Posts by KCI Now
Heavy Metal In the water
The introduction of heavy metals into water systems can result in both environmental issues as well as those that will directly impact human health. These metals, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and Mercury being the most common, can end up in the water through various different means. Naturally, heavy metals may end up in…
Read MoreFlorida Water Star – Outdoor Improvements
Florida Water Star is a program designed to help Floridians conserve water. There are several different types of improvements that can be made, both to existing commercial and residential buildings as well as planned developments, to lessen water consumption. Last week we explored some of the improvements that can be made indoors to become certified…
Read MoreFlorida Water Star – Indoor Improvements
What is Florida Water Star? Florida water star is a program that seeks to conserve water in both new and existing homes and commercial developments through a certification program. The program runs under the same idea as the existing energy star certification, only with an emphasis on water use and conservation as opposed to energy…
Read MoreTrack on, Don’t Track Off
A construction entrance is a first line of defense when it comes to sediment control and erosion. The entrance to your site is the most traveled part, and any vehicle that moves through the entrance risks dragging all sorts of dirt and mud with is. The first step is to determine your entrance locations and…
Read MoreStormwater Monitoring: No Technology Required
We have many tools that we use in the world of stormwater, many of them utilizing high tech instruments and current technology. From water sampling using high tech lab equipment, to digital turbidity meters, all the way to erosion controls equipment designed by engineers. There are so many amazing advancements in technology and equipment that…
Read MoreWetlands: Nature’s Civil Servant
The importance of wetlands is something that gets discussed regularly. We already have a good idea of what we need to do to protect them, and also how important wetlands and surrounding riparian areas are for the maintenance of our local environment. While we know some things that we can do to protect these areas,…
Read MoreDon’t Stink Up Your Construction Site!
Although Portable toilets are not anyone’s favorite part of working outdoors in areas with no readily available plumbing, there is no doubt that life would be miserable without them. You don’t look at a port-a-potty and think, “Wow, I’m sure glad that portable toilet is around!â€, but they have several benefits: they are environmentally friendly,…
Read MoreSponge Cities: The Future of Stormwater Management
In the wake of serious flooding that killed 79 people in the Chinese city of Beijing in 2012, the country did a serious re-assessment of its drainage situation. Poor urban planning in the name of cost and appearance caused a series of decisions that saw major flooding with even a single heavy rain event. The…
Read MoreA Matter of Life and Death in the Gulf
Today, we take a look a bigger picture problem: The Gulf of Mexico. More specifically, the giant dead zone stretching through a large part of the Gulf of Mexico. A staggering 41% of North America drains through the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. The “Dead Zone†as it’s called stretches across 7,000 square…
Read MoreWhat’s in the Water?
Although stormwater management is important for helping to preserve the environment and valuable habitat from different types of pollution, we rarely think of the impact on human health. The reality is that storm drains carry whatever ends up in them throughout large interconnected water systems. Through storm drains, to ponds, to streams, into larger lakes…
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