#sewage treatment plant process

[ionexchangekenya]

Understanding the Stages of the Sewage Treatment Process

Sewage treatment is an essential process for maintaining public health, protecting the environment, and ensuring sustainable water usage. In Kenya, as urbanization increases and water resources become more strained, the importance of effective sewage treatment processes becomes even more significant read more here…

[ionexchangelk]

Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant: Key Stages Explained

Like many other countries, Sri Lanka faces significant challenges in managing wastewater generated by urban populations. A well-structured sewage treatment plant is essential to ensure that wastewater is processed efficiently before being released back into the environment read more here..

[ravienviroindustries]

Sewage Treatment Plant: Meaning & Process

The STP full meaning is a sewage treatment plant that collects, treats, and discharges wastewater safely into the environment. As an STP plant manufacturer, the goal of Ravi Enviro Industries Pvt.Ltd is to prevent water pollution, protect the ecosystem, and ensure the safe disposal of sewage water. To know about how STP plant works, get in touch with REIPL today.

[wteinfrapune]

For top-quality Industrial Sewage Treatment Plant STP Manufacturers in India, turn to WTE Infra. Industrial Sewage Treatment Plant STP in India. Our cutting-edge STP solutions are designed to meet your industrial wastewater treatment needs and exceed your expectations. Our STP solutions are trusted by industries across the country for their efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Trust us for superior quality and reliable service.

[butterflies-and-bumble-bees]

All the lakes in my state are artificial and filled with Mercury, even the Zodiac Killer one!

The Zodiac Killer probably died from heavy metal poisoning

id believe it

you definately don't want to go swimming in 90% of the lakes/rivers in my area

[svsaqua123]

Maximizing Sewage Wastewater Treatment Efficiency with Chlorine Dioxide Tablets

Sewage wastewater treatment is a critical process for maintaining public health and preserving environmental sustainability. As wastewater treatment standards become increasingly stringent, facilities are seeking more efficient and eco-friendly solutions to meet these demands. Chlorine dioxide tablets have emerged as a highly effective solution for improving the efficiency of sewage wastewater treatment. In this blog, we’ll explore how chlorine dioxide tablets can significantly boost the efficiency of sewage treatment systems, enhancing water quality and supporting environmental goals.

1. Introduction to Sewage Wastewater Treatment Plants and Chlorine Dioxide

Sewage wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to process and purify wastewater before it’s either discharged back into the environment or reused. These plants typically go through multiple stages of treatment, such as:

Primary Treatment: Removal of large solids and debris.

Secondary Treatment: Biological processes to remove organic matter.

Tertiary Treatment: Additional purification to meet water quality standards.

Chlorine dioxide tablets play a crucial role in the tertiary treatment stage, where disinfection is essential for ensuring that harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, are effectively eliminated. Chlorine dioxide, a powerful disinfectant and oxidizer, is widely used for its superior ability to neutralize pathogens without creating harmful byproducts, which is a common issue with traditional chlorine-based methods.

In modern sewage wastewater treatment systems, chlorine dioxide tablets are becoming an increasingly popular choice for facilities seeking effective and efficient disinfection methods. These tablets are highly concentrated, easy to use, and capable of releasing a controlled dose of chlorine dioxide into the water, making them an ideal solution for large-scale sewage treatment operations.

2. Boosting Efficiency with Chlorine Dioxide Tablets

One of the most notable benefits of chlorine dioxide tablets in sewage wastewater treatment is their ability to boost efficiency in both treatment speed and water quality. Here’s how they achieve this:

Faster Disinfection: Chlorine dioxide reacts quickly with microorganisms, providing faster disinfection compared to traditional chlorine. This reduces the time required to treat sewage water and speeds up the overall treatment process. This increased speed can be critical in meeting high treatment demands, especially in areas with large volumes of wastewater.

