San Francisco's big push for low-flow toilets has turned into a multimillion-dollar plumbing stink.
Skimping on toilet water has resulted in more sludge backing up inside the sewer pipes, said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the city Public Utilities Commission. That has created a rotten-egg stench near AT&T Park and elsewhere, especially during the dry summer months.
The city has already spent $100 million over the past five years to upgrade its sewer system and sewage plants, in part to combat the odor problem.
Now officials are stocking up on a $14 million, three-year supply of highly concentrated sodium hypochlorite - better known as bleach - to act as an odor eater and to disinfect the city's treated water before it's dumped into the bay. It will also be used to sanitize drinking water.
That translates into 8.5 million pounds of bleach either being poured down city drains or into the drinking water supply every year.
Not everybody thinks it's a good idea.
A Don't Bleach Our Bay alert has just gone out from eco-blogger Adam Lowry who argues the city would be much better off using a disinfectant like hydrogen peroxide - or better yet, a solution that would naturally break down the bacteria.
As for whether the supposedly environmentally friendly, low-flow toilets are worth the trouble? Well, according to Jue, they have helped trim San Francisco's annual water consumption by about 20 million gallons
There are several different directions you can go with this story. The first thing that came to my mind was the smell must be pretty bad to get their attention..... especially when you consider that flatulence is the San Franciscan mating call.
C. Davis
__________________ Am I greedy because I don't want to give you what is mine?
or
Are you greedy because you want to take what is not yours?
yep, government knew best when it came to toilets. Now you have to go to Canada and bring back full flush tanks if you want them. FYI, its also illegal to install them in your house. Oh well, screw them. I'll see if they catch me.
__________________
John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
Yes, so I have been told. First thing I did after my final inspection was to swap out the tanks and/or toilets for full flush ones. If I should need another inspection or decide and move, an inspector could catch me. Then again, those who can't build, inspect.
Not that worried.
__________________
John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
San Francisco already has the best toilet czar in the world there; I’m surprised Nancy Roto- Rooter Pelosi couldn’t chew through that problem. She’s been dishing out poop for so long it must have back up on her.
If they'd maintain the pipes, IE clean them on a regular basis, the hydrogen sulfide gases wouldn't build up.
I wonder if the pipes are "clogging" because of lack of water, poor design on the pipes resulting in "flat" pipes, or if there are sags in the pipe where the solids are collecting. Either way, keep the solids moving or don't let them sit for long periods of time, and no odor/hydrogen sulfide will form.
In the small private district that I work, water and wastewater, we advocated low flow toilets, and timers on sprinklers, etc. to save water. Problem is the residents did so good and started using less water, that our budget had to be adjusted accordingly because we don't operate on tax money, we operate on new tap fees, water usage fees, and that's it. They started using less water, and the operating budget dropped accordingly. The district then had to raise water use rates to make up the difference. Went over real good, as you can imagine.
I guess what I'm saying is that the low flow toilet isn't necassarily to blame, might be as simple as a poor maintenance program that isn't keeping the pipes clean and flowing as they should.
__________________
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.
If they'd maintain the pipes, IE clean them on a regular basis, the hydrogen sulfide gases wouldn't build up.
I wonder if the pipes are "clogging" because of lack of water, poor design on the pipes resulting in "flat" pipes, or if there are sags in the pipe where the solids are collecting. Either way, keep the solids moving or don't let them sit for long periods of time, and no odor/hydrogen sulfide will form.
In the small private district that I work, water and wastewater, we advocated low flow toilets, and timers on sprinklers, etc. to save water. Problem is the residents did so good and started using less water, that our budget had to be adjusted accordingly because we don't operate on tax money, we operate on new tap fees, water usage fees, and that's it. They started using less water, and the operating budget dropped accordingly. The district then had to raise water use rates to make up the difference. Went over real good, as you can imagine.
I guess what I'm saying is that the low flow toilet isn't necassarily to blame, might be as simple as a poor maintenance program that isn't keeping the pipes clean and flowing as they should.
Sounds like a nice left wing policy... "You are hereby ordered to use less water. BUT... You still have to pay us the same amount."
[quote].....flatulence is the San Franciscan mating call [\quote]
I absolutely love this...the 'quote of the day ' !
As far as the stink in San Francisco is concerned, I consider it the pigeons coming home to roost. Good for 'em...they've been stinkin' up the rest of the world, it was just a matter of time before it got back to 'em for a good stinkin' snootful. I would only hope the problem persists ad-infinitum and is unsolveable.
Low-flow Toilets Cause Stink In San Francisco
