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January to April 2004 home page for

UAT CE591  International Stormwater Management 
UCT CIV596Z     Urban Drainage Pollution Control

| Note copyright, disclaimer restrictions. | © Wm James 2004  | Questions? | Updated 04/01/18 |
| Cite: " James, Wm. (2004). International Stormwater Management/Urban Drainage Pollution Control, graduate water resources engineering course.Web site. CHI. www.computationalhydraullics.com"  | 

Current modules in this website are for January to April 2004.   

Assignment A3: Instructor’s comments 

General

You should all get in the habit of presenting your work for the benefit of your “client”, in this case me (but in future it will be the person paying your salary!).  Don’t make your work hard to access / follow. Embed key figures in the text (unlike the notes!), although additional figures that are not essential to your argument can be “click on”. Collect all your reviews into a single file for the instructor – you can separate them for your fellow students as well if you like, but it is the instructor that is going to give you the mark, not your fellow students. Ditto for the rebuttals. It should be possible for the instructor to download all of your work with three clicks… What was particularly irritating was having to download four separate reviews for some students. Many of you are STILL NOT PUTTING YOUR NAME AND THE MODULE NUMBER ON EACH PIECE OF WORK. It may be identified easily in the context of your website, but remember that your work is going to get printed out and unmarked work is unacceptable.

 Ruan Gilau (UCT)

Assignment: Generally well done. I am a little concerned about some of your recommendations however. Whilst I am in favour of encouraging NGOs and private enterprises, financing is a problem. In essence, the money can only come from the following sources; rates, levies, sales, donations or “sweat equity”. As you well know, many residents in SA cities don’t pay rates (or market-related rates). This is owing to poverty and the unwillingness of municipalities to get tough with the members of previously disadvantaged communities who refuse to pay. Thus the municipalities are often unable to fund the level of service needed to adequately deal with the problem. Levies are more promising. It might be that the original residents of Laudium might be prepared to put some money into reducing the quantity of litter coming through their area. This would have to be handled very carefully as the richer communities of SA are getting very weary of being billed for failures within the poorer areas. However, it is to their benefit that the problem is addressed. Financing through sales only works when there is something to sell. My guess is that the litter is already being stripped of saleable items by unemployed people from the informal settlement. I think that reliance on donations can never be sustainable. Donations can be useful for funding an investigation, or the construction of e.g. a litter removal structure, they cannot be used for maintenance. “Sweat equity” (getting local residents to work for free on the premise that they stand to gain the most) is attractive, but difficult to achieve. Research has shown that most residents from informal settlements are not interested in working without remuneration (or food, which comes to the same thing), or without a direct benefit (e.g. a roof over their heads).

Regular street sweeping may be desirable but, once again, funding is the problem.

I am surprised that you feel unable to reduce “run-off velocities” locally for the removal of silt…

Fines for littering are a great idea, but who is going to enforce them? The overextended, under-resourced police-force certainly isn’t. It is too busy dealing with serious crime. The same goes for the magistrates.

You are not going to get much money from the Water Research Commission (they only fund research), the CSIR (they are struggling to fund themselves…!), or any of the external institutions that you mentioned…

Reviews: Some good comments.

Rebuttals: Generally well handled. I am not sure that I agree with your comments regarding the recent legislation on plastic bags though. There has been a noticeable reduction in the number of plastic bags being blown around the place in my end of SA. Unfortunately, litter analyses show that, whilst extremely visible, plastic bags never did constitute a large portion of the litter stream.

Assessment: Good.

 Ryan Males (UCT)

Assignment: Generally well done. However I struggled to read Figure 1. I was also a little amused at your statement that employing local labour would provide and income to the unemployed and “entrench the idea that littering must be avoided.” I am afraid that the people are ahead of you there. Research shows that many poor people now consider littering to be a form of job creation – you deposit your litter into the street and some rich person from outside the area might just pay you to pick it up! Incidentally, research also shows that poor people are not unaware of the need for cleanliness. You will probably know from your own experience that the interiors of many of the shacks in the informal settlements are spotlessly clean. We have also interviewed many residents who complain about the danger to their children’s health resulting from blocked drains and putrefying garbage. Nevertheless, if you think that you might just be paid for picking it up, why do yourself out of a job (I have on video an interview with a resident who, in response to the question “why do people litter?” immediately answered “to get the job”!)?