Consistent and Controlled Dosing: Chlorine dioxide tablets dissolve in water to release a precise, consistent dose of chlorine dioxide. This allows for controlled and even distribution of the disinfectant, ensuring that the entire water supply is treated evenly. Consistency in dosing improves the reliability and effectiveness of the treatment process.

Improved Water Quality: Chlorine dioxide tablets break down organic matter and neutralize contaminants in the water. As a result, the treated water shows improved quality, with lower levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and suspended solids. This contributes to better water quality post-treatment, making the water safer for discharge or reuse.

By incorporating chlorine dioxide tablets into sewage treatment facilities, plants can achieve faster and more effective disinfection, improving both operational efficiency and water quality outcomes.

3. Chlorine Dioxide’s Impact on Contaminant Removal in Sewage Treatment

One of the primary reasons for incorporating chlorine dioxide tablets into sewage treatment is their exceptional ability to remove harmful contaminants from the water. Chlorine dioxide works in multiple ways to enhance the removal of contaminants in sewage water:

Oxidation of Organic Matter: Chlorine dioxide is a potent oxidizing agent that breaks down complex organic compounds found in sewage water. This includes fats, oils, and other pollutants that may be difficult to remove through biological treatment processes alone. By oxidizing these substances, chlorine dioxide reduces the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), improving the overall quality of the treated water.

Pathogen Elimination: Chlorine dioxide is highly effective at killing a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can pose significant health risks if not removed. Unlike chlorine, which can leave toxic byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THMs), chlorine dioxide breaks down into non-toxic substances like chloride and oxygen, making it a safer and more environmentally friendly option for disinfection.

Minimizing Residual Contaminants: Chlorine dioxide tablets are capable of breaking down residual contaminants that remain after primary and secondary treatment processes. This includes residual organic matter, heavy metals, and other chemical pollutants that may not have been fully removed earlier in the treatment process. Chlorine dioxide ensures that these remaining contaminants are dealt with effectively.

By improving the removal of contaminants and pathogens, chlorine dioxide tablets significantly enhance the overall efficiency of sewage wastewater treatment processes.

4. Using SVS Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Tablets for Advanced Sewage Treatment

SVS Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets are a top choice for sewage wastewater treatment, offering several advantages over other chlorine dioxide products on the market:

High-Quality Performance: SVS Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets are formulated to provide consistent and reliable results. These tablets are designed to quickly dissolve in water, releasing chlorine dioxide in a controlled manner for efficient disinfection and contaminant removal. The high quality of SVS Aqua tablets ensures that sewage treatment facilities achieve optimal water quality after treatment.

Ease of Use and Integration: SVS Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets are user-friendly and easy to integrate into existing sewage treatment systems. Whether it’s a municipal plant or an industrial facility, these tablets can be easily dosed into treatment tanks and water flows, without the need for complex equipment or adjustments to the existing treatment process.

Environmentally Friendly: SVS Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets are known for their environmentally friendly properties. Chlorine dioxide decomposes into non-toxic byproducts, reducing the environmental impact of sewage treatment. This makes SVS Aqua tablets a sustainable choice for facilities looking to minimize their ecological footprint.

Cost-Effective Solution: SVS Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets provide a cost-effective solution for sewage wastewater treatment. With lower chemical costs, reduced maintenance needs, and improved water quality, these tablets help facilities reduce their overall operational expenses while ensuring compliance with stringent environmental regulations.

SVS Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets offer an ideal solution for sewage treatment facilities looking to maximize efficiency, improve water quality, and reduce operational costs.

Chlorine dioxide tablets are playing an essential role in modern sewage wastewater treatment by significantly boosting efficiency and improving water quality. Their fast-acting disinfection, ability to remove harmful contaminants, and environmentally friendly properties make them a preferred choice for sewage treatment facilities around the world. By incorporating chlorine dioxide tablets, especially high-quality products like SVS Aqua, sewage treatment plants can achieve better results, reduce costs, and support sustainable water management practices. As the demand for efficient and eco-friendly sewage treatment solutions continues to grow, chlorine dioxide tablets will undoubtedly remain a key component in advancing the effectiveness of sewage wastewater treatment systems.

