Whitepaper flood water

Securing Potable Water Following a Disaster

WHITEPAPER

Using Mobile Hydration Platform

Prepared by Velva Boles, MD Epiphany Enterprise I, LLC February 29, 2012

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In its purest form, water is odorless, nearly colorless and tasteless. Water is the essence of life. There is no substance more necessary to man’s existence than water. Only three percent of the world's water supply is fresh water, and 77 percent of that is frozen. Making sure that enough clean, drinkable water is available to everyone and everything that needs it is anything but simple. This is most notable in industrialized countries when a disaster strikes. For homeland security as well as the well-being of its citizens, America must be proactive in establishing a means to rapidly procure safe potable water in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Because drinking water is consumed directly, health effects associated with contamination have long been a major concern of Homeland Security officials. Interruption or cessation of the drinking water supply will disrupt society, compromise individual citizens and prevent critical activities such as fire protection which can have significant consequences to national and regional economies. Currently in the wake of a disaster, potable water is distributed to communities in plastic bottles by trucks. This process is limited when transportation infrastructure is damaged, submerged under water, obstructed by debris, electric lines or fallen trees; since current methods rely on functional transportation networks to move bottled or bulk water. It takes six truck-loads of bottled water to provide a single day’s potable water supply to 10,000 people.

Water Transit Solutions™ (WTS) offers a complete solution to supplying potable water to a disaster site in the form of a mobile water and ice hydration platform equipped with a reverse osmosis water purification system configured for purifying in situ flood water and other local water sources. Unique to Water Transit Solutions™ is its ability to obtain pure spring water from privately owned waterways on very short notice, mobilize it and transport it to disaster locations within 24 hours of an incident. This system is a self-contained, independently powered water treatment system housed in a space-efficient footprint. The system design provides quality testing of both raw source and treated water and is equipped with a collapsible storage tank that can store water purified on site. Water Transit Solutions™ system employs AT&T radio frequency identification technology to monitor water levels on the mobile platform and track water and ice requirements at each station assuring uninterrupted drinking water and ice availability.

Consumers are highly sensitive to the threat of contamination and/or disruption of America’s water supply. Federal and State governments have long been active in addressing risks and threats to the nation’s water supply through regulations, technical assistance, research, and outreach programs. As a result, an extensive system of regulations governing maximum contaminants levels, emergency response planning, training, research, and education have been developed to better protect the nation’s drinking water supply. Water Transit Solutions™ is the answer that state and federal agencies have been looking for as described in Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300F-300J-26.

Whitepaper: Water Transit Solutions™ © 2012 [email protected]


Floodwaters

During the 20th century, floods were the number one natural disaster in the United States in terms of the number of lives lost and properties damaged; although flood mitigation and prediction is advanced, floods do $6 billion worth of damage and kill about 140 people every year. Floods can occur at any time of the year, in any part of the country, and at any time of the day or night. Most lives are lost when people are swept away by flood currents, whereas most property damage results from inundation by sediment-laden water. Flood currents possess tremendous destructive power; the lateral forces demolish buildings and erode bridge foundations and footings resulting in the collapse of these structures.

A 2007 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that worldwide coastal flooding alone does some $3 trillion in damage. Floods have different characteristics; there are regional floods, flash floods, ice-jam floods, storm-surge floods, dam- and levee-failure floods, and debris, landslide, and mudflow floods. Debris or landslide floods are created by the accumulation of debris, mud, rocks, and (or) logs in a channel, which form a temporary dam. Ice-jam flood is similar in mechanism; however the damming agent is ice. Flooding occurs upstream as water becomes stored behind the temporary dam and then becomes a flash flood as the dam is breached or the waterway banks are overrun. Mudflow floods occur when volcanic activity rapidly melts mountain snow and glaciers, and the water mixed with mud and debris moves rapidly downhill.

Storm surge is unquestionably the most dangerous part of a hurricane; nine out of ten hurricane fatalities are caused by storm surge floods. A hurricane is a cyclonic storm system that forms over oceans from evaporated water off of the ocean that is whipped about by winds. When the spinning mass of storms attain a wind speed greater than 74 mph, a hurricane is born if the source was Atlantic Ocean, tropical cyclone if the source is the Indian ocean, and typhoon if the origin is eastern Pacific Ocean. Storm-surge flooding occurs when water is pushed up onto dry land by onshore winds. Friction between the water and the moving air creates drag that, depending upon the distance that the water travels and the velocity of the wind pushing , walls of water climb up to heights greater than 20 feet.

