Vision 

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A number of rather distinct water recycling projects have emerged over the last several months.  The first project relates to the hand washer.  I originally dubbed it as the "Pittsburgh Washer" (see previous blog); but Homer City Automation (HCA) actually build a yet-to-be-named prototype.  It is made out of stainless steel, weighs about 30 pounds and has very simple plumbing and filtration.   We did preliminary tests at the HCA facility, and were very encouraged.  We now have the prototype sitting in a Chemistry laboratory at IUP, awaiting

The project seems to be moving along all fronts, but slowly.  The biggest news is acquiring the holding tank permit from DEP.  We got the permit in early July; but at that time, the contractor was hospitalized.  We are scheduled to start the installation of the 1000 gallon holding tank tomorrow (Thursday).  It will be nice to get out of the mud around the cabin, and have a convenient place to put all our wastes (including experimental stuff).  The laboratory has made a great deal of progress, and should be ready for full experimental capabilities by early fall.&nbsp

My vision of a hand washer ( i like calling it "The Pittsburgh Washer") is a mechanism that washes hands efficiently and effectively.  Hands must be washed effectively; whereby, they are clean and free of disease, contamination and other harmful impurities.  At the same time, efficiency needs to be maximized.  The product must be simple and economical.  The Pittsburgh Washer accomplishes both,   It consists of containers, pumps, filters and other components that ensure that water is recycled optimally.  The Pittsburgh Washer washes hand

As the Indiana County Solid Waste Authority was developing its process for collecting and recycling materials for curbside collection in Indiana Borrough and White Township; we deliberated intensively on the issues associated with source-separation versus co-mingling.  The more the system depends on source-seperation, the more responsibilities are delegated to the household (decentralized); while the more the households are allowed to co-mingled the solid wastes, the more responsibilities are placed on some centralized processing system to recycle them.  Source-separatio

Centralization versus decentralization has been one of the most debated issues in the history of mankind.  Whether the hierarchy is tall or flat is the insideous question for organizers.  Just how many people should report to others as an organization grows is an intriguing question.  The most important issue seems to be coordination.  How do you keep all energies pointed in the same direction as new energy is added.  One of the best ways seems to be with openness.  Openness appears to form a kind of cement, a cohesiveness based on trust that bonds pa

I needed more water for bacteria testing of the recycled shower water.  I started the shower at 12:25PM.  The initial temperature was about 80 degrees (in the previous experiment, it did not get this warm this fast).  I waited about ten minutes and took water samples from the faucet (at 12:39).  I took two containers for quality testing, bacterial testing and detergent testing.  I also took two samples from the interceptor tank of dirty gray water to do a similar battery of tests (before and after).  I also took a sample of spring water from the overf