[virtualturtlebanana]

Sewage Treatment Plant Process Flow Diagram

When it comes to ensuring clean and sustainable water management, R&J Waste Water Treatment Organization excels in delivering advanced sewage treatment solutions. Understanding the sewage treatment plant (STP) process flow diagram is essential to appreciate how wastewater is transformed into clean water. Here’s a detailed explanation of the process. Sewage sludge is obtained from wastewater treatment in sewage treatment plant. The sludge consists of two basic forms, sludge and secondary sludge, also referred to as activated sludge within the case of activated sludge process. Municipal sewage sludge (MSS) or only sewage are often a solid, semi-solid, or liquid muddy residue. It contains mainly proteins, sugars, detergents, phenols, and lipids and also includes toxic and unsafe organic and inorganic pollutants source.

Website: https://www.rjjalraksha.com/blog/sewage-treatment-plant-process-flow-diagram/

[pumpingstationsuk]

Compact QUANTUM 10PE Sewage Treatment Plant – Low Cost, Odourless, and Efficient

The QUANTUM 10PE ASP Sewage Treatment Plant offers efficient, odourless wastewater treatment for up to 10 people. With an ultra-compact design, low installation costs, and low energy demand, it’s perfect for domestic use. CE marked and EN12566-3 certified, the QUANTUM system ensures reliable, hassle-free performance. Contact us for more details.

[tritywastemanagment]

Process Flow Diagram of Sewage Treatment Plant

Overview of Sewage Treatment Process Flow

At the start of a sewage treatment process flow, wastewater collection comes from a range of sources. This water comes through widespread pipes and moves on to its first treatment phase. Here, crude substances, such as debris and grit, are eliminated to stop equipment damage. As the water fills the primary treatment tanks, the heavier solids sink to the tanks' bottom surface next. Following completion of this phase, access to secondary treatment takes place for the wastewater. During this phase, organic materials biologically decompose as contaminant concentrations are dropping. The water heads to clarifiers to differentiate the rest of the solids. In the end, it arrives at the third treatment phase that unites advanced filtration with disinfection. Treated clean water enters nearby bodies of water or is used again for uses that do not require drinking water. Every phase of the operation is focused on smooth sewage treatment while remaining by environmental requirements.

Key Components of a Sewage Treatment Plant Flow Diagram

A sewage treatment plant flow chart presents a graphic explanation of the treatment steps. The start is where there is the inflow or inlet, which is the point through which wastewater enters the operation. The model illustrates the primary form of treatment, which eradicates big particles like grit. At this point, the primary treatment begins with settling tanks that cause solids to divide. Following that, secondary treatment takes place, in which biological mechanisms remove organic contaminants. At this phase, the diagram clarifies the difference between solid waste. During tertiary treatment, innovative filters together with disinfectants contribute to better processing of the water. Diagrams include systems for sludge processing along with sludge drying techniques. Arrows alongside labels signal the movement of water across every stage. A properly constructed flow diagram facilitates operator understanding and management of the elaborate sewage treatment process.

Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Sewage Treatment Process

Entry of sewage into the facility launches its sewage treatment plant for industries. During the start-up stage, large solids along with grit are eliminated. Eventually, the wastewater falls into tanks for primary treatment after that. Settling happens beneath because sedimentation originates from this point. The liquids that are remaining proceed into the secondary treatment stage. The biological processes presented, including aerobic decomposition, change organic matter. After that, it is essential to clarify by which the leftover solids differentiate from the water. Following secondary treatment, water first moves on to tertiary treatment. This concluding segment applies filters, along with disinfection, in a direction to remove any superfluous impurities. Eventually, the treated water is either sent down rivers or put to use for irrigation. All steps confirm the safety of wastewater for the environment after cleaning.