When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. The water and landscape can be contaminated with hazardous materials, such as sharp debris, pesticides, fuel, and untreated sewage. Potentially dangerous mold blooms can quickly overwhelm water-soaked structures. Residents of flooded areas can be left without power and clean drinking water, leading to outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A, and cholera. Standing water and wet materials are a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses,



bacteria, and mold. They can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions, and continue to damage materials long after the flood.

As I got closer to the city (New Orleans), I saw that all that the wind had pulled down into the streets was subsequently floated, shoved around, pushed aside and buried under mud by waves of water that filled the city from broken and overwhelmed levees before the streets were hesitantly drained. Lingering reservoirs of water, dripped over old clapboards, and collapsed gutters, streamed down windowpanes, and gurgled through widening crevices in buildings’ dilapidated roofs. The grass at curbsides was brown, coated with clumped brown sludge. The sidewalks were the same shade of brown hosting a three inch thick layer of scum. Electricity had been out in metropolitan New Orleans for five days and was not expected to be back for at least another week. Local communication was disrupted; no home phones were working, many cellular phone receiving towers were down, only a few walkie-talkies worked in the area. New Orleans was wounded beyond the physical. It was spiritually and psychically devastated. (Long Way Home, Velva Boles)

Hurricane Katrina emerged over water in the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Keys, and strengthened to the 2005 season's third major hurricane before reorganizing into the most powerful storm in the Central Gulf since Hurricane Camille, and fourth category five hurricane in three years with winds as high as 175 mph. It became the fourth most powerful hurricane in American history.

PERILS OF FLOOD WATER

Floodwaters can be contaminated by agricultural or industrial chemicals and hazardous agents from hazardous waste sites. Floods have the strength to unearth buried hazardous waste and chemical containers and move them far from their normal storage places. Depending on location and sanitation conditions, flood water will contaminate drinking water supplies: surface water, groundwater, and distribution systems. Groundwater wells can be rendered useless from inundation of water laced with toxins, chemicals, animal carcasses, septic seepage, and municipal sewage. Ammonia, nitrate and phosphates are major constituents of sewage.

Contaminates can include automotive fluid acids, ammonia, nitrate, phosphates, boron, chloride, cyanide, fluoride, radium, selenium, sulfates; various radioactive isotopes; human and animal waste; bacteria living in the soil; and heavy metals – products of manufacturing process of many



common household items- such as, pesticides, batteries, electroplated metal parts and textile dyes. The types and amounts of chemicals present in flood water depend on type of facilities chemical plants and oil refineries, in the area; types of chemicals stored around the flooded region (storage tanks, agricultural facilities and hazardous waste dumpsites); structural damage done to facilities and homes that release or react to form toxic chemicals; weather conditions which affects the growth of bacteria and molds, and the extent of flooding which determine how soon rescue operations can begin.

Infectious diseases are spread through water supplies contaminated with bacteria, most notably E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella and Hepatitis A. Most cases of sickness associated with flood conditions are brought about by ingesting contaminated water. The signs and symptoms experienced by the victims of waterborne microorganism infection include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, muscle aches, and fever. Tetanus, however, can be acquired through broken areas of the skin, such as cuts, abrasions, or puncture wounds that come in contact with wet soil or contaminated water. Tetanus is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system and causes “lockjaw” characterized by severe muscle spasms. Initial symptoms begin as a headache and difficulty swallowing a week after exposure, later swallowing difficulty develops into difficulty moving the jaws apart and then symptoms progress to irreversibly rigid muscle contractures with a fatal outcome.

Water-ladened solid waste disposal sites (or sanitary landfills) produce a liquid which contain a wide range of contaminants: bacteria, viruses, nitrogen, phosphates, metals and synthetic organic compounds. Synthetic organic contaminants include pesticides, chlorinated solvents, hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenols. Although, the organochlorine, DDT- a highly toxic compound, was discontinued more than 20 years ago its content is persistently high in soils. Chlorinated solvents, hydrocarbons, and other synthetic organic chemicals have various levels of toxicity, mobility and persistence in the environment because they are still used by industry, small businesses and households.

Chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene and methylene chloride), which are commonly used as degreasing agents by industry and dry cleaners, are most problematic. Dioxin is not produced or used commercially in the United States, but is formed mainly during combustion of a variety of chlorinated organic compounds. Dioxin is released to the environment in emissions from the incineration of municipal refuse and certain chemical wastes, in exhaust from automobiles powered by leaded gasoline, in emissions from wood burning in the presence of chlorine, in accidental fires involving transformers containing polychlorinated biophenols and chlorinated



benzenes, and from the improper disposal of certain chlorinated chemical. Dioxin is an extremely toxic compound; its water solubility is low so, most of the dioxin mixed in water will adhere to sediments and suspended silts. The behavior of metals in water is a function of the suspended sediment composition and the water chemistry. The solubility of metals in surface waters is predominately controlled by the water pH, the type and concentration of ligand/binding material on which the metal can be adsorbed, the oxidation state of the mineral components and the reducing/ oxidation conditions of the environment. Low pH signifies an acidic environment and in this condition, water disolves more metal ions. All heavy metals exist in surface waters in colloidal, particulate, and dissolved phases. The colloidal and particulate metal may be found in hydroxides, oxides, silicates, sulfides and adsorbed to clay or organic matter. The soluble forms are generally ions or unionized organometallic complexes.

Amounts of chemicals released into flood water are highest near industrial sources. Dissolved metal contaminants of concern include: aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, copper, chromium, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum nickel, silver, uranium, and zinc. The most problematic form of mercury is methylmercury which is found in pulp wood bleaching and paper manufacturing and “run-off” from large tracts of farmland. Non-metallic water contaminants include: acids, ammonia, nitrate, phosphates, boron, chloride, cyanide, fluoride, radium, selenium, sulfates and various radioactive isotopes.

Mining operations commonly introduce high levels of sulfuric acid that leach toxic metals from sediment and rocks into water. Flood water comingling with acid mine drainage/ acid rock drainage from metal mines, coal mines and disturbed earth at construction sites contain elevated levels of nickel, copper,

lead, arsenic, aluminum, and manganese. The disturbance of acid sulfate soils during a flood constitutes an environmental hazard by acidifying water. Sediment composed of fine sand and silt has high levels of adsorbed metals. Toxic chemicals often attach to sediment particles on land and ride the particles into surface waters where the pollutants settle with the sediment or detach and become soluble in the water column.

Pools of standing or stagnant water become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of encephalitis, West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne diseases. The presence of wild animals in populated areas increases the risk of diseases caused by fleas and ticks bites. Insect bites increase the risk of having breaks in the skin providing an entry point for flood water contaminants. The most immediate health risk for the general public following flooding and contamination of surface water is water-borne microorganisms and fast-acting toxins Pooled water remaining from any flood supports the growth of microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, and



Although different chemicals cause different health effects, the signs and symptoms most associated with chemical poisoning are headaches, skin rashes, dizziness, nausea, excitability, weakness, and fatigue. Children (especially infants), the elderly, and those who have existing health conditions or compromised immune systems are at greater risk of developing complications being exposed to improperly cleaned and sanitized water.

NEED FOR POTABLE WATER

molds. The most serious problem that arises from skin contact with floodwater is exposure to tetanus-causing bacteria which can enter the body wherever the skin is broken.

Regardless of the situation, sanitation and personal hygiene are critical issues during emergencies and disasters. It’s extremely important to stay as clean as possible because survival is directly related to how well you practice good hygiene in an adverse environment. Water is the most critical aspect in establishing and maintaining good hygiene and it quickly becomes the most valuable asset in a disaster. The act of shaving, washing the face, and brushing

the teeth makes a big difference in an individual’s outlook on life. Personal hygiene won’t change what is going on in the environment, but it improves what is going on inside a person’s mind. Eliminating body odor and keeping clean raises morale and gives an individual a sense of well-being.

