Overcoming Challenges of UV Light Filtration in High Capacity Pipes
By: Lance Winslow
The breached levees in New Orleans have flooded the city, especially the lower lying areas. As the water rose to equalize with the lake levels we saw the devastation and debris in the water. Now there are dead bodies, human waste and chemicals threaten the city’s ground water even after the water is removed. But where is the water being removed too? Back into the lake and this poses another issue; pollution in the lake, a lake, which is used by folks to fish in.
The inlets of the pipes need to have a UV Light systems to kill the harmful bacteria, but the water moves very fast according to one gentleman who feels that it may not be possible. I have proposed using a Bread Rack type system where the water would flow between the shelves. In my proposal I believe that the bread rack style system would work and such a shape is scalable, in other words the shape would be that of a bread rack, but the system maybe ten times the size; inlets being 14 feet in diameter. If this system were put post screen to filter out the big junk, then it could be done. The size would have to be large as here is the description of the pumping system:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/history/NO_Drainage/NewOrleansDrainage.htm
The water moves fast so the UV Lighting system would need to be long in length and many due to the “murky water” as indicated by Mr. Jim Simmons. Additionally we should have UUVs or Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, which remain in the lake for years to come gliding thru murky waters and hugging the floor of Lake Pontchartrain, to continually kill the bacteria.
We need to be thinking here.
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