Water Usage | SilverScorpio.Com

Backyard firefighters get water rebate

March 25, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The Rockhampton Regional Council has decided to give water bill rebates to residents who fought bushfires in their backyards last year.

Residents were concerned about higher bills after using hoses or swimming pool water to keep back fires burning on the outskirts of Rockhampton.

Mayor Brad Carter says properties with town water will receive a $10 rebate, with a $20 rebate for rural properties.

Councillor Carter says residents will not have to apply for rebates and will be credited automatically based on where they live.

“Either adjacent to creeks and gullies and parks that were on fire or bushland that was on fire, or very close to it in urban areas,” he said.

“That will be credited back to their water bill, and those in rural areas, the 20 dollars will be credited back to their rates notice, and we’ll do this by a system of mapping.

“From what we could estimate we felt that 10 dollars probably covered a weekend worth of water usage to fight fires, sort of averaging it out.

“We decided on a 20 dollar rebate to rural property owners that aren’t supplied with a council water supply service to compensate them because of the significant costs that they incurred to use their water and to fight fires.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: backyards, Brad Carter, Bushland, Dollar Rebate, firefighters, Gullies, Hoses, Local Government, outskirts, Pool Water, Property Owners, Regional Council, residential-fires, rockhampton-4700, rural areas, Rural Properties, Rural Property, swimming pool, Town Water, Water Bill, Water Rebate, Water Supply, water usage

Shire lifts water bans

March 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Level two water restrictions have been lifted for all residents in the Narromine Shire.

The measures were introduced last December due to an ongoing drop in the area’s groundwater supplies.

Mayor Dawn Collins says the council agreed the restrictions are no longer necessary because the level of its bores have been stable for the past month.

Councillor Collins says it will continue looking at ways to improve its water security.

“We’re still going ahead and looking for probably sinking another bore or using putting existing bores down lower into an aquifer, so we will continue to do that,” she said.

“I’m hoping that we won’t have to bring in water restrictions again this year.”

She says the council is still asking residents to conserve water.

“We do ask that the residents be aware of their water usage and I’m sure most people are,” she said.

“We just don’t believe that there was any need to extend those water restrictions.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Aquifer, bore, Bores, Dawn Collins, dubbo-2830, environment, groundwater, measures, Narromine, narromine-2821, water level, water management, Water Restrictions, Water Security, Water Supply, water usage

Green light for $58m gold mine expansion

March 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Multi-million dollar plans to expand a gold mine near West Wyalong have been conditionally approved.

Barrick Gold originally wanted to almost double the size and life of its Lake Cowal gold mine but modified the plan after court action last year from mine opponents.

Planning Minister Tony Kelly has approved the $58 million expansion, which he says will support 800 jobs over the next decade, including 370 at the mine.

“This approval will extend the mine’s life by two years and it allows for additional extraction of gold in that period,” he said.

Gold production for the life of the mine will rise to 3.1 million ounces and ore extraction will rise to 7.5 million tonnes, meaning increased blasting and other activity.”

Mr Kelly says Barrick will cut daily water usage and there are 18 conditions on the project, including noise mitigation measures.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 1 million, 5 million, Barrick Gold, business-economics-and-finance, Extraction Of Gold, gold, Gold Mine, Gold Production, industry, jobs, Lake Cowal, mining, Mr Kelly, Next Decade, Noise Mitigation Measures, opponents, orange-2800, Ore Extraction, Tony Kelly, urban-development-and-planning, wagga-wagga-2650, water usage, West Wyalong, west-wyalong-2671

Semiconductor Research Corporation and Researchers from Arizona Universities Develop Sensor to Drastically Cut Water Usage During Chip Making Process

March 5, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

One-of-a-Kind Sensor Shown to Conserve Water Up to 50 Percent
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.–(Business Wire)–
Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the world’s leading
university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies,
University of Arizona and Arizona State University researchers have shown a new,
exclusive way to dramatically conserve the amount of water needed to manufacture
semiconductors. Using a unique device called Electro-Chemical Residue Sensor
(ECRS), it allows for clean, rinse and dry process optimization that helps make
semiconductor facilities more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective.

