U.S. patent application number 12/845695 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-28 for flood control method.
Invention is credited to Richard C. Hogan, JR., Richard C. Hogan.
Application Number | 20110182668 12/845695 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44309071 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110182668 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hogan; Richard C. ; et
al. |
July 28, 2011 |
Flood Control Method
Abstract
A method of water capture by pin-pointing likely excess flow
locations and preventing flood damage. Captured water into
temporary storage such as tanks, reservoirs, fabric tube arrays, or
available lakes, can ultimately provide fresh water augmentation in
many regions. Captured water will be tested, treated as needed,
reclaimed and identified into central online storage sites. Not
needed excess flows would be released after storm season. By flood
damage and clean up avoidance, it provides ultimate long term flood
pollution abatement for homes, businesses, farms and communities of
affected US waterways.
Inventors: |
Hogan; Richard C.;
(Camarillo, CA) ; Hogan, JR.; Richard C.;
(Camarillo, CA) |
Family ID: |
44309071 |
Appl. No.: |
12/845695 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61229429 |
Jul 29, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
405/80 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/06315 20130101;
Y02A 10/40 20180101; Y02A 20/402 20180101; Y02A 10/46 20180101;
G06Q 50/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
405/80 |
International
Class: |
E02B 3/00 20060101
E02B003/00 |
Claims
1) A method for managing flood waters, comprising the steps of: a)
determining excess flow locations and capturing water directly from
predicted flood locations; b) treatment and relocation of water
from a capture site for discharge to a temporary storage site for
screening and testing of quality; c) tagging of water quality; d)
storage of captured water; e) transportation of stored water to
areas in need.
2) The method of claim 1, wherein determining excess flow locations
and availability of capture units of step (a) is accomplished by an
online database.
3) The method of claim 1, wherein tagging in step (c) includes
location of water capture, volume, date, and temporary storage;
wherein tagged water is grouped for disposition.
4) The method of claim 1, wherein tagging in step (c) can be by
instant or smart reservoirs.
5) The method of claim 1, wherein not needed excess flows of water
are released after a storm season; wherein higher quality captured
and treated water is retained and distributed by metropolitan
regions.
6) The method of claim 1, wherein relocatable pumping or gravity
flow diversion units can capture potential flood waters; wherein
said flood waters are pinpointed by a control center using current
agencies' stream flow measuring devices, data, water watch stream
flows and depth gage change data with online and historical storm
and flood data.
7) The method of claim 1, wherein transportation means and storage
location of said captured water is step (e) is determined by a
database consisting of location of water source, location of
customer, and volume of water.
8) The method of claim one, wherein virtual transportation is the
means of transporting said captured water in step (e).
9) The method of claim 1, wherein said captured water of step (d)
is post storm purified for drinking and sold to communities for
drinking or general use in a draught.
10) The method of claim 9, wherein proceeds from said sale of said
purified water are used to fund future expansion of capture sites
and transportation of said purified water.
11) The method of claim 9, wherein said purification can use excess
heat from power generation plants to evaporate said water.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/229,429 filed on Jul. 29, 2009, entitled "Flood
Control Method"
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a method of controlling
flood water by using new online databases to predict floods and
redistribute the water to regions in need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Establishing a pre-flood harvesting capability and unifying
the tasks and coordinated planning of applications, while retaining
the present expertise will greatly economize Water, Power, and
Environmental protection costs and operations. Growing water
shortages, water quality issues, waste distribution controls and
related recurring problems of floods, can be addressed with this
method. Expansion of reservoirs, tank farms, temporary fabric tubes
and storage, evaporators, tankers, barges, rail tankers and trucks
makes good economic use of new and proven capabilities. Online
system information with status of water quality, status and flood
data tailored by location offers uniform controls, continuous
reporting and summaries of Fresh water purified for delivery to
Homes, Farms and Businesses. Incorporation of broad regional
applications with a broader view of water availability can result
from these unified activities. All can be accomplished in
compliance with regulations at competitive water prices. Major
Floods like one in 1924, Hurricane Katrina, plus ongoing levy
maintenance, and some Damage Insurance for FMEA annual costs will
no doubt continue to challenge us. Some regions will require
additional flood control reservoirs. U.S. jobs (at least 25,000)
and improved pure water using power or energy's waste heat
including Nuclear Energy will also profit from above planned,
guided, enhanced, and maintained facilities employing online
coordinated information systems with uniform standards where
appropriate. Reduced foreign dependencies in fossil fuel and farm
products further enhance national objectives including US business
and job retention.
[0004] Annual storm and spring thaw-driven floods along the major
US rivers and their tributaries have resulted in loss of life and
billions of dollars in damages and lost productivity to countless
thousands of American families, homes, farms, and businesses.