Best practices in sanitation and hygiene can prevent illnesses that are most common in disaster situations. Many of these illnesses cause acute diarrhea that can lead to dehydration. Illness during times of a disaster is extremely difficult to treat. The most important thing to do to prevent the spread of waterborne disease is hand-washing with plenty of soap and clean water. Following a disaster, poor hygiene, sleep deprivation and increased stress levels lower the immune responses and make people more susceptible to disease.

Recommendations for good hand cleaning require wetting hands with clean, running water and applying soap;

rubbing hands together to make lather and scrubbing them well on the front and back, between fingers, and under nails. Hands should be rubbed for at least 20 seconds, rinsed under running water then dried under air or using a clean towel. This is particularly important before preparing or eating food, handling a baby, after toilet use, after handling articles contaminated with floodwater, before smoking, or any other activity that involves touching items that may enter the mouth. Much care must be taken not to contaminate the container that stores a water supply.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs. A safe water supply is necessary for washing hands, bathing and brushing teeth. A minimum of one gallon of water per person per day is needed for drinking,



cooking and washing. Emergency sources of water inside the home include melted ice cubes, water from the toilet tank (not the bowl) and water pipes, water inside the hot water tank. Water from a swimming pool and waterbed water may be used for bathing and flushing toilets and laundering. Wash cloths and dish towels must be cleaned often with soap and potable water since bacteria can remain on towels, cloths and linen. Flooded indoor areas must be scrubbed with warm soapy water with particular attention to food-contact surfaces (counter tops, pantry shelves, refrigerators, stoves and cutting boards) and areas where small children play.

Health consequences associated with human consumption of heavy metals are linked to mental retardation and learning disabilities in children; development of cancers and death due to toxicity. Most clinically studied metals are copper, nickel, cadmium, chrome, arsenic, lead and mercury. These heavy metals become toxic because they are not metabolized by the body and accumulate in the soft tissues. Symptoms of acute toxicity are usually severe and rapid in onset: cramping, nausea, and vomiting; pain; sweating; headaches; difficulty breathing; impaired cognitive, motor, and language skills; mania; and convulsions. Children may develop toxic levels from the normal hand-to-mouth activity while in contact with contaminated soil or water.

Heavy metal toxicity causes damage in the central nervous system, lowers energy levels by decreasing the metabolic rate, and damages blood components, lung, kidney, and liver tissues. Commonly encountered toxic heavy metals in flood waters are lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, iron, aluminum, antimony, chromium/chrome, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, uranium , vanadium, zinc, radium, and uranium. The first step in clinically treating any heavy metal toxicity is to identify the toxic elements and begin the removal process. The screening process involves getting hair analysis and 24-hour urine collection to determine timeline of poisoning and estimated load of heavy metal present. Metal chelating drugs, intravenous EDTA, intravenous Vitamin C and replacement mineral infusions are initiated early for the metal removal process. Once laboratory tests indicate that the heavy metals have been reduced to undetectable levels, treatment is considered complete. Symptoms will often begin to improve within days of treatment. Therapy may be required for six months to two years in high concentration load cases.


Heavy metals have been used as instruments of murder for centuries. Arsenic is the single substance most commonly thought of as a poison. Arsenic was the primary component of the spray known as Lewisite that was used by the British during trench warfare in World War I. Exposure produced severe edema of the eyelids, gastrointestinal irritation, and both central and peripheral neuropathies. The first antidote to heavy metal poisoning, and the basis for chelation therapy today, was British Anti-Lewisite (BAL, or dimercaprol), a large molecule with sulfhydryl groups that bind arsenic, as well as other metals, to form stable covalent bonds that can then be excreted by the body.


http://www.diagnose-me.com/glossary/G785.html

http://www.diagnose-me.com/glossary/G570.html

CONTAMINANT

HEALTH RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES

LEAD

Lead toxicity can be a time bomb. Because of the molecular size of lead and its charge similarities to calcium, lead can substitute for calcium and be incorporated into bone. Children are especially susceptible to lead because developing skeletal systems require high calcium levels. As more calcium is consumed throughout life, the lead stored in bone will be mobilized into the blood system; once free in the system, lead causes kidney poisoning (nephrotoxicity), nerve damage (neurotoxicity), and elevated blood pressure (hypertension). Early signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in adults include pain, numbness or tingling of the hands and feet, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, headache, abdominal pain, memory loss, sexual difficulties in men, and problems during pregnancy.