Water conservation in semiconductor facilities is becoming a major concern for
integrated device manufacturers (IDM), as the costs, availability, and
sustainability of water resources can greatly affect manufacturing facilities.
Approximately 80 percent1 of water consumed by semiconductor sites is used in
the rinsing of the wafer during various stages of device fabrication.
Additionally, a wafer going through a modern semiconductor process is rinsed
roughly 400 times, according to industry experts.

“The use of water resources are getting increasingly more critical especially as
the industry moves to smaller features and approaches nano-scale manufacturing
technologies,” said Dr. Bert Vermeire, associate professor of research at
Arizona State University. “A main reason for high water usage is inadequate
process monitoring, which can be attributed to the lack of appropriate
monitoring tools. One cannot optimize what one cannot measure.”

ECRS addresses this measurement challenge by dynamically assessing a wafer`s
cleanliness during the clean, rinse and dry cycles. A comprehensive simulation
model estimates residual impurity concentrations from the measured results. No
other sensor of this type is available today.

“Tests performed in collaboration with an IDM`s large integrated circuit
manufacturing facility demonstrated this sensor`s capability to detect chemicals
inside features, showing annual water savings of up to 50 percent could be
realized by optimizing the rinse process using the ECRS,” said Dan Herr, SRC
director of Nanomanufacturing Sciences.

The fundamental science for the ECRS was developed at the University of
Arizona’s Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor
Manufacturing with support and mentoring from SRC. Environmental Metrology
Corporation was spun off from this center in 2003 to commercialize the sensor. A
prototype was designed, built and tested under the National Science Foundation`s
Small Business Innovation Research program. Environmental Metrology Corporation
was also awarded a 2009 Editors` Choice Best Product Award from Semiconductor
International for the ECRS.

A wireless version of the sensor is being jointly developed by Environmental
Metrology Corporation and the ConnectionOne Industry-University Research Center
located at Arizona State University.

About SRC

Celebrating 27 years of collaborative research for the semiconductor industry,
SRC defines industry needs, invests in and manages the research that gives its
members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. Awarded the
National Medal of Technology, America`s highest recognition for contributions to
technology, SRC expands the industry knowledge base and attracts premier
students to help innovate and transfer semiconductor technology to the
commercial industry. For more information, visit www.src.org.

1Kempka, Steven N., “Evaluating the Efficiency of Overflow Wet Rinsing,” Micro,
41-46, May 1995

The Francisco Group for SRC
Dan Francisco, 916-293-9030
dan@franciscogrp.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: arizona state university, Arizona Universities, Chemical Residue, Device Fabrication, Device Manufacturers, Electro Chemical, Integrated Device, Leading University, manufacturing technologies, Measurement Challenge, Monitoring Tools, process optimization, research consortium, Research Triangle Park, Semiconductor Research Corporation, Simulation Model, Triangle Park, university of arizona, wafer, water usage

The hi-tech Tudor cottage that Twitters!

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 9 (ANI): A cottage on an English island may have become the most envied house after its owner converted it into one of the most hi-tech homes in the world by connecting it to popular internet messaging service Twitter.

IBM head of invention Andy Stanford-Clark installed his home with hundreds of sensors that inform him when his dinner is ready, if someone is at the door or when a mouse has been caught in a trap.

The Tudor cottage on the Isle of Wight automatically sends a Tweet or message to the 43-year-old engineer if energy usage level is higher than normal or if he has left a light on or a tap running.

The house also alerts about things ranging from the burglar alarm to be relayed by the blogging website.

“Monitoring things such as how much power our house is using can give us valuable insights into the cost of various appliances in the home,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying at the British Science Festival.

“Recently I was out and got a tweet saying water usage was higher than normal. I phoned home and my wife looked out of the window to see the garden hose had been left on.