Several billions of dollars per year in after the fact flood claims
costs for FEMA and private insurance costs to homeowners, farmers,
and businesses have been increasing across many decades. Related
costs for repair and a variety of products sold annually to
potential flood victims, amount to negative economic cash flow with
little predictability and minor relief to its victims. Growing
costs from increasing and devastating storms require new efforts to
solving these problems and investing in positive and attainable
water resources. The present invention uses pre-flood capture to
temporary storage units during storm season including test,
treatment, and storage. Data monitoring, longer storage and
transport will vary depending on needs and customer delivery. The
present method is based on extensive review of agency reports,
data, strategies and plans identified herein, as well as their fine
capabilities exhibited in their respective studies, reports, and
web sites. It is targeted and motivated by serious water issues
across the US.
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
combined digital data for potential flood water capture prediction
and diversion enables new flood point control for federal and local
agencies. New combined digital online stream flow, water depth,
rate of change in depth, and designated flood depths at thousands
of these same specific locations along more the 9.000 miles of
Mississippi river regions and most main rivers of the US. This
enables timely dispatch of new Flood Water capture teams to reach
and set up water diversion equipment in hours instead of months or
not at all. Locations will be zip-coded plus the corresponding
Federal and State address codes by river and tributary locations.
These are specified and permitted by USACOE and/or USGS of FEMA,
with accurate numbered location sites of the potential flood
points, and identified dikes, levy, reservoirs, and related flood
ways of USACOE addresses. New addition of digital predictions of
NOAA National Weather Service projected precipitation amounts,
times, dates, locations of storms and wind directions, will also be
mapped to the predicted exact locations, and apply any "road closed
due to storm" broadcasts. All digital inputs will be displayed to
Capture Team dispatcher coordinators in online Flood Control
Centers from each source. These include FEMA, the US Coast Guard,
State and local agencies. All will be digitally corrected to the
same scales, time, and date periods. These sources will be mapped
to digital US maps in a combined computers source of continuously
upgraded data flow from these several US federal and local, and US
mapping data sources. Commercial digital maps as needed, and
already permitted will be used and maintained in the appropriate
Flood Control Operations Centers. These centers will be established
corresponding to existing regions and all will have emergency power
backup.
[0006] Another object of the present invention a new combining,
mapping and maintaining of multiple source digital online flood
water data, planning and dispatching tailored equipping to location
needs and specific sites in US with new, safer, quicker in
operation and adaptive temporary storage by test-treat-tag
stormwater EPA methods.
[0007] Another object of the present invention Cost of operation of
the proposed flood control method will be borne by proceeds from
the marketing of captured and purified excess stream flow water, as
proposed. Reduction of flood claims' costs and loss of annual
average 14 lives are obvious benefits.
[0008] Yet another object of the present invention are significant
environmental benefits from using test, treat, tag and temporary
store method at the water capture site, a new capability. It
enables compliant recording of indicated contamination and
zip-coded source and samples. This provides more specific address
of any identified serious contamination for follow up to its
source. Data and samples to process correction by local or federal
authorities is a new environmental control.
[0009] Other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIGURES
[0010] FIG. 1 Shows a block diagram of the operations control
center flowing to designated teams.
[0011] FIG. 2 Shows a block diagram of how the operation control
model would be applied to a city like Los Angeles.
[0012] FIG. 3 Shows a block diagram of the command center.
[0013] FIG. 4 Shows a block diagram of the flood water capture
teams.
[0014] FIG. 5 Shows a block diagram of safety and security of the
flood control method water capture.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Disclosed herein is a method of water capture by
pin-pointing likely excess flow locations and preventing flood
damage. Captured water into temporary storage such as tanks,
reservoirs, fabric tube arrays, or available lakes, can ultimately
provide fresh water augmentation in many regions. Captured water
would be tested, treated as needed, reclaimed and identified into
central online storage sites. Not needed excess flows would be
released after storm season. Higher quality captured and treated
water can be retained and distributed by metropolitan regions in
compliance with current regulations. Such vitally needed fresh
water could augment US metropolitan water districts, homes, and
businesses. There are many options to capture (and temporarily
store near capture site), move to purification, storage and
transportation to customers. Long term cost effective water and
power augmentation by cooperative metropolitan water sources can be
accomplished by new and existing technologies and agencies. The
present method will maximize these agencies' technologies and
processes. It will employ initially over 15,000 to 25,000 Americans
in its first phase and capitalize on available and planned power
plants including nuclear power. It will assist USAGE and FEMA flood
control resources by harvesting floods before they flood and move
water to temporary storage for treatment and later transport to
customers or release when storm threats subside. This turns
negative annual costs associated with storm damaging floods (and
clean-up) along US waterways, into fresh water for homes and
businesses, particularly for markets in drought ridden areas. The
method includes optional water purification and transportation
methods. It can augment existing local water systems that are
regularly under duress because of population growth and limited
additional natural sources. California, for example, has many
cities contemplating growth controls and increasing costs to
existing customers to control limited power and water assets. Many
other states have communities in similar water extremis.