Understanding the Flow of Wastewater in Treatment Plants

In a treatment facility, a sequence of stages deals with the wastewater treatment plant. The method initiates once the plant obtains wastewater via the inflow pipes. The screening stage removes large debris as the water's first step. Within primary treatment, it migrates to sedimentation tanks.

Lighter materials head towards the surface, in contrast, thicker materials go down towards the bottom. Following completion of the first treatment phase, the wastewater rapidly flows into secondary treatment. Pollutant reductions happen because microorganisms are busy breaking down organic matter.

The flow carries through to clarifiers, the stage at which the final separation of solids happens. The next phase in treatment starts following the clarification of the water. In the phase where filtration combines with chemical disinfection, the quality of the water becomes better. At last, the water treated is out in rivers or storage for purposes of reuse.

Detailed Guide to Sewage Treatment Process Flow Stages

The several stages of sewage treatment are all important for the cleaning of wastewater. The introductory treatment gets underway with screens that remove substantial items including wood and plastic. Flowing water into primary treatment tanks causes solids to sink to the tank's bottom.

After this stage, secondary treatment will take place for the sewage, letting bacteria manage organic matter treatment. The coming phase consists of separating the liquid from what remains of the solids. Wastewater achieves a superior filtering system via tertiary treatment, which discards little particles and impurities.

Only after disinfection can the water be released or made use of it once more. Every phase is important for assuring that sewage is managed to meet environmental standards. A diagram that illustrates visually shows the transport of sewage through a treatment facility.

The inflow area identifies the leading entry location for wastewater to get to the plant. You can see the route water follows while passing through screens and grit chambers designed for debris separation in the flow diagram. The ensuing part of the diagram points out primary settling tanks, where the separation of solids takes place.

At the end of the day, the wastewater is in secondary treatment tanks receiving treatment from microbes that dissolve organic pollutants. The arrows reveal where the movement of water directs towards clarifiers that provide more separation.

For tertiary-level water treatment, advanced filtration combined with disinfection is a requirement. The diagram contains pathways devoted to sludge treatment as well. Due to the diagram, operators can nimbly manage all phases of the process.

Conclusion

The concluding result of the sewage treatment plant process flow diagram shows the necessary progression stages for wastewater treatment. Every phase, from primary inflow to the ultimate finish of discharge, is hugely important in water purification. At the outset, treatment removes big solid particles, and further on, primary treatment resolves the settling of solid waste. Secondary treatment consists of biological approaches that break apart contaminants. In time, tertiary treatment confirms that the water gets both filtration and disinfection all through the entire process. Operators can keep plant operations efficient and effective thanks to the understanding of how water flows through each phase. Every stage of treatment confirms that wastewater receives proper treatment, to maintain environmental and public health. A structured flow helps sewage treatment plants to uniformly meet environmental regulations over time.

[inhibeowatersolutions]

Expert Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) Solutions | Inhibeo Water Solutions

Is your industry struggling with efficient wastewater management? At Inhibeo Water Solutions, we offer customized Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) solutions to help industries meet regulatory standards and reduce their environmental footprint.

Our ETP solutions: Remove pollutants and contaminants Recycle water for reuse Ensure compliance with regulations Optimize operational costs Discover how our expertise can transform your wastewater management.

Visit:

[idea-explorer]

[wiprowater]

Real-time access to all significant operational control points of your treatment assets and process

Wipro Water’s remote monitoring systems help lower risks and improve operations at water & wastewater treatment plants. We enable effective remote monitoring by leveraging technology we have developed to monitor plant performance in real time.

[reasonsforhope]

"Namibia is the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, and home to two of the world’s most ancient deserts, the Kalahari and the Namib. The capital, Windhoek, is sandwiched between them, 400 miles away from the nearest perennial river and more than 300 miles away from the coast. Water is in short supply.