“This can help us take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce energy bills. Mine has dropped by a third in the last year. These systems are also relatively inexpensive to set up – a basic set-up would cost around 150 pounds,” he added.

Stanford-Clark also said: “It is impossible to know if traps have been triggered without constantly checking. So I developed a Twitter mousetrap which sends me a message when it is triggered.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: andy stanford, blogging, British Science, Burglar Alarm, carbon footprint, energy bills, energy usage, garden hose, internet messaging service, Invention, Isle of Wight, mousetrap, science festival, sensors, September 9, traps, tudor cottage, tweet, twitter, twitters, water usage

Soon, eco-friendly washing machines that use just 1 cup of water

June 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 22 (ANI): Water conservation usually takes a backseat while doing laundry, but not anymore, for now a new environmentally friendly washing machine, which uses use only one cup of water and leaves clothes virtually dry, is all set to hit showrooms next year.

Developed at the University of Leeds, the technologyaims save up to 90 per cent of water used by conventional machines, use 30 per cent less energy, and thus can have the environmental impact of taking two million cars off the road.

The washing machine works by replacing most of the water with thousands of tiny, reusable nylon polymer beads, which attract and absorb dirt under humid conditions.

Only a small amount of water and detergent is needed to dampen the clothes, loosen stains and create the water vapour that allows the beads to work.

And after the cycle is finished, the beads fall through a mesh in the machine’s drum, and can be re-used up to a hundred times.

The company behind the technology, Xeros, is initially aiming at the commercial washing market, including hotels and dry cleaners.

Bill Westwater, Xeros chief executive, said that growing pressure on companies and consumers to cut water usage and carbon emissions might boost demand for the system.

“We’ve got an eye on the consumer but it will take time and we hope commercial success could act as a springboard to move into the consumer market,” Times Online quoted Westwater as saying.

Stephen Burkinshaw from Leeds developed the technology over the past 30 years. (ANI)

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Biofuel threatens water supplies

April 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, April 11 (ANI): A new study has suggested that the production of bioethanol may use up to three times as much water as previously thought, thus threatening water supplies.

According to the study, a gallon of ethanol may require up to more than 2,100 gallons of water from farm to fuel pump, depending on the regional irrigation practice in growing corn.

But, the water usage isn’t quite so high everywhere.

A dozen states in the Corn Belt in the US consume less than 100 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol, making them better suited for ethanol production, the study found.

“The results highlight the need to take regional specifics into account when implementing biofuel mandates,” according to the authors.

Bioethanol, typically made from plant sources such as corn or switch grass, is often touted as a clean-burning alternative to gasoline or other fossil fuels, which give off significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

Other studies have questioned the benefits of biofuels, noting that they may require more energy in production than they provide.

They may not reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as hoped; and the fertilizers required to grow the crops to make the fuel may exacerbate oceanic dead zones as a result of chemical runoff into streams.

Annual production of bioethanol currently sits about 9 billion gallons a year, but many experts expect this number to rise, sparking concerns over water usage in the production process, particularly in areas where there are already water shortages.

Previous studies estimated that a gallon of corn-based bioethanol requires the use of 263 to 784 gallons of water from the farm to the fuel pump.

The estimates failed to account for widely varied regional irrigation practices, the authors of the new study said.

For the new study, Sangwon Suh of the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, along with his colleagues, made a new estimate of bioethanol’s impact on the water supply using detailed irrigation data from 41 states.

The water requirements of the bioethanol produced in 2007 was possibly as high as 861 billion gallons of water from the corn field to the fuel pump, the researchers found. (ANI)

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Now, plants can SMS when they’re thirsty!

March 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 18 (ANI): Israeli scientists have developed a new device enables plants to send a text message when they need a drink.

According to a report by Fox News, Israel Agricultural Ministry plant physiologist Dr. Eran Raveh and his earth-scientist partner Dr. Arie Nadler spent seven years perfecting the hammer-shaped sensor that gauges moisture levels in plants and trees and sends real-time alerts to mobile phones or computers when water levels are low.

