Daniel Salzler No. 1044
EnviroInsight.org Two Items April 10, 2020
—————Feel Free To Pass This Along To Others——————
If your watershed is doing something you would like others to know about, or you know of something others can benefit from, let me know and I will place it in this Information newsletter.
If you want to be removed from the distribution list, please let me know. Please note that all meetings listed are open.
Enhance your viewing by downloading the pdf file to view photos, etc. The attached is all about improving life in the watershed.
This is already posted at the NEW EnviroInsight.org
1. Did You Know. Dumping coffee grounds down into your garbage disposal will aid in the unclogging of your sewer lines. Verified by the City of Glendale Sewer Department of April 8, 2020.
2. THIS AFTERNOON: The Arizona Green Chamber Of Commerce Is Hosting A Free Online Event. An insider’s guide to the resources available through SBA
Zoom meeting this Thursday, April 9th, 2020 at 2:00pm
No registration required
Delia Gonzalez will be representing the SBA in discussing how to navigate their system. The purpose of this Zoom will be to inform members of the AZ Green Chamber of Commerce, and other members of the community as to how to find available resources and what resources are available.
Zoom Link is below.
If anyone has questions, but cannot attend they’re more than welcome to email their questions to Aaron Bercovitch at bercovitchenterprises@gmail.com
This meeting will be recorded and uploaded to the AZ Green Chamber’s new YouTube page to ensure those who can’t make it can watch when their schedule allows. For more information you can visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp
We’ve also attached a .pdf of a letter from SBA on finding approved lenders here.
More here: https://www.sba.gov/paycheckprotection/find
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/104958119?pwd=NHZiQU45MjZiT2JNWnVCYjlIMUE5dz09
Meeting ID: 104 958 119
Password: 019361
3. Six Animal Webcams For You/Your Kids To Watch During The Quarantine. Just click on the underlined link.
The jellyfish cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is truly mesmerizing.
The Atlantic puffin burrow on Seal Island, Maine.
The open sea cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is chock-full of sharks, rays, and tuna.
The brown bears at Brook Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska
The sandhill cranes at Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, Nebraska.
These great blue heron nests, monitored by the Chesapeake Bay Conservancy, provide a glimpse into life in the trees.
Source; Sierra Club
4. Do You Know? We live close to Mexico, and many people celebrate Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) so you may know the national food of Mexico. Is it:
Tacos
Mole
Tamales
Guacamole
Answer at the end of the newsletter. Soure: Trip Trivia
5. Why You Should Use A Paper Towel To Wipe Up You Cooking Fat/Oil/Greas If You Have A Septic System. Grease and fat are extremely dangerous substances to a residential septic system. Homeowners should monitor the amount of grease that builds up within the system through a comprehensive preventative maintenance program. However, good practices and habits will go a long way.
How Grease and Fat Build Up in Your Septic System
There are three separate layers within a residential septic system. The bottom layer is known as the “sludge,” and is made up of sewage waste that hasn’t been broken down in the system yet. The middle layer is made up of a combination of lique
The top layer is know as the “scum” layer. This is where things like grease and fat end up when they enter your residential septic system. All solids and materials that are lighter in weight than water end up here. If this layer becomes too thick, the wastewater won’t be able to drain from the septic tank and move on to the leach field for the final stage in processing.
Grease and fat can become very thick over time, which can cause this scum layer to push down into the liquid layer and reach the exit pipes of the septic system. Once grease and fat make their way through these pipe
If you do not remove the grease from your residential septic system and the grease and fat reach the leach field, you may need to have the pipes dug up and replaced. Do not ever use chemical additives in your septic system that promise to break down or eliminate grease. Most of these products will kill off the helpful bacteria that naturally occurs in the system to breakdown sewage and other solids.
Preventing grease and fat from entering your system in the first place is your best bet for keeping your residential septic system running clean and clear. Dump all cooking oil and grease from your kitchen into empty food cans and dispose of it with your regular household trash. Hiring a professional service provider and signing up for a preventative maintenace program, will also go a long way toward preventing grease and fat build up from ever happening in the first place.
If you live in a city with a sewer system, every spring, your municipality will pull the manhole covers to insert a flexible pipe into the sewer system, blast 1,500 to 2,000 psi of water through the sewer lines to clean out fats, oils, grease and more from the sewer lines. This expensive process would not have to be done if we all absorbed the fats, oils and grease in paper towels and tossed them into the trash instead of rinsing them down the drain. This blasting of materials from the pipe also forces Covid-19 to the sewer treatment plant.
6. If You Suffer From Alektorophobia, You’re Afraid Of:
Amazon Alexa
Sleep
Chickens
Rain
Answer at the end of the newsletter
7. Water From Home. Are you working from home and contemplating the wonders of water? Beyond being very grateful for our clean tap water and our efficient wastewater systems during this stressful time, we can re-energize our moods by implementing some home water innovations and strategies. Here are a few ideas and resources to help
get you started or remind you of that “water to do list” you left at the office.
Conserve by collecting your shower water and using it on your plants or finally take some time to set up a gray water system from your washing machine or shower. Arizona Department of Water Resources has great tips in their flier “Using Gray Water at Home”
Build berms and basins to harvest rainwater in your yard or scope out opportunities for future neighborhood water harvesting projects during your evening walks. Check out the WRRC Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox, search your municipality’s website, or
explore Brad Lancaster’s website for on-line tools and ideas. When the monsoons come, you will get the fun of satisfying your inner water engineer. Saving energy also saves water. Dry your clothes outside or actively regulate your home’s temperature by opening your windows in the mornings and lowering shades in the afternoons.
Gardening is such a joyful experience, whether improving your desert landscaping or growing your first tomato. The UA Arboretum page has a great desert gardening guide where you can search for plants based on their growing requirements, characteristics, or function. AMWUA also has an excellent on-line plant guide! Looking for top-notch gardening reading? Go to the UA Cooperative Extension website to find science-based information on home composting, growing roses, treating noxious weeds, nurturing trees and more!
8. Plumbing Protection in the Time of COVID-19. In the midst of COVID-19, people are running out of toilet paper and resorting to other alternatives that could harm the sewer system. Pima County Wastewater officials say they are starting to see items that can clog pipes and the community’s sewer systems. Even items that are labeled flushable or disposable can cause problems. Flushing items other than toilet paper could cost homeowners a hefty plumbing bill or even damage water pumps and end up costing taxpayers to have them repaired. Only flush toilet paper down the toilet. Throw all other items in the trash. Wastewater officials want to get the message out before there’s a big problem in our community.
Here are a couple of ideas that might help conserve toilet paper and alleviate stress on Arizona’s wastewater management system.
DO NOT FLUSH
- Diapers
- Baby Wipes
- Flushable Wipes
- Paper towels
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Medictions and Vitamins
- Household Cleaners
- Latex Products
- Rags
- Dental Floss
- Cotton Swabs
where you can search for plants based on their growing requirements, characteristics,or function. AMWUA also has an excellent on-line plant guide! Looking for top-notch gardening reading? Go to the UA Cooperative Extension website to find science-based information on home composting, growing roses, treating noxious weeds, nurturing trees and more!
Copyright 2020 EnviroInsight.Inc