[0016] Applying like talents of existing water and power agencies
to new tasks, the method will add small numbers of key team leaders
to existing identified agencies. It adds a new source to joint
plans and maintains water status outlined in this method. The new
steps are [0017] 1) Determining excess flow locations, water
capture (harvesting) directly from predicted flood area(s), [0018]
2) Treatment and relocation from capture site for discharge to
temporary storage. Temporary storage includes use of new strong
fabric, or geotextile water tubes near capture site for screening
or testing for quality, [0019] 3) Tagging of quality by location
where captured, volume, date, initial test results, temporary
storage (exact zip-coded and USAGE station address of where
captured in instant and smart reservoirs), and grouped by class for
disposition.
[0020] As storm season proceeds, operation, purification, and
delivery options within quality standards can determine transport
to meet customers' requirements. Higher quality water can thus be
retained in approved aquifer or infiltration fields. It involves
oversight controls, plans and actions in unison that reduce costly
floods, while avoiding down stream excess flows. Coordination with
USAGE for use of reservoirs or notches (or floodways in extremes)
would further mitigate storm water excesses and enable broad
regulated release options. These tasks are urgent during storm
capture, but post-storm purification, including evaporation and
transport, quickly follows least-cost (sum of predetermined
capture-to-store-to customer locations applied to available
transport cost options between those locations) steps to
predetermined sites and customers. Cost savings from purification
by using excess heat from nearby existing or planned power
generation plants (evaporation) will offset many onward costs. Cost
of various current waste water treatment steps and reclaimable
water steps are tailored to the many locations. These often use
chemical processes, or dilution of the treated water containing
such ingredients until it meets discharge standards per ingredient,
and then flows it down the same waterway in most cases. The
evaporation method that removes virtually all ingredients or
contaminants for separate simplified process costs of evaporation.
Evaporation produces "sludges" that contains many useful and
reclaimable ingredients like fertilizers that can be marketed. The
ingredients not marketable have the same disposal options, but
those removed by evaporation for market avoid downstream "diluted"
pollution of US waterways. By comparing the complete net costs of
evaporative purification and all the costs of counterpart methods
and their maintenance of equipment costs such as reverse osmosis
and its filaments and associated filament replacing maintenance and
other filtering costs of all these methods. Today some of these are
hidden costs are passed on to the succeeding water districts or
final customers. These steps augment US water availability,
quality, inspection, transport, sludge disposal and services of
current supporting agencies identified herein.
[0021] The offset against growing flood damage claims will
demonstrate new water options for aquifer restoration. Significant
flood cleanup cost avoidance can result which is seldom assessed
during flood and storm periods. The present method introduces
relocatable pumping or gravity flow diversion units to capture
potential flood waters pinpointed by a new control center. This
optional step uses current agencies' stream flow measuring devices,
data, water watch stream flows and depth gage change data with
online and historical storm and flood data. Units available for
Pre-flood capture can be dispatched assisted by online predictions
from such data sources proposed or by several of the agencies
listed herein. Much of this data is currently provided by specific
locations as public data, some at 15 minute intervals during storm
periods.
[0022] Water Source includes that captured from the surface of
rivers during storm and flood season plus that collected at
designated (by USACE) river, reservoir, or other temporary storage
sites including along Gulf of Mexico in non-storm periods. The
entire additions of the present method enable current control
centers a national reclaimable source for storage, purification,
and distribution. Selection of current or augmented storage and
transport to approved customer sites will use least cost methods
according to location. Whether rail, barge, tanker, trucking or
eventual short pipelines, for example the location of source and
customer and volume enable a true demand based inventory of a
continuing source of fresh water anywhere in the US. In addition
and recognition of long standing riparian water rights practices of
neighboring water regions and districts across the U.S., a virtual
transportation option is already in place and can be extended
across several districts to literally trade back water replacement
options with this available and digitally maintainable water
augmentations from the present method for augmentation of fresh
water. Unique sharing can, and often is practiced, and will gain
new incentive to reduce actual physical transport, while redeeming
riparian obligations. This invites extension of cooperative long
term agreements as currently reflected in regional strategies and
plans to share specific water resources. For example, the Lower
Colorado River long range plans, through 2050, identify numerous
riparian water sharing planned events brought to specific
quantities, and ranging over hundreds of miles. The present source
and methods are ideally and digitally maintainable for longer range
asset sharing. Water collected and made available from recent Red
River floods, for example, could serve within region locations
based on distance and timing economies. Central oversight of
diverse selections and options for customers involves these
"temporary" or instant reservoirs (such as new strong fabric tube
units) to allocate as-required temporary new requirements. Other
compliant harvesting controls and treatment options will be used,
coordinated with USACE, EPA, USGS and local water districts and
regional planning authorities to ensure compliant effective
maintenance of storage and transport equipment.
