New Textbook Features Turbidity Curtain Information from GEI Works

Outskirts Press has published a textbook entitled “Erosion Control and Land Restoration,” a compilation of materials designed to educate students and erosion-remediation professionals. GEI Works, Inc. provided the content for Chapter 12: “Design and implementation of turbidity curtains.”

Fighting desertification

The paperback book is the product of its compiler, Pablo A. Garcia-Chevesich, Ph.D. The Chilean native has dedicated his life to fighting the encroachment of global desertification. Garcia-Chevesich is a U.S. Ambassador for UNESCO’s International Sediment Initiative and a board member of the International Erosion Control Association (Western Chapter). He sounds the clarion alarm in his book, pointing out that the world loses 36 football fields’ worth of land to soil erosion every 60 seconds. Some of that loss, he asserts, is permanent. The answer to this growing problem is for people to manage land properly and return the eroded acreage to its normal state when possible.

Accordingly, the book contains chapters about hydrology and storm runoff, soil erosion, and the various methods of resisting desertification.

Turbidity and turbidity curtains

Chapter 12 starts off with a basic definition of turbidity, then advances to more of a technical treatment of remediation tactics. Turbidity becomes a problem when there is an excess of total suspended solids in the water. As the chapter states, “Turbidity strongly affects water quality and, as a consequence, aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Evidence of the negative impacts of high turbidity in the past decades has been a major factor in U.S. environmental resources protection …” (p. 149).

A correctly deployed turbidity curtain promotes government compliance, prevention of fines and shutdowns, and protection of natural habitats.
 
Types and accessories

The chapter also details the different turbidity curtains used in various conditions:

• Type 1 curtain, designed for calm water
• Type 2 curtain, designed for slow-moving water
• Type 3 curtain, designed for fast-moving water
• Barge curtain, “a localized and specific turbidity control system designed to keep displaced sediment and solids contained during barge dredging operations” (p. 153).

The chapter includes an outline of the curtain system’s various elements: for example, floatation, tension cable, fabric, ballast, and reefing lines, anchor kits, and lights. The reader will also find information and instruction about installation, deployment, retrieval, maintenance, and inspection.

Book proceeds help the cause

The book is available in both English and Spanish. Proceeds from purchases of “Erosion Control and Land Restoration” go to SOIL Fund of the International Erosion Control Association. The fund promotes the science of erosion and sediment control, and works to improve lives adversely affected by erosion and sedimentation.

“Erosion Control and Land Restoration” is available on Amazon.com here.

Dewatering Products Can Keep Your Project Free of Costly Fines

Despite the economic benefits new housing or other construction projects can bring to a locale, there’s always a potential downside. Exposed soil and reshaped land are subject to erosion from stormwater runoff. All this water can have a disastrous impact on the environment. If unchecked, the flow into storm drains, sewers and trenches often contain such contaminants as sediment, silt, debris and chemical pollutants.

In waterways around the country, sediment pumped out or running off construction sites remains one of the most significant sources of water pollution. Suspended sediment diminishes water clarity, inhibits the growth of aquatic plants and can deprive fish of important food sources. In addition, phosphorus from construction site water often contributes to explosive algae growth. Like most ecological problems, all of these issues can ripple throughout the environment, disrupting sensitive life cycles and ecosystems.

Accordingly, government agencies at the state and federal level have tight standards for the quality of water pumped from sites during dewatering efforts. Contractors who run afoul of those regulations can find themselves in the midst of costly project delays and fines.
 
Leaving the Sediment Behind

There are cost-effective ways of accomplishing an environmentally responsible dewatering process. Dewatering bags are a common option to effectively trap silt and sediment while allowing water to escape through the bag’s geotextile material. The sediment-laden water is pumped into ports located on the bags. As the water passes through the bag’s filter fabric, suspended sediment particles are caught in the fabric. The bags fill with sediment over time. After the contents dry out, you can cut the bags open and redistribute the sediment.

GEI Works carries these bags in its Taurus line of dewatering products.
 

For small-scale projects, a dewatering sock may be the best choice. The Taurus Dewatering Filter Socks are available in three diameters to fit different discharge pipes: 8-inch, 12-inch and 16-inch. As water passes through the sock, sediment and debris stay behind to help keep these materials from leaving the job site.

Contact GEI Works

There are many options for contractors trying to keep sediment and other pollutants out of waterways. Many can be used in concert with one another. But be sure to use a dewatering solution that’s effective for your particular application. The alternative can be a stiff fine or delay in your work: something nobody wants.

Contact the experts at GEI Works for more information on these products. 772-646-0597