            I agree with you that “much of the funding … needs to come from government through local municipalities.” It is outrageous that the government is happy to spend billions on arms, but very little on public health. Stories of incompetence – even corruption – at both the government and local government level are legion. To my mind, the presence of so many NGOs is often an indication of a failure of government. The government (national and local) needs to do its job… On the other hand, the fact that your area is an industrial area suggests that the simplest way of raising finance might be from some sort of environmental tax on the businesses. This could be biased towards those who are likely to contribute the most to the litter stream. The rate should be kept relatively low in order not to drive businesses out of the area. Incentives should be given to businesses to clean their area of their own volition.

Reviews: Competently executed.

Rebuttals: Of course there are financial incentives to recycle – recycling supports many poor people – it’s just that much of the population of SA is without a proper refuse removal service, so littering has become an immense problem. On the whole, your responses are good.

Assessment: Very good. 

Bart Blevins (UA)

Assignment: Perhaps a poor choice of catchment. The fact that Hoover is both wealthy (exceptionally wealthy by African standards) and dominantly residential, would immediately suggest that litter is unlikely to be a major problem. It is clear that the existing litter control methods generally work quite well. However, I question the logic of having unscreened inlets in an environment where a wealthy community is able to support a high quality refuse removal service, the properties are large (so stormwater is readily dissipated without posing a threat to dwellings), and the hilly terrain will ensure that the area is well-drained irrespective of the functioning of the formal drainage system. Perhaps there is something I don’t understand about Hoover. I suppose that grids could be easily blocked by leaves in fall – but the Europeans cope with this. Perhaps Hoover is subject to very heavy precipitation, perhaps as a result of hurricanes coming in from the Gulf of Mexico? But under these circumstances, surface drainage will always be dominant and it is clear that Hoover is well-drained so there should be no problem in this regard. I suspect that no-one in Hoover has really thought about the consequences of having open gutters – after all, the litter problem appears to be under control. Yet, the fact that there is litter in the local park and along the county road outside the city limits suggests that, even in Hoover, litter is an issue. Meanwhile, the fact that so much litter was removed from the Coosa River suggests that littering is, or should be, a major issue in the State of Alabama – and that there is much potential for looking at litter control outside Hoover. What is particularly frightening about the Coosa River example is that the clean-up campaigns are probably only reaching the tip of the iceberg. Most of the litter is probably lying on the bed of the river, or is buried in the sediments…

            It seems to me that litter control works in Hoover because it is an affluent residential community. The litter problem is small, and clean-up is affordable. I have a problem with your proposals for the out-of-town problems though. Whilst education is necessary, I am extremely cynical about its ability to change behaviour if it is not accompanied by enforcement. Let’s face it, people know they are littering – they simply don’t care…

Reviews: Satisfactory

Rebuttals: A question for you. What happens to the material broken up by the jet hose? Is it simply left to wash down the drain into the river?

Assessment: Good.

Soumya Chaturvedula (UA)

Assignment: Extremely well presented. Although I have not been to Hyderabad, I have been to Mumbai, and could easily imagine the problems you described!

            I agree with your comments regarding the collection of litter. I liked your systematic approach to tackling the problem. One question though; how do residents store their trash now the city has moved away from having a concrete structure at the street corner? This is very important. In much of South Africa, black polyethylene garbage bags are used. Apart from being, in themselves, a source of litter, these bags are easily damaged by poor people – or dogs – looking for food. The wind soon scatters the litter all over the place. Recently, some municipalities in SA have been replacing the bags with plastic bins with wheels. These are expensive, but are reusable, and are easy to empty – the garbage trucks are equipped with special hoists that hook into the bins and flip the contents into the garbage compartment where it is compacted. The empty bins are then deposited by the side of the roads. Of course, this does not work in many of the informal settlements where there are no formal roads between the shacks…

            Given the extent of the litter problem in Hyderabad, it is a little surprising that you didn’t investigate the possibility of large-scale litter traps on the nullahs – perhaps where they drain into Husain Sagar Lake. You are unlikely to be completely successful with source controls, whilst the nullahs could potentially help to concentrate what is missed for easy removal…

            My impression of India is that many worthwhile projects are sabotaged by lazy, corrupt government officials. Furthermore, many of India’s brightest minds also appear to have given up on the system – with many emigrating to the west. I hope you are planning to return to Hyderabad – to make a difference?!