[0023] Stream flow limits to avoid "over-pump" will meet set norms
of rivers and streams. Central data monitoring even during storm
periods enables such necessary practices, agreements and
adjustments. Pumping or harvesting units may also include barges
(sized according to locations) with pumps mounted in clusters to
remove flood potential water primarily to temporary tanks or flood
control reservoirs ashore where available. Each barge could pump at
a rate of 33 to 55 Acre/feet per hour, within flow restrictions as
needed. This results in minimum 4752 Acre/Feet per day for six
small pump barge units, or 66,528 Acre/Feet per two week storm
period. The number of harvesting units per area can be increased as
needed to maintain levels by storm center predictions. The very
conservative example shows that 1,734,480 Acre/Feet of purified
reclaimed water can be purified and added to the various annual US
water source in the first year, doubling by the beginning of Phase
Two. The total cost is within the cost of captured water, or well
below current cost of flood damage claims of $2.5B annually being
paid by FEMA. Infrastructure costs for adding capture equipment,
tubes, pump units, tanks, reservoirs, and transportation can be
significantly earned in the first phase for water and power
augmentations. New instant and smart temporary reservoirs using
fabric tube configurations enable on scene "test, treat, tag and
store" captured water. Tagging or identification of each tube of
captured excess flow further enables central digital identity for
aquifer restoration, infiltration, or quality dependent
applications. Identification tags and central recording improve
acceptable reclamation or "after storm" release just as USACE
"notches" have been designed for later release. Ongoing revenues
from captured flows will sustain these resources for normal growth
of population, businesses, farms, aquifer, and reserves beyond
2050. Long term planning, permitting, and installation of many of
these future options require application now of current
technologies and capabilities to demonstrate, regionalize, tailor
and apply these multipurpose flood control steps.
[0024] On Scene Temp storage: Initially, six to twelve water borne
relocatable pump stations will pump or use gravity flow directly to
ashore tanks, tubes, or existing flood control reservoirs depending
on locations. Location adjustment during and immediately after a
storm, which is a new concept in flood control, will be driven by
actual treatment conditions, flow rates and monitored water depth,
quality, and appropriate storage. Many current assets built and
planned by USACE and USGS for these and other purposes including
habitat, wildlife restoration, and recreation will obviously be
needed and partially funded by the present method. Application of
significantly less expensive fabric water tubes, noted above,
multiplies deflection of excess flows while greatly reducing the
time of set up compared to building very expensive permanent
reservoirs.
[0025] Storage and relocation: as needed after flood threat
subsides would be from temporary holding or treatment sites,
reservoirs, tanker ships, or other shore tanks. These options offer
various delivery alternatives depending on storm capture sites and
distance to ultimate purification station(s). Depending on the
capacity of the selected transportation, six to twelve sites along
the Mississippi, for example, could deflect, pump, temporarily
store, and discharge potential flood water to shore sites or,
depending on draft, to water depth to attending tanker units or
barges for transport and temporary storage. Transport to optional
purification sites and processing is further described herein.
[0026] Transport and hold for Purification. After capture and
treatment, generally past storm season, three alternative means are
available to store and transport water for final purification,
storage, and customer delivery. Long standing practice of riparian
water "ownership" is not altered by this method. Transport would
rarely apply to afloat storage. Smaller transport units such as
barges (after storm periods) might aid redistribution within USACE
navigation requirements. Pumping or gravity flow capture units will
be increased in Phase Two to more than double in capability to
maintain a minimum 10,000 Acre/Feet per day, or 300,000 Acre/Feet
per month. This capacity can be increased by Geotextile tubes to
meet different or larger threats and multiple storms spaced in
other areas. These variables will greatly reduce the flood damage
while enabling improved environmental control during storm periods.
A third alternative is enabled when additional equipment and
capture team training planned in Phase Two increases the response
capacity to meet extensive additional upper tributaries or storm
locations. These additions further reduce lower river threats and
impact, and addition of temporary water tubes provides off-stream
holding for later release or test, treat, tag and classify for
disposition. These options enable significant improvement of
quality oversight including control and recording of details such
as location of degrading stormwater trends. Data collection and
review will be made according to the uniqueness of every storm
season's excess flows to maximize flood damage reduction while
harvesting the water away from further threats to compliant
purposes. Release of contaminated flows can and will be halted and
subject to new controls as required.
