featuredinfo.cfm

“EPA Region 4 Introduction to Conducting Evaluations of Municipal Wastewater Collection System Management, operation, and Maintenance Programs.”

“EPA Region 4 Guide to Collection and transmission System Management, operation, and Maintenance Programs” Both available at http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/wpeb/momproject/index.html

Article by: Brian Standley, WGK

Fulfilling

Vows

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. - Ecclesiastes 5:4

Have you ever had a business relationship with someone who made a commitment but later said, "Well, things changed, so I cannot honor our original agreement.”? Sometimes this may be the case, but often it is simply an opportunity to avoid fulfilling an agreement. God is big on fulfilling vows. God's nature is righteousness and truth. You will always see God honor His Word. He expects the same of His people.

God says there are consequences when we do not fulfill our vows. Subsequent Scripture verses reveal the following:

It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry with what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:5-7).

God tells us that He will destroy the work of our hands for failure to fulfill vows. That's pretty strong language. It gives us an indication of how important fulfilling vows is to God. He will not prosper our work if there are unfulfilled vows in our lives.

Are there any unfulfilled vows in your life that may be hindering your projects? Vows show up in many areas of our lives - marriages, businesses, personal friendships. Unfulfilled vows in any one of these could be the reason your work may be hindered.

Ask God today if there are any unfulfilled vows in your life. If so, begin today to make them right so that you may be successful in whatever God calls you to do.

Click Here to subscribe free to TGIF Today God Is First Devotional.

SIX Desktop Apps for
Better Organization & Focus

Are you looking for ways to become better organized and more productive? Below is a suggested list of 6 latest and greatest desktop (and iPhone) apps that could help with your workflow:

1. Evernote. A one-stop system for visual filing. With the rise of YouTube, digital cameras, etc, we are becoming much more “visual” in the way we process information. Rather than keeping all of your important bits and bobs tucked away in a filing cabinet, Evernote allows you to document anything and everything visually, and access it from anywhere. You can quickly centralize everything from post-its, business cards, and receipts to excel spreadsheets, PDFs, snippets of web research, and voice memos – ridding yourself of paper clutter and creating a single access point. There’s also an integrated iPhone app for capturing data and images on-the-go. Price: Free! www.evernote.com

2. Pathfinder. A turbo-charged version of the regular Mac finder. Sometimes we just accept the way things are: When I need to transfer a file from one buried folder to another on my Mac, I have to open up two finder windows. Or do I? CocoaTech’s Pathfinder app is like a regular Mac finder on efficiency steroids. The best feature is the “dropstack” – a sort of holding pen for images and files, from which you can compress/zip, burn to disc, or drag them elsewhere. You can also open up “tabs” in the finder, just like in Firefox or Safari, to quickly navigate between different folders without ever opening multiple windows. Depending on how much you like to nerd out about organization, the features Pathfinder offers are fairly limitless. Price: Free 30-day trial, then $39.95

3. Tungle. Schedule meetings without the excess back-and-forth. Scheduling meetings for large groups can be like playing a game of Battleship – you send Google Calendar invitations like shots in the dark until you finally get a hit. Tungle makes the process transparent and painless, synching with your preferred calendar app and allowing you to propose numerous times simultaneously. Then, invitees tick off the times that work for them, and voilà, you’ve scheduled a meeting without seven emails. Price: Free! www.tungle.com

4. FocusBooster. Extend your attention span, with a 25/5 regime. The technique involves working on just one thing for 25-minutes—no checking email, no Twitter, etc—and then breaking for 5 minutes. FocusBooster takes the classic Pomodoro tracking mechanism (a timer and paper) and brings it online for those of us that work at a computer all day. The app keeps track of each timed work session, and sounds a brief alarm when it’s time to take a break. Price: Free! www.focusboosterapp.com (This application is a Beta Version and is still being tested)

5. Synchronize Pro! Seamless desktop/laptop mirroring for frequent travelers. It’s easy enough to copy files by hand from your desktop to your laptop, but inevitably you find yourself traveling and (oops) you don’t have that latest version of an important document you need at your fingertips. Synchronize removes the element of human error, allowing you to specify key desktop folders that will always be mirrored on you laptop. The app also allows you to archive old files, so you know your information's backed up and safe. Price: $99.95

6. Instapaper. The perfect on-the-go reading list. How often has it happened that you’ve found an article that you’d really like to read on the Internet, but you just don’t have time to do it right now? So you leave a tab open, or email yourself the link, but 9 times out of 10, you never get back to it. Instapaper solves this problem by allowing you to integrate 1-click article saving functionality into your web browser. Then, when you have some downtime, your catalogued reading list is waiting for you. And with the additional iPhone app, you’re covered in transit, waiting at the doctor’s office, or on line at the post office. Price: Free! www.instapaper.com

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

Linda Covington
Brookhaven Honda

Brookhaven Honda has been a part of the local business community for nearly forty years. Owners Mark & Linda Covington purchased the business from Mr. Tommy Hill in August 1999.