Reviews: Competently executed.

Rebuttals: Well done.

Assessment: Outstanding.

 Grant Davis (UA)

Assignment: Your study area was way too large making it extremely difficult for you to describe it in any detail. As a result, your comments are fairly general. I would have preferred specific recommendations that could have been usefully applied to solve particular problems. Also, I fail to understand how pet waste can constitute a major threat to the drainage system. If I have the correct image of early Virginia (created, I admit, by children’s stories of John Smith and Pocohontas), Virginia was blessed with abundant wildlife before development spoilt it all. I don’t understand how a few dogs and cats can be more problematical than beavers – or whatever was there before… Isn’t it also true that Northern Canadian Geese have been migrating to the region from time immemorial? So what’s the problem? Feedlots are a different proposition of course. My guess is that that the concern about pet faeces is really driven by the irritation many of us have for the way our neighbours fail to keep control of their pets – and allow them to sully our lawns and sidewalks… In any case, whilst chemical and biological pollution is a major concern for urban drainage professionals, it is not the subject of this module.

            It is interesting that, despite the wealth and level of education of residents of Fairfax County, there is still a litter problem. I am not sure that further education programmes will make much difference. After all, when 56% of the adult population have Batchelor’s degrees, I think we can assume that just about everyone knows that litter should not be dropped on the ground! Whilst volunteer organisations are welcome, it is irritating that it is always left to the self-less and diligent people to pick up after the selfish and lazy. It seems to me that law enforcement is what is really required. Hefty fines or a “name and shame” programme might do the trick. Regarding financing, it is easy to see that the resources exist – after all, Fairfax County is exceptionally wealthy (I am inclined to say “obscenely wealthy” since there is probably more money in the County than in many Third World countries…). Taxing cigarettes and liquor is certainly a way of raising finance (in SA we call this “sin taxes” as it punishes people with anti-social and unnecessary habits), but really I would prefer that it is the litterbugs who are punished. In SA we have a principle (in theory only, unfortunately) that “the polluter pays”. I think that is what you need in Fairfax County.

Reviews: Good.

Rebuttals: Adequate.

Assessment: Good.

 Uday Khambhammettu (UA)

Assignment: Somewhat disappointing. I think you made an excellent selection of catchment. Your description of the catchment was adequate. However I think that your recommendations were superficial, and your proposal for financing naïve.

            Dealing first with your recommendations. I think that installing dust (litter?) bins for only every two or three streets is inadequate. Refer to Soumya’s assignment for the experience of Hyderabad. Given that the combined sewer system is dysfunctional, is this not a good opportunity to separate the sewage from the drainage? This will have the additional benefit of reducing the size of the wastewater treatment plant required. Reference your suggestion that solid waste dumping sites should be located on the periphery – this will not work unless an effective system is instituted that will ensure that the waste gets there (see comments regarding dust bins above). I think that your points 7 and 8 should be considered together. It appears that the design of the drains needs to be revisited. If they are getting clogged, it might be dangerous for them to be closed with screens over the entrance if there is a risk of serious flooding. I think it is also naïve to simply state that “the drains should be cleaned frequently” without stating what mechanisms need to be instituted to make this more likely to happen. It is my guess that the Municipal Corporation knows this already. They simply lack the capacity, money or commitment to do anything about it. What will change this?

            Regarding finance; 300 Million Rupees is not that much money. My guess is that, whilst it may be adequate to cover the cost of constructing the new services, it is unlikely to cover the ongoing service and maintenance charges. Also, I assume that it has to be paid back some time. What will happen when the money is finished? How is sustainability going to be achieved?

            I agree with your proposal that the residents should be educated regarding the dangers of litter, and also they should be encouraged to work for themselves.

Reviews: Adequate

Rebuttals: Adequate

Assessment: Good.

 Steven Lambert (UA)

Assignment: As you mention in your preamble, you were asked to study a densely populated urban catchment. Whilst I understand that you are not very familiar with urban areas, it is clear that rural areas don’t have anything like the problems of urban areas when it comes to issues like litter. This has severely limited your ability to discuss meaningful initiatives to dealing with it. Incidentally, the instructions also said a catchment area of at least 1 km², not less than 1 km² as you indicate in your reviews.