[0027] Purification will comply with current requirements including
by Evaporation at the nearest available pre-planned power
generation unit for potable water. This is in addition to initial
testing and treatment at the capture site's temporary storage. As
noted above, use of temporary storage in Geotextile fabric water
tubes enables each tube to be tested, initially treated as needed,
bar-code tagged with specific quality, date, and location, and
appropriate disposition; all with central data recording for
follow-on reviews. Every acre-foot so handled can further remove
contaminates from downstream water sources--even if later treated
and released. Power units with evaporators designed for quality
control and collocated with water (input) storage and handling
capability will employ highest compliant storage (output) for
highest quality product to onward transport. Experience in over 80
years of maritime and U.S. Navy ships have proven this cycle
provides excellent purification capability in salt and freshwater
streams, like the St. Lawrence Seaway with controlled distributed
release of isolated ingredients according to environmental
standards. The volume potential of evaporators may not be as well
known as alternative purification because each ship is built to its
expected uses including crew size and support to other planned
units or forces. A single maritime tanker is able to desalinate
four million gallons per day; two or more such tankers have been
used at Guantanamo Bay for fifty years supporting fresh water needs
for a base supporting several thousand troops. Salt brine
disposition is a normal part of the process.
[0028] The present method could optionally employ tankers to
transport (Reclaimable water or Evaporator purified) and possibly
(with installed evaporators beyond "ship's use") purify enroute to
other U.S. ports such as San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, etc.,
based on a three to five day trip. Reservoirs, tank farms (to
minimize natural evaporation), and augmented temporary stored
fabric tubes located at or near the electric power stations should
be one of the new norms for lower cost, higher quality water
purification.
[0029] The second option is to include rail and truck capabilities
at selected sites for water transport to rural customers, including
waste water treatment and sludge disposition. Temporary storage,
and transport to ultimate customer storage sites must be carefully
planned and controlled to meet USGS, Bureau of Reclamation, and EPA
requirements in existing or planned disposition, water quality, and
water availability. A major driver to the success of this new water
source management is transportation costs, offset by sale of
resulting fresh water and reduction of flood damage costs. These
are further described below. Purification is intended to also
follow regional treatment requirements of EPA, DOI, USGS, Bureau of
Reclamation, US Coast Guard, and maritime transport and usage
requirements, and quality for selection of specific water qualities
and storage vessel requirements.
[0030] After Storm: When storms, controlled run-off as proposed,
and flood potential subside, pump or deflection units will relocate
to various authorized designated Gulf Coast or other non-storm
sites for training, equipment maintenance, or other water
assignments. Sites will be partly determined by overall
requirements and regionally distributed assets, including: [0031]
1) available or new temporary storage such as reservoirs, tank
farms, short-term fabric tube storage in proximity to power plants
with evaporation capability, and [0032] 2) transfer
capabilities.
[0033] Resulting purified storage becomes part of the new predicted
requirements water supply. Other inland sites of similar reservoirs
of reclaimable water, purified water in tank farm sites in
proximity to their evaporator equipped power plants make up the
balance of new or augmented water supply inventory for future
regional requirements. Together, these water operations will more
easily grow with needs. Expected and incremental output will serve
augmentation needs in the US, with potential water on demand
inventory management functions. Deliveries to and from these sites
can then be compliantly balanced to demand, adjusted for periodic
drought locations and cost of associated transportation. Initially,
supply and demand will balance continuing capabilities in Phase Two
for water capture, storage, and movement to temporary storage,
purification, or desalination sites. These tasks also depend on
location of power generation sites. The joint operation and the
joint planning that this method provides enables the most cost
effective tool for Power and Water distribution, with augmenting
potential for residential customers, businesses, farms, industries
and manufacturers. It will foster pollution controls with better
actual test/treat at point of initial capture to transport and
storage, ultimate distribution tailored to all requirements. By
flood damage and clean up avoidance, it provides ultimate long term
flood pollution abatement for homes, businesses, farms and
communities of affected US waterways. Use of operations control
centers will not only avoid over-pumping, but tabulate planning for
future changes in demand, seasonal leveling of reservoirs, current
accounting and billing, adjusting or reconciling inventories for
natural or atmospheric evaporation, and reward smaller water
districts with low cost water augmentation as needed. Together,
these centers will enable the virtual transport to minimize
transportation costs.