CADMIUM Cadmium interferes with a carrier protein in the body (metallothionein) which is responsible for regulating the nutrient minerals, zinc and copper thus disrupts the homeostasis or normal metabolic activities of the body.

MERCURY Mercury poses a great risk to humans, especially in the form of methylmercury. When mercury enters water it is often transformed by microorganisms into the toxic methyl mercury form. Symptoms of acute poisoning are pharyngitis, gastroenteritis, vomiting, nephritis, hepatitis, and circulatory collapse. Chronic poisoning is usually a result of industrial exposure or a diet consisting of contaminated fish (mercury is the only metal that will bioaccumulate). Chronic poisoning may cause liver damage, neural damage, and teratogenesis (USEPA, 1987). Sources of mercury include weathering of the earth's crust, the burning of garbage and fuels, and industrial emissions.

ARSENIC Arsenic can cause severe toxicity through ingestion of contaminated food and water resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and cardiac abnormalities.

CHROMIUM The presence of abundant chromium anions in the water is generally a result of industrial waste. The chronic adverse health effects are respiratory and dermatologic.

ORGANICS Toxic organic chemicals are synthetic compounds that contain carbon which persist and accumulate in the environment; some of these compounds are suspected carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of man-made chemicals that contain 209 individual compounds with varying levels of toxicity; were widely used as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical equipment until they were banned in 1977; exposure still occurs as a result of historical contamination and the decommissioning of older transformers and capacitors, which have lifetimes of 30 years or more.

PESTICIDES Pesticides are synthetic chemicals developed to control insect and plant pests. Pesticides disperse into the environment, and can cause contamination of surface water and ground water. Examples of pesticides are DDT, DDE, alachlor, malathion, diazinon, chlordane, and carbofuran.

PATHOGENS Waterborne bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can cause human illnesses. These pathogens may enter waters through an inadequately treated sewage, storm water drains, septic systems, runoff from livestock pens, and sewage dumped overboard from recreational boats regulatory agencies usually measure E. coli as an indicator bacteria (which are found in great numbers in the stomachs of warm blooded animals).

SALINITY Salinity can render water undrinkable. Irrigation return flows are a frequent cause of excess salinity, since agricultural runoff dissolves and concentrates mineral salts found in soils. Urban and industrial uses can also cause salinity problem. Treated municipal sewage adds about 35 kg of inorganic salts per year per person served. Wastewater from iron and steel manufacturing, cement making, and other industries can add 200-500 mg per liter of salt and other dissolved solids. Nitrate in drinking water supplies is particularly harmful to infants leading to "methemoglobinemia," or "blue baby" syndrome.



Water Quality Guidelines for drinking water, freshwater aquatic life, irrigation water, and livestock water are different. For each water system, the guidelines establish the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) of the entity in question that is permitted in water having an assigned end use

Presently, following a disaster, water is bottled, trucked to a staging area and later moved to the affected disaster area for distribution. Thousands of empty plastic bottles become a problem that requires costly clean up. Often they are deposited into overloaded landfills where they will remain for many years. Using water from a 16 ounce bottle makes it very difficult to practice good hand-washing and bathing hygiene. In addition, undistributed bottles of water and melting bags of ice set in warehouses waiting for another disaster event or disposal after the two year date code expires. Ice is very necessary early after a disaster. Once power is lost to a refrigerator or freezer, only food "cold-to-the-touch," is safe to be cooked and eaten. When power goes off in the refrigerator, food inside will remain safely cold for only four to six hours.

The most immediate response to getting potable water in a flooded environment is to “clean up” the flood water for consumption. Simple filtration removes particulate matter and ion exchange filtration is a proven technology for effectively removing dissolved metals. Ion exchange systems however, are effective only when they contain contaminant-specific media matrix to address the components dissolved in the water to be made potable. The deionizing components are selected based upon specific raw water quality data. If flood water is the raw source of water, its potentially hazardous contaminants must be determined prior to selecting an ion exchange system. A major problem arises when the source water is found unsuitable; contain components not removable, by the available filtration system on site.