Mark & Linda have been married for 13 years and have a family of five children consisting of four boys and one girl. They have five grandchildren also consisting of four boys and one girl.

They operated the business from its former location on Brookway Blvd. from 1999 until 2006. In late 2005, they made the commitment to become Level 5 Honda Powerhouse dealers and are committed to provide the best possible pricing on every product in Honda’s lineup.

With the help of the Honda Powerhouse Dealer Development Group, WGK, and Pinebelt Construction, they broke ground in March 2006 for the new 22,000 sq. foot state of the art facility. In November 2006, they moved into the new location at 111 Stribling Drive.

They were able to increase their inventory in all areas which include parts, service and sales. Their prices draw customers from all over the U.S. and their enormous selection and personal service keep them one of the top Honda dealers in the US. In May of 2009 they achieved the honor of becoming the #1 ranked Honda dealer in sales volume in the U.S. Brookhaven Honda still holds this ranking to date

They moved from the old location to Stribling Drive and this allowed them to increase their personnel base from approximately 12 to 25 full time employees. This allows them to provide their customers the very best service throughout the entire store. The sales staff is eager to answer any questions and provide a friendly and family oriented atmosphere to serve customers on a day-by-day basis. They have Honda certified technicians on staff to take care of your service needs as well as highly trained parts personnel to help with any parts or accessories that would make your life riding a Honda better. They also have office staff dedicated to paperwork issues, such as titles, funding, bill of sales, etc.

Their goal is to provide each customer that comes through the door a “one on one” personal relationship that they won’t find at other dealerships. At Brookhaven Honda, they strive to keep a customer for “life”. They like to start a small child out on a dirt bike and see him grow into a young adult, building a relationship along the way. Their motto at Brookhaven Honda has always been, “smile, be nice & always tell the truth, no matter what”. They truly believe that has been the foundation of their business.

Linda invites everyone to visit them and see all the exciting products they have to offer. If you prefer shopping from the comfort of your home, you can visit them on the web at www.brookhavenhonda.com They have a large selection of inventory including ATVs, motorcycles, dirt bikes, multi-purpose utility vehicles, personal watercraft, scooters and generators. You can even apply for financing online. Their website generates a tremendous amount of traffic and is very user friendly.

Brookhaven Honda

They look forward to seeing you soon!

Easy Ways to Add STEPS to Your Day

Exercise doesn't have to be a RIGID, time-consuming activity. In fact, it shouldn't be thought of in terms of one activity. That is why we like the 10,000-a-day concept so much; walking your dog, walking with your child to the park, walking to and from the parking lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator can all be parts of a daily exercise routine that together add up to 10,000 steps.

The Challenge is to think creatively about ways you might add "steps" to your day. Here are just a few ideas:

Take the stairs as often as possible
Park several blocks from your destination or park at the rear of the parking lot
Walk the last few blocks instead of riding the bus all the way to work
Get off the elevator below your destination and walk a couple of flights of stairs
Park at the opposite end of the mall from where you need to shop
Walk to do shopping or other errands

Consider adding other walking routines to your day by organizing a lunchtime walking group at work, or a before-or after-work group with friends or neighbors. Instead of watching television after dinner, get the whole family outside for a game of tag, Frisbee or a walk around the block. Try not to get stuck in the "all or nothing" rut — even if you don't have time for a long walk, you might be able to squeeze in a short one, or at least take the stairs.

For more helpful tips on health and wellness please visit the website of Blue Cross Blue Shield at www.bcbs.com

Electronic Cigarettes - A safe way to light up?

Electronic cigarettes, often called e-cigarettes, are battery-operated devices designed to look like regular tobacco cigarettes. Like their conventional counterparts, electronic cigarettes contain nicotine. Here's how they work: When you inhale, an atomizer turns liquid nicotine into a vapor that can be puffed, creating a cloud that resembles cigarette smoke.

Manufacturers claim that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, these products have not been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for evaluation or approval, so the public doesn't know the levels of nicotine or the amounts or types of chemicals they contain.

Furthermore, when the FDA analyzed samples of two popular brands they found traces of toxic chemicals, including known carcinogens. This prompted the FDA to issue a warning about potential health risks associated with electronic cigarettes. Until more is known more about the potential risks, the safe play is to say no to electronic cigarettes. If you're looking for help to stop smoking, there are many FDA-approved medications that have been shown to be safe and effective for this purpose.

Article by Richard D. Hurt, M.D., Mayo Clinic Internist and Director of the Nicotine Dependence Center. For more information about smoking please click here.

If something is happening in your town/city that you want to include in this section
please send me an e-mail at srand@wgkengineers.com

First Friday Weekends

Through December 4, 2009

Every first Friday evening from
5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. downtown Natchez sponsors an evening of art, shopping and refreshments. Wherever you see white lights & balloons, a participating merchant will welcome you with refreshments.

Event is Free

Historic Downtown Natchez
Natchez, MS
Driving Directions

www.natchezdowntown.blogspot.com

For further information please contact
Carrie Lambert at 601-442-2929.