[0034] The size and location of reservoirs and tank farms focus on
customer needs for water and power. They also provide a facility
for recreation and aquifer restoration. They may enable future
transportation alternatives, such as regional distribution pipe
lines to meet growth, arid land restoration and recharging, or new
augmentation deliveries for homes and businesses.
[0035] Transportation: Significant cost effective drivers indicated
above involve transport during storms or to ultimate customer
storage locations, as well as current and planned adjustments as
changes occur for conventional or nuclear power plant locations.
U.S. port facilities and existing and/or planned storage, barge,
rail, tanker, truck, and pipeline capabilities contribute
significant cost effective options for the method. The present
method anticipates positive, essential, innovative long term
national solution options to water, power, transport,
environmental, non-fossil fuel considerations, and related economic
factors. Transportation alternatives, including the virtual
transport noted above, can be selected, documented in plans, and
adjusted as ongoing inventory objectives change. Growth and change
in demand require wise planning and placement of power and water
resources. Rail, water borne barge or tanker, or truck capabilities
exist across the U.S. in a variety of configurations and
capabilities.
[0036] The present method uses multiple task plans across all the
agencies' roles to achieve the uniform economies of scale and
quality to water and power resources. Distribution by the scale of
existing communities and their distribution across the US can be
better planned and administered by a uniform planning and funding
authority over its many parts. Homeland Security requirements are
also essential to planning in all phases of this method,
particularly as transportation options for current and future
capabilities continue to grow. Equally important benefits include
reducing dependencies on resources outside the U.S. Because of the
nature of current and future transportation capabilities, some of
these considerations will require planning facilities in phases
among agencies to preserve an early capability to meet water and
power needs. Future expansion of rail deliveries or pipe lines, for
example, may be justified by cost savings to support some inland
customers' long term growth for augmentation. New tailored water
planning and delivery for such growth as Native American locations
can be expedited. As the early phases of this proposal brings
reduction of cost of flood damage claims, fossil fuel dependency,
and related U.S. job losses will benefit. Multiple transportation
resources will also benefit in harmony with uniform planning,
resulting operations, and oversight to meet growth expected while
improving proposed water, power, and environment objectives.
[0037] Jobs and Labor: The above phases will generate at least
25,000 jobs for the first two phases with an initial six- to twelve
unit pumping site scenario, during which 24/7 shift manning is
envisioned. Expansion of pumping locations will be planned (and
perhaps expanded) in Phase One as tempered by lead times of
equipment acquisition, operating environment and stream monitoring
capabilities. Communities along these and tributary streams need to
plan the storage capability and locations well in advance based on
all metropolitan growth factors. Northern locations that need to
consider water tubes must initiate adjusted frost scheduling of
their application, and limit sizes accordingly. Advisories to
agencies will request full dissemination of plans and tasks
proposed. Many current lakes and USACE developed reservoirs will
need modest and continuing additions to accomplish the water
harvesting and distribution needs. Capture teams, equipment,
conservation, and training can be regionally administered. Many
regional water authorities such as upper and lower Colorado River
authority's plans and strategies have projected future growth
requirements as severely restricted by rates of growth and
projected assets.
[0038] The present method's gains may alter implementation steps to
take advantage of Phase One lessons learned and allocate resources
according to required change indicators. The majority of these jobs
are envisioned to be assigned locally according to USAGE, DOI,
USGS, Bureau of Reclamation, FEMA, DOT and local water districts'
requirements. FEMA and USACE were able to make such allocations and
adjustments as was seen during and before storms like Katrina. Many
storms require preposition and relocation of very large quantities
of personal support and survival materials and equipment, and such
needs will continue. Addition of proposed relocatable pumping units
and use of temporary storage tubes can efficiently augment this
flood avoidance or prevention capability across US waterways.
Assignment of capture units to potential flood locations beyond the
Mississippi requires advance planning and training. Coordination
and training early in Phase One for selection of equipment and
location of temporary storage sites, special geographic needs,
designated flood control reservoirs, and use of temporary fabric
tubes will provide more payback than flood clean-up currently
costs. Changes in water demand will likely increase the Phase Two
shift to expand Gulf Coast operations, as described above as "after
storm." Because this project uses new and existing technologies and
capabilities, trained personnel can be anticipated from the above
agencies and/or military sources, but new requirement training will
also take place. All units will receive operational training and
appropriate safety and environmental impact training courses.
[0039] This method has many skill requirements beyond temporary
deflection, pump operations, layout of initial tubes, barge
manning, water purification, power, storage, security, and other
transportation factors of rail, barge, and truck operations.