Activated carbon is an alternative treatment option for the removal of dissolved metals from water. Reverse osmosis reduces many pollutants and contaminants, separating them from the water through two carbon filters, plus a membrane that works like an extremely fine filter that can remove residue contaminants such as lead and mercury. Reverse osmosis is most commonly implemented for pre-filtering or post-filtering water because its shortcoming is in removing viruses and bacteria that cannot be filtered out. Water passing through activated carbon is commonly used in concert with hand pumped filters to remove organic contaminants, taste, or objectionable odors. Small, hand-pumped reverse osmosis filters were originally developed for the military in the late 1980s for use as survival equipment included with inflatable rafts. Granular activated carbon filtering, a form of activated carbon with a high surface area, absorbs many toxic compounds. Activated carbon filters aren't usually used as the primary purification techniques of portable water purification devices, but rather as secondary means to complement another purification technique. Ceramic/carbon core filters with a 0.5 micron or smaller pore size can be used for removing bacteria and cysts while also removing chemicals.

Ultraviolet light (germicidal UV-C light in the short wavelength range of 100–280 nanometers) induces the formation of covalent linkages on DNA of bacteria and protozoan and thereby prevents microbes from reproducing. Turbidity limits the effectiveness of this technology; water



must be clear for ultraviolet purification to work well. Water turbidity is the amount of suspended and colloidal solids contained in the water giving rise to a “murkiness”. It should be noted that water treated with ultraviolet light still has microbes present in the water; ultraviolet light shuts done microbial reproduction. In the event that ultraviolet-treated water containing neutered microbes is exposed to visible light for any significant period of time, a process known as photo-reactivation can occur and the damage in the bacteria's reproductive DNA is repaired thereby rendering them again capable of reproducing and causing disease. Ultraviolet-treated water must therefore not be exposed to visible light for any significant period before consumption, to avoid ingesting reactivated and dangerous microbes. Another concern with ultraviolet purification of raw water is that pathogen sensitivities to ultraviolet light are varied; protozoan cysts Cryptosporidium, Giardia and viruses are among the least sensitive microorganisms.

Water Transit Solutions™ (WTS), a subsidiary of Dall Holding Company, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, is an eco-friendly/green system that provides water and ice for deployment during hurricanes, disasters and other events. This new technology-based solution moves bulk water directly to points-of-deployment and can package water and ice on-site in recyclable plastic bags. At the heart of the solution is an innovative logistic tracking system using radio frequency identification technology developed jointly with AT&T. This tracking system monitors water levels and tracks how much water and ice is required for each station. Information is conveyed in real-time, making it possible to process water and ice needs, and to anticipate on-going supply requirements during an event. This means “just-in-time, uninterrupted drinking water and ice” can be available to citizens when needed. Using advanced equipment and technology, Water Transit Solutions™ eliminates the need for warehousing or staging of water and ice, which reduces the costs of providing buildings and storage operations.


IT’S TIME TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY


The Water Transit Solutions™ mobile water and ice hydration platforms and equipment enables the accurate tracking of water and ice at all points in the system. This technology controls deliveries, lays out routes to locations, and monitors water quality. Food and Drug Administration standards for the safe transport and sanitation of food products are followed.

Water Transit Solutions™ offers a complete solution to supplying potable water, since the mobile water and ice hydration platform is also equipped with reverse osmosis water purification system configured for purifying in situ flood water and other local water sources. Unique to Water Transit Solutions™ is its ability to obtain pure spring water from privately owned waterways, mobilize it and distribute it to disaster locations within 24 hours of an incident.

Water Transit Solutions™ system utilizes a mobile platform (patented adaptation of a fire-truck like vehicle), housed at designated locations in every

American state, province, and tribal territory equipped to make local raw water potable, produce ice and provide an alternate power source to operate its pumps as well as provide direct current and alternating current load centers to emergency responders. Water Transit Solutions™ system is a self-contained, independently powered water treatment system contained in a space-efficient footprint. The system design provides for a collapsible storage tank that can provide water as needed to first responders and community members. Water Transit Solutions™ mobile water and ice hydration platform is built on a custom designed truck body, engineered to operate in any and all conditions and location. The platform includes self-generated power, 120-240 VAC, with capacity to supply current to other entities, equipped with ultraviolet water purification equipment and ready package and distribute water and ice. The water bagging component bags water at a rate of 40 liters/ bag per minute and the ice making machine produces cracked ice at a rate of 500 pounds an hour. Ice is dispensed in eight pound bags. These platforms provide packaging volumes of water and ice in impact-proof bags. The mobile water and ice hydration