It’s hard to imagine life thriving in Windhoek, yet 477,000 people call it home, and 99 per cent of them have access to drinking water thanks to technology pioneered 55 years ago on the outskirts of the city. Now, some of the world’s biggest cities are embracing this technology as they adapt to the harshest impacts of climate change. But Namibia leads the way.

How did this come about? In the 1950s, Windhoek’s natural resources struggled to cope with a rapidly growing population, and severe water shortages gripped the city. But disaster forced innovation, and in 1968 the Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant in Windhoek became the first place in the world to produce drinking water directly from sewage, a process known as direct potable reuse (DPR). 

That may sound revolting, but it’s completely safe. Dr Lucas van Vuuren, who was among those who pioneered Windhoek’s reclamation system, once said that “water should not be judged by its history, but by its quality”. And DPR ensures quality. 

This is done using a continuous multi-barrier treatment devised in Windhoek during eight years of pilot studies in the 1960s. This process – which has been upgraded four times since 1968 – eliminates pollutants and safeguards against pathogens by harnessing bacteria to digest the human waste and remove it from the water. This partly mimics what happens when water is recycled in nature, but Windhoek does it all in under 24 hours...

Pictured: These ultrafiltration membranes help to remove bacteria, viruses and pathogens. Image: Margaret Courtney-Clarke

“We know that we have antibiotics in the water, preservatives from cosmetics, anti-corrosion prevention chemicals from the dishwasher,” Honer explains. “We find them and we remove them.”

Honer adds that online instruments monitor the water continuously, and staff ensure that only drinking water that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines is sent to homes. If any inconsistencies are detected, the plant goes into recycle mode and distribution is halted until correct values are restored. 

“The most important rule is, and was, and always will be ‘safety first’,” says Honer.  The facility has never been linked to an outbreak of waterborne disease, and now produces up to 5.5m gallons of drinking water every day – up to 35 per cent of the city’s consumption.

Namibians couldn’t survive without it, and as water shortages grip the planet, Windhoek’s insights and experience are more important than ever.

Interest from superpowers across the globe

In recent years, delegations from the US, France, Germany, India, Australia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates have visited Windhoek seeking solutions to water shortages in their own countries. 

Megadrought conditions have gripped the US since 2001, and the Colorado River – which provides 40 million people with drinking water – has been running at just 50 per cent of its traditional flow. As a result, several states including Texas, California, Arizona and Colorado are beginning to embrace DPR.

Troy Walker is a water reuse practice leader at Hazen and Sawyer, an environmental engineering firm helping Arizona to develop its DPR regulations. He visited Windhoek last year. “It was about being able to see the success of their system, and then looking at some of the technical details and how that might look in a US facility or an Australian facility,” he said. “[Windhoek] has helped drive a lot of discussion in industry. [Innovation] doesn’t all have to come out of California or Texas.”

Pictured: The internal pipes and workings of Namibia's DPR plant. As water becomes scarcer in some parts, countries are looking to DPR for solutions. Image: Margaret Courtney-Clarke

Namibia has also helped overcome the biggest obstacle to DPR – public acceptance. Disgust is a powerful emotion, and sensationalist ‘toilet to tap’ headlines have dismantled support for water reuse projects in the past. Unfortunately, DPR’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness, as the speed at which water can re-enter the system makes it especially vulnerable to prejudice, causing regulators to hesitate. “Technology has never been the reason why these projects don’t get built – it’s always public or political opposition,” says Patsy Tennyson, vice president of Katz and Associates, an American firm that specialises in public outreach and communications.

That’s why just a handful of facilities worldwide are currently doing DPR, with Windhoek standing alongside smaller schemes in the Philippines, South Africa and a hybrid facility in Big Spring, Texas. But that’s all changing. Drought and increased water scarcity worldwide are forcing us to change the way we think about water. 

Now, the US is ready to take the plunge, and in 2025, El Paso Water will begin operating the first ‘direct to distribution’ DPR facility in North America, turning up to 10m gallons of wasterwater per day into purified drinking water – twice as much as Windhoek. San Diego, Los Angeles, California, as well as Phoenix, Arizona are also exploring the technology."