[0040] Storm surge and After Storm activities will be coordinated
(particularly communications) among deployed units and the local
Operations Control Centers. This integrated requirements planning
will be part of an operations design effort that extends to capture
and delivery points identified. Planning an online information
system to perform this coordination, and training requires an
operational infrastructure and a management team for interface with
USACE and FEMA designated members.
[0041] Phase Three: Upgrade and gradual expansion of reservoirs to
designated tributaries, and augmentation of harvesting flood waters
to other US regions using above methods will also capitalize on
existing USACE construction and controls, just as they have been
doing for over 100 years. This includes flood fighting training,
water capture fabric tube team training, promoting water
conservation, environment protection, and reclamation projects. It
also promotes development of recreation near reservoirs to aid
distribution and aquifer restoration, and equipment upgrade to the
specific customer needs for water. More fossil fuel dependency
reduction is possible and needed, even with alternate fuel
development. Future power applications may extend to railroad
improvements. Coastal cities likewise need to consider and plan
power plants--nuclear or conventional that can simultaneously
purify water as indicated in Phases One and Two. Coastal areas also
should ensure facilities developed in all phases protect against
salt water incursion to the aquifer.
[0042] Plans for Phase Four need to reflect and make adjustments
for above additional national growth areas and appropriate new
equipment factors. There are various options based on geographical
variations to be considered in this unified systems engineering
method. The proximity of wells, streams, lakes, reservoirs and
problem aquifer locations vary greatly by regions; and they are
subject to changes in demand by growth and new discoveries. But
strategy and planning of participants and related agencies of this
proposal must maintain an EPA compliant view and appropriate
analyses of its current and future capabilities. Transportation
capability and demand location changes with many options for future
needs. Arid lands in the west could benefit for example with new
Houston or Brownsville site options for water, power, and transport
distribution for possible future pipelines or aqueducts. Larger
reservoirs and tank or aquifer storage in many locations could
support continuing augmentation sources to future local water
districts. The city of Chicago for example has begun deep large
emergency water storage exploration under the city and suburbs in
near ideal rock characteristics that have significant long range
water storage potential. Addition of tank cars to many remote rail
options (lease with option to buy) with new efficient engines may
economize future distribution needs. Addition of lower cost barges
to move new areas of reclaimable waters in storm seasons or in a
dry period could also be considered in plans to capture and
desalinate in a lower cost scenario. Growth could also alter the
economics of resource output to customers with short line pipelines
or rail to North and Western customers. The same rationale for
Eastern more dry areas even visible in USGS current drought maps
should be considered to jointly plan resources for Alabama, Georgia
and Florida as well as Boston, and newly identified locations.
Water transport needs to be considered among alternatives to
economically link existing waterways, rail and truck expertise
throughout the US. Phase Four will look back on any lessons
learned, transportation options and quality benefits to
metropolitan water as well as regional grid options, where national
interests can be met at the early planning stages using a broader
coordinated perspective. Strategic planning should and will ensure
that the addition of capabilities satisfies cost benefit solutions
compared with changing conditions and satisfy current cost
economies of scale.
[0043] Technology Details: The method described herein may take one
of two coordinated approaches to capturing floods on, for example,
the Los Angeles River: [0044] 1) Integrate the multitude of weather
and stream sensors into a "smart-reservoir" system with remotely
operated pumps and valves to manage existing flood-capture
infrastructure in real time. [0045] 2) Develop and deploy
"instant-reservoirs" which allow property owners and farmers to
select month-by-month if they will rent their property for
temporary water storage. In both cases, the water that is captured
during the few hours when the river is running high will be
transferred into groundwater storage during the weeks that often
separate winter storms.
[0046] The City and County of Los Angeles' Low Impact Development
ordinances will require property owners of new developments to
capture and clean the first 1/2-3/4 inch of rain, making the next
few inches in each storm clean and more valuable. The income from
the sale of that clean water captured in smart and instant
reservoirs can, in turn, pay for more stormwater cleaning and river
restoration. Smart and instant reservoirs can more than double the
capture and storage of Los Angeles River flood water. The captured
water will cost less than current prices for imported water.
[0047] Smart Reservoir: Many agencies are operating sensors,
automated samplers, and remotely operated facilities in the Los
Angeles River watershed. The National Weather service has weather
prediction and real-time weather sensing systems. The United States
Geologic Survey has stream gauges. The City of Los Angeles has
automated samplers. Many agencies have potable, reclaimed, and
waste water SCADA systems. Additional sensors, including cameras,
connected to computers can be programmed to recognize floating
trash, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, bacteria, and oil sheen.