            One of the great things about this course is that students get to debate issues with other students from very different backgrounds. As it turns out, I grew up in an area not too dissimilar from yours on the outskirts of what is now called Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe (it was then a fraction of its current size and was called Salisbury in the country of Southern Rhodesia!) with 1 acre plots, septic tanks and open drains. What amuses me is that you call an average income of $35,000/year “low”. Speak to Uday about low income ($1,000/household.year for the inhabitants of Ghousianagar). Approximately half the world’s population lives on less than $700/year. I don’t earn much more than your $35,000/year! So, your community is only “lower income” by US standards.

            As you have noted, litter management is necessary even in rural areas, but it seems to me that the problem is at a level that is within the ability of the community to solve by themselves without interference by the local government. Like you, I am also cynical about the commitment of local government to responsible spending of rate-payers money. You are not the only one to suffer the problems of city officials with their hands in “the cookie jar”. If I were in your position, I would resist incorporation into the city limits as long as possible. It seems to me that the most effective form of litter management in an area like your own would be through community coercion i.e. if you can get enough members of the community to take an interest in living in a clean environment, they will embarrass the rest into submission. Don’t underestimate the power of the community. The problem with your area is that, being new, there probably isn’t much of a community spirit yet. This needs to be carefully cultivated. Humans are designed to live in communities. I am convinced that many of our current ills are created by alienating, and often (paradoxically) lonely, urban environment where people often don’t know who their neighbours are.

            I was interested by your proposal to use convict labour to help clear up. I believe this would be an appropriate way of making convicts pay back their debt to society. It might also be more interesting for them than sitting in a cell all day. However, this proposal might not work in poor countries e.g. India or South Africa that suffer from high rates of unemployment (greater than 30% in the case of SA). Why should a prisoner get a job that could be given to a poor person with a family to feed?

Reviews: Good.

Rebuttals: Good.

Assessment: Good.

Celina Micu (UA)

Assignment: Well laid out, systematically executed assignment. It’s just a pity that the catchment you chose was not very exciting. It’s not really a “densely populated urban catchment”. As a consequence, it was very difficult for you to make meaningful contributions regarding the improvement of catchment litter management. However, I accept that it might have been difficult for you to access information from your home country at such short notice. It would have been a lot more interesting if you had…

Reviews: Good.

Rebuttals: Good.

Assessment: Good.

Yukio Nara (UA)

Assignment: It is true that I did not specify an upper limit to the size of the catchment, but 700 km² is clearly excessive. There are many countries smaller than this! Furthermore, your catchment can hardly be described as a “densely populated urban catchment”. I am not quite sure how to interpret your land use information, but assuming that “other” does not mean “densely populated urban area”, then the only urban component is the 104 km² of “residential” (what did happen to commercial and industrial by the way?), which equates to approximately 15%. If you were struggling to get sufficient information about Japanese catchments, why didn’t you simply choose a catchment near where you are staying (like Celina)?

            Perhaps because your catchment was too large, your comments were superficial. For the rest, I agree with your reviewers…

Reviews: Adequate

Rebuttals: Adequate

Assessment: Satisfactory

Cecilia Robertson (UA)

Assignment: A well written assignment. I’m just not sure how teachers will respond to your proposal that they “stand on the corners of the blocks with trash bags during recess to collect the children’s paper cups”? I suspect that this proposal will fail! As I have mentioned to others, education, whilst a necessary component in catchment litter management, is seldom effective on its own. It needs to be backed up with proper refuse removal, law enforcement, and possibly carefully located litter traps.

Reviews: Good.

Rebuttals: Good.

Assessment: Very good.

David Sutley (UA)

Assignment: A well written and presented assignment. Well done. However, your particular catchment clearly has littering largely under control. It would have been nice to see how you would have handled a catchment with the additional challenges brought by commercial and residential areas.

Reviews: Well done.

Rebuttals: Good.

Assessment: Very good.

Curtis Travis (UA)

Assignment: Reasonably well written and presented. Unfortunately the litter problems associated with your catchment are not particularly challenging so you had very little opportunity to show any particular insight.

Reviews: Good.

Rebuttals: Good.

Assessment: Good.