“The idea behind creating the sensor was to cut irrigation costs by up to 50 percent,” Raveh told Fox News.
The sensor helps cut water usage and avoid unnecessary and damaging over-irrigation by providing accurate water-level feedback.
“With this sensor, the level of irrigation, and primarily its timing, will be controlled by the farmers themselves,” Nadler said.
According to the scientists, farmers check no fewer than 26 points in soil surrounding a plant to monitor and gauge moisture levels.
The sensor, operating on an electrical conductivity principal, continuously measures and collects water-level data via a series of metallic nails inserted into plant stems.
When water levels drop, electric activity halts, and a text message or e-mail automatically goes out to someone who can turn on the spigot.
The notification mode works on a wireless principal similar to walkie-talkie communication.

Sensors placed in an orchard or nursery are connected to a central device within a home or nerve center in a grove, and from that point, messages are transferred out to the end user’s mobile phone or computer.
“What’s great about our sensor is that it’s highly accurate without being prohibitively expensive,” Raveh explained.

At 250 dollars for a 5,000-tree orchard – versus 12,000 dollars for a similar high-tech probe – the Israeli scientists say price and accuracy set them apart.
Domestic consumers are eager to try out the sensor, saying it will be a welcome addition in the home. Major-market agriculturalists are also eyeing the gadget for future implementation.

“There is certainly interest in this proposed methodology,” Dr. Donald Suarez, director of the USDA Agricultural Research Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, California, told Fox News.

“The technology in general of measuring stem flow is emerging, and it hasn’t been widely adopted by farmers or growers yet,” he added.
But, with the combined incentives of reduced cost and hi-tech notification systems, the Israeli scientists are looking to find mass appeal.(ANI)

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30 river linking projects identified: Kirit Parikh

March 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar.17 (ANI): Around 30 river linking projects have been identified which will ensure equitable water distribution, but unfortunately due to state level issues associated with water, only two projects have been consented upon, said, Dr. Kirit S. Parikh, Member Planning Commission.

He was speaking at a Workshop on “CSR and Sustainable Water Management” “Rainwater Harvesting”, organised today by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Parikh said that legislations for ground water harvesting are inadequate. The industrial water extraction has to be regulated with specifications on permissible amount of water extraction.

Such regulations should be augmented by mechanisms for adequate recharge of water by adopting rain water harvesting and water recycling etc. On agricultural front the industry should come up to redesign cropping patterns, irrigation and allied technologies that use less water. He also urged the industries to treat effluents and not to pollute water.

Dr. Parikh said that climate change has completely changed the hydrologic cycle. A cooperative assistance and host of policy change at micro as well as macro level should be looked at immediately. He said that round the clock water supply in Delhi could ensure better utilisation. Additionally several leaking points in water supply and storage points should be corrected, he stated.

Keynote speaker Ram Mohan Mishra said, every problem brings along prospects of business.

He said that as the Government of India is looking at investments worth of Rs. 50,000 crore in water sector, the industry should take advantage of this opportunity.

Indian enterprises can find better water management technology and seek international cooperation in the sector. The business preposition can further be strengthened by administering water usage; understanding water availability for society and industry; and extrapolate future demand and challenges, he added.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, G C Narang, Member CII NR Council and Convenor, Power Panel Haryana State Council, stated that industry being a significant consumer of water, should look at extensive water management. The future will see increased water consumption that should be aligned with improved strategic water management, he added.

In his concluding remarks, S Sen from CII pointed out that for small-scale industry more common effluent treatment plants should be set up.

He said that industry is taking initiatives in regard to water reuse and recycling. A regular dialogue with the Government should be undertaken on policy issues for addressing the problems. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: allied technologies, climate change, confederation of indian industry, cooperative assistance, dr parikh, effluents, government of india, hydrologic cycle, industrial water, international cooperation, kirit, macro level, rain water harvesting, rainwater harvesting, ram mohan, sustainable water management, water availability, water extraction, water recycling, water sector, water usage, Welcome Remarks