[0048] Generally, the various systems provide data independently,
are not compatible, and may have signal interference issues with
themselves and the numerous other electronic devices of urban
areas. However, the sensors and remote operations can be integrated
into one real-time operation and their utility becomes greater than
the sum of their parts. For example: [0049] 1) Where gravity flow
can be arranged, remotely operated valves can steer the appropriate
amounts of water into each reservoir for capture and cleaning.
[0050] 2) Where gravity is not available, large portable pumps can
be prepositioned and moved along the river to catch the first flush
of trash and pollutant laden water for later treatment. [0051] 3)
Operators would also know where to move and when to run those same
pumps to fill permanent and temporary flood-capture basins with the
exceptionally clean water of mid- and late storm. [0052] 4) In some
cases, inflatable dams in the river channel could provide
sufficient gravity flows to replace the pumps. [0053] 5) Cameras
might automatically count trash floating in the water to prove
compliance with the trash TMDL (total maximum daily load limit) or
to trigger valves and pumps which grab that trash. [0054] 6) Other
sensors might sound alarms on plugged storm drains or predict
imminent debris flows.
[0055] Instant Reservoirs: Instant-reservoirs can transform any
land into a reservoir up to 6 feet deep in a few hours or quickly
add height to existing reservoirs and spreading basins. After the
captured water percolates into groundwater aquifers, the instant
reservoir components become invisible or are moved to a new
site.
[0056] 12 acres of vacant property between E. 12th Street and E.
Washington Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles have been converted to
a 70 acre-foot instant reservoir. The property is surrounded by
industry and rail yards. The owner may want to build manufacturing,
warehousing, or rail facilities in the near future.
Instant-reservoir allows an important, income generating, and
temporary use from November through April. From May through
October, the lot remains accessible and available for equipment
parking and other activities.
[0057] Days before capturing water, the watertubes are rolled-up
and waiting on site. The operators of the smart reservoir system
would fill the watertubes with water from the river a few hours
before higher river flows. Filling the watertubes causes them to
unroll, and form walls about 6 feet high around the vacant lot.
[0058] A stability tube and an earth berm can be used. Either, not
both, are necessary to prevent the watertube from rolling sideways
when pushed by the force of the contained water. The earth berm or
stability tube need only be a third the height of the water tube,
or about 2 feet high.
[0059] The watertubes themselves contain relatively little water
(about 10 acre-feet). The bulk of the water is captured in the
reservoir formed by the watertube perimeter. The instant reservoir
scales up inexpensively because the watertube length increases
linearly, while the area increases by the square. That is: if the
perimeter of the reservoir increases by 3 times, the volume of the
reservoir increases by a factor of 9 times.
[0060] Due to advances in textile manufacture, the watertubes can
be both inexpensive and portable. Unlike earthen dikes, any water
storage site remains accessible and adaptable, except when storing
water. When not storing water, it can be an open space habitat,
soccer field, golf course, even a parking lot. Therefore, property
owners could agree to short-term (5-year) easements, paid by the
value of the captured water. With these incentives, more sites will
become available relatively quickly.
[0061] Expanding reservoirs and spreading grounds with previous
technology requires property purchases or expensive grading with
associated extensive property transfer safeguards and environmental
documentation. Public agencies must spend years ensuring they are
spending public money wisely, because money spent on one site will
not be available to buy other sites. Similarly, the property owners
will forgo any future benefits from the land they sell. Using
watertubes, more property will be available each year simply
because both private individuals and public agencies can act
quicker on temporary arrangements than on permanent
arrangements.
[0062] Note that instant-reservoir operation can be modified to
provide temporary wetlands treatment systems improving the quality
of dry season river flows. This would help meet TMDLs for trash,
bacteria, and nutrients at lower economic and energy costs than
more equipment intensive solutions.
[0063] The expense and non-availability of clean water for blending
with cleaned water sometimes prevents recycling water. In the
middle and end of late-season storms, the river water is clean
because pure rain is very clean. This clean water can be leveraged
to increase recycling of dry-season flows to groundwater recharge.
The California Department of Public Health (DPH) is concerned the
treatment of the relatively polluted dry-season flows will not be
perfect. Therefore DPH requires diluting the treated and cleaned
dry-season flows with known clean water before storing the blended
water in the ground.
Pump and Pump Sizes:
[0064] Gravity flow arrangements are preferred, but portable or
permanent pumps and pipes may be more cost and space effective.
During a 100-year flood, the flow in the Los Angeles River would be
14,000 acre-feet per hour. The example in FIG. 11 stores 70
acre-feet of water. The pumps might be sized to fill the reservoir
in two hours, transition to the next reservoir in one hour, fill
the next reservoir, and so on for the duration of storm flows. The
capacity of pumps and associated pipe diameters for a range of
flows from 1 to 10,000 acre-feet per hour.
* * * * *