Of course, DPR is not a silver bullet in the fight against climate change. It cannot create water out of thin air, and it will not facilitate endless growth. But it does help cities become more climate resilient by reducing their reliance on natural sources, such as the Colorado River. 

As other nations follow in Namibia’s footsteps, Windhoek may no longer take the lead after almost six decades in front.

“But Windhoek was the first,” Honer reminds me. “No one can take that away.”"

-via Positive.News, August 30, 2023

[wachinyeya]

A consortium linked to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has built a plant at the Mannheim wastewater treatment plant that cleans generated biogas and uses the resulting CO2 to produce climate-neutral marine fuel using green hydrogen. The process could help decarbonise the shipping sector, which is currently responsible for around three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The demonstration plant uses a patented process to convert biogas produced during wastewater treatment into climate-neutral methanol. The biogas is first purified and the separated CO₂ can then be used with renewably-produced hydrogen to make methanol – a raw material that can be used as marine fuel or in the chemical industry. Methanol does release the CO2 back into the atmosphere when burned. However, because the carbon comes from the treatment plant and not from additional fossil sources, it is considered climate neutral.

There are some 80,000 wastewater treatment plants in Europe that offer considerable potential for the new process, wrote KIT. "To achieve our climate protection goals, we must keep all technological options open," said Volker Wissing, federal minister for digital affairs and transport. “In addition to electrification and hydrogen-based propulsion, we need climate-friendly fuels, especially in maritime shipping." Stressing that the sector represented a future growth market, Wissing said Germany should play a pioneering role in research and development. "It's also about making our country independent of energy imports."

Vidal Vazquez, co-founder of climate tech start-up ICODOS, a spin-off from the KIT, added, "In Germany alone, wastewater treatment plants could produce several million tonnes of sustainable methanol annually." The project shows that "wastewater treatment plants can serve as the heart of sustainable fuel production – a potential that has so far remained untapped," Vazquez said. ICODOS is currently in discussions with other wastewater treatment plants to set up other production facilities.

Renewables-based synthetic fuels could be necessary to decarbonise certain sectors such as shipping, where alternatives are not available today, or extremely costly. However, producing the rare fuels is energy-intensive and expensive and they should only be used where the direct use of electricity is not an option.

25 Mar 2025

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - January 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. In Chicago, all city buildings now use 100 percent clean power

“As of January 1, every single one of [Chicago’s municipal buildings] — including 98 fire stations, two international airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants on the planet — is running on renewable energy, thanks largely to Illinois’ newest and largest solar farm.”

2. California Rice Fields Offer Threatened Migratory Waterbirds a Lifeline

“Cranes need nighttime roosting sites flooded to a depth of about 3 to 9 inches, so they can easily hear or feel predators moving through the water. [... Bird Returns pays] farmers to flood their fields during critical migration periods [... and] provide foraging sites by leaving harvested rice or corn fields untilled, so cranes can access the leftover grain.”

3. New York Climate Superfund Becomes Law

“[Funds recovered “from major oil and gas companies” will be used to pay for] the restoration of stormwater drainage and sewage treatment systems, upgrades to transit systems, roads and bridges, the installation of green spaces to mitigate city heat islands and even medical coverage and preventative health programs for illnesses and injuries induced by climate change.”

4. Austin says retooled process for opening overnight cold-weather shelters is paying off

“[... T]he city's moves to lower the temperature threshold to open shelters and announce their activation at least a day in advance were the result of community feedback. [Shelter operators also passed out hot food.]”

5. Helping Communities Find Funding for Nature-Based Solutions

““From coastal oyster reefs to urban stormwater greenways, nature-based solutions are becoming the new normal.” That’s because these types of projects are often less expensive to build and have additional community benefits, such as improving water quality or creating parkland.”