platform is deployed with 1500-2000 gallon of clean water in a sterilize

transport/storage tank. The system provides for quality testing of both raw source and treated water. Water Transit Solutions™ system employs AT&T radio frequency identification technology to monitors water levels and enables accurate tracking of water and ice requirements at each station assuring

uninterrupted drinking water and ice availability. Water Transit Solutions™ water and ice hydration platform and refill tanker trucks are to be located at selected secure sites in all of the



50 states and United States provinces. The mobile platforms and equipment are stored and maintained in a “ready to deploy status”, capable of being deployed within six hours of official notice. With the use of custom designed radio frequency identification technology, wrist tags can be used to track water and ice distribution to individual citizens who visit the mobile water/ice distribution site, thus providing an avenue for displaced citizens to reconnect with their communities. The platform can be transported over the road, by rail, by water or by air.

Water Transit Solutions™ has developed a tank farm to store clean water for emergency supply. WTS has control of a flow-through water storage tank farm with the capacity to store seven million (7,000,000) gallons of clean water every 24 hours. No sterilization is required to maintain freshness because tanks are installed directly into the spring flow –this natural flow creates an ongoing supply of water to tank - once a tank reaches fill level, the overflow returns to the source stream. The water storage tank farm is designed to accommodate parked tankers, short-term warehousing, helicopter pad, and rail accessibility all engineered for quick and easy deployment. Self-contained mobile platforms are easily loaded at the tank farm.

Consumers are highly sensitive to the threat of contamination or disruption of America’s water supply. The federal and state governments have long been active in addressing these risks and threats through regulations, technical assistance, research, and outreach programs. As a result, an extensive system of regulations governing maximum contaminants levels, emergency response planning, training, research, and education have been developed to better protect the nation’s drinking water supply. Water Transit Solutions™ is the answer that state and federal agencies have been looking for as described in Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300F-300J-26.


Nature created the first water storage in the form of an “aquifer” within the earth’s crust. Openings in the crust allow water to escape in the form of “springs”. Water Transit Solutions™ duplicated this phenomenon in the establishment of “tank farms” built with a flow-through water storage system contiguous a flowing spring. The tank farm houses seven million gallons of clean water that turns over every 24 hours such that no sterilization is required to maintain freshness. The natural spring flow creates an ongoing supply that when the fill level is achieved, the overflow is returned to the spring.


ENDNOTES

1. Planetsave: Internet Blog (http://s.tt/12vSN)2. North Carolina State University Water Quality Group; Biology and Agriculture Engineering; NCState University and A&T State University Cooperative Extension 3. Charles A. Perry, U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and National Weather Service4. U.S. Department of Labor; Occupational Safety & Health Administration5. Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Communications, 535 W. Jefferson St. Springfield, IL 627616. “Urban Survival - Sanitation and Hygiene During a Disaster”; David Hardin7. Man v. Nature, National Geographic, May 2001 8. Shallat, T. (1994). Structures in the Stream: Water, Science, and the Rise of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Texas Press9. Shallat, T. (2000). “In the Wake of Hurricane Betsy.” Transforming New Orleans and Its Environs: Centuries of Change, C.E. Colten (Ed.), University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 121-137.10. "Natural Hazards — Landslides". United States Geological Survey. 11. Tamrazyan, Gurgen P. (1967). "Tide-forming forces and earthquakes". Icarus 7 (1–3): 59–65.12. B. Wisner, P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis (2004). At Risk - Natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge13. D. Alexander (2002). Principles of Emergency planning and Management. Harpended: Terra Publishing14. National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 15. Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)16. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)17. World Health Organization. Safe Water and Global Health". Who.int. 2008-06-25. 18. "Water: How much should you drink every day?” Mayoclinic.com. 19. Gleick, PH., (editor), The World's Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources Island Press, Washington, D.C20. Water: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector-Specific Plan as input to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan May 200721. Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Water Security Division, EPA 817-R-07-001



http://s.tt/12vSN

Whitepaper flood water

Technology

Transcript of Whitepaper flood water