tonight it will be below zero again. This was a gorgeous day

apple.news/AFBQswBTmQRavBCP81WF7bQ

In one of the weirder things I have accomplished, I got a paper published that was a probabilistic solution to the Drake equation. Fans of astronomy or the Big Bang Theory will recall the discussion.  The equation was proposed by the first director of the SETI program – Frank Drake, in 1960.  The concept was to determine the probability of concurrent, intelligent, communicative life in the galaxy.  It is an age-old question that continues to encourage interest and controversy among the public as well as academics.  Development of explanations for life elsewhere ranges widely, but few mathematical likelihood models have been developed, and those that exist are widely speculative due to the lack of information about space.  However, with the addition of information from Kepler explorations for new solar systems within our galaxy, and calculation of the potential number of stars in the expanse of the universe, data for a useful probabilistic model to determine the likelihood of life beyond Earth is possible.  Predictive Bayesian statistical methods are designed to use limited, uncertain data, to develop results.  The result provides a probability curve of the likelihood of life in the universe that includes both uncertainty and potential variability within the result to provide a means to define the probability of life in the galaxy as well as life within proximity to earth.  That said, the results indicate that the probability we are alone (<1) in the galaxy is significant, while the maximum number of contemporary civilizations might be as few as a thousand.  The problem plaguing SETI however is that the distance to our nearest neighbor likely exceeds the 50 light years of the project’s existence and as a result there is unlikely to be life close by.

This is the link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576518314000

Nothing to do with utilities, but ultimately my goal is to use there principles to assess buried infrastructure.  That will take a couple years, and needs some good data.  But a start.

The Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission finance and facilities committees recommended the utility commission go ahead with a planned smoke test of the sewer system in the city of Brunswick and part of the county.  The full commission voted in June to set aside $325,000 for the project.

Some bids for the project came in well below that. The finance committee voted unanimously to award a $232,000 contract for the test to the Hollywood, Fla., based Public Utility Management Planning Services.  Burroughs said he was confident PUMPS could perform the test. We are already underway.  Should be a good project and should be done in Early 2020.

This was a really great group of dedicated professionals. I learned a lot from the folks i am proud to call new friends! Thanks to all of you!

We got a paper published on the injection of reclaimed water for aquifer recharge.  This paper resolves a couple issues from my dissertation.  I had an excellent Master’s degree student who did the modeling based on the data and equations provided……Here is teh link:

http://www.scirp.org/journal/Paperabs.aspx?PaperID=93963

That is the word out of Great Britain.  Some folks will recall they had a 15 ton fatberg in the sewer system beneath London Last year.  Someone actually analyzed it and found it was full to the typical constituents that sanitary sewer folks deal with all the time – grease, handi-wipes, baby wipes and feminine hygiene products.  It you look in enough sewers you realize they are full of these items.  one recent system is surveyed had excessive amount of grease – so much so that is has been difficult to clean the lines to televise them.  Grease does not go down the sink. People have to understand this and utilities must educate folks about it.  A second system I surveyed was full of paper – paper towels, baby wipes, handi-wipes and  hygiene products.  Add a little grease and much of the system was sluggish, – but one could see all of the paper/fabric in the sewers.  I goth the opportunity to speak to the City Commission, with the press present and I noted that they needed an immediate public education program.  The utility director confirmed that he was having trouble keeping pumps running with so much paper.  His budget is high to address this issue.  Education matters.  Here is what one local community used.  I thought it was pretty good.  Mailed it to everyone.

Here is the link to the article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/whats-in-a-fatberg-scientists-answer-the-question/2019/10/04/042a741e-e695-11e9-b0a6-3d03721b85ef_story.html