6. Saving the Iberian lynx: How humans rescued this rare feline from extinction

“Back in the early 2000s, fewer than 100 individuals roamed the wild, including only 25 reproductive females. [...] Conservation staff [...] shape these cats into resourceful hunters and get them ready for life outside the center. [...] They’re fine-tuning captive-breeding routines, improving veterinary procedures, and pushing for more wildlife corridors.”

7. Biden cancels student loans for 150,000 more borrowers

“The 150,000 new beneficiaries announced Monday include more than 80,000 borrowers who were cheated or defrauded by their schools, over 60,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities and more than 6,000 public service workers[...] bringing the number whose student debt has been canceled during [Biden’s] administration to over 5 million[....]”

8. PosiGen wins another $200M for lower-income rooftop solar

“PosiGen offers a ​“no credit check” [solar panel installation to] those with a higher percentage of their income going to power and fuel bills[....] “somewhere between 25 and 75 percent” of the consumer’s monthly energy savings could come from efficiency measures such as sealing heating and cooling leaks, replacing thermostats, and installing LED lights[....]”

9. Indigenous communities come together to protect the Colombian Amazon

“At this year’s COP, Indigenous peoples celebrated the [protection of] traditional knowledge, innovations and practices[... and] the Cali Fund, which ensures that communities, including Indigenous peoples, receive benefits from the commercial use of [...] genetic data derived from the biological resources that they have long stewarded.”

10. How the heartland of Poland’s coal industry is ditching fossil fuels - without sacrificing jobs

“[Katowice, a former coal city] committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 40 per cent compared to 1990, prioritising investments in green infrastructure, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. [...”]The gradual departure from heavy industry did not bring high social costs in our city,” says Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice City.”

January 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[rjzimmerman]

The Flood-Protection Rule That Trump Rolled Back. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

In the summer of 2017, Donald Trump stood in the lobby of Trump Tower and declared he would heal a “massive self-inflicted wound on our country” by eliminating red tape that he said was making construction in America an arduous, expensive process.

One policy he eradicated that day was a set of standards aimed at ensuring that anything built with taxpayer money — including hospitals, sewage treatment plants, bridges and libraries — could withstand flooding and rising seas caused by climate change.

Seven years later and in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, federal officials and flood experts say Trump’s decision to roll back those federal infrastructure standards has had financial ramifications. Those are just starting to come into view as officials continue to tally the damage from the storms.

According to state and federal data, at least five water treatment plants in Florida that were in the path of Helene and Milton were exempt from tougher national building standards and sustained damage from the hurricane ranging from water line breaks to power losses. In total, they were funded with about $200 million in federal spending.

Another seven water plants across the Southeast that together received more than $100 million in federal funding were built to lower flood standards and didn’t receive damage during Helene or Milton. But the plants are considered at high risk for damage in the future, and what worries experts is how many crucial infrastructure plants are similarly exposed.

“We can definitively say that risk increased,” said Alice C. Hill, a senior fellow in energy and environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The federal government continues to invest in infrastructure destined to fail in the light of worsening climate impacts.”

“Hurricanes Helene and Milton are a stark reminder that catastrophic flooding, and the climate crisis more broadly, present ongoing and worsening challenges for America’s critical water infrastructure,” said Zealan Hoover, a senior adviser to the E.P.A. administrator, Michael Regan.

Hoover said policies like the flood standard “have real consequences for Americans,” including ensuring that communities can maintain access to drinking water in the wake of disasters.

The standards in question were created under President Obama in 2015, who made the case that climate change would make floods more common and much more destructive.

The rules called for building structures two or three feet above the 100-year flood level, or built at the 500-year level. Alternately, federal agencies could analyze future climate change scenarios like sea-level rise or expected heavier floods, and build according to those projections. But the policy ran into opposition, particularly from homebuilders who argued that new restrictions would lead to higher construction costs even outside federally funded projects.