The Future of Miller Fountain at Trinity University

Lifeless empty Miller Fountain at Trinity University due to water restrictions imposed by SAWS. Photo: Digital Subway

Trinity University has experienced a temporary albeit important loss in its essence and tradition ever since Miller Fountain stopped sprouting water. Dry and lifeless, it no longer adorns Trinity’s iconic Bell Tower or the Northrup Building, which houses the “Oval Office of Trinity”. Instead, it sits mournfully among the adjacent rubble from drilling and construction sites.

The Miller Fountain has remained shut for a long time in compliance with San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) Phase Two Drought water restrictions. The last time it sprouted was during Senior’s graduation (see picture below) and that was only for a day. The fountain has remained shut before that due to Phase One water restrictions imposed by SAWS. The sprouts that gushed forth out of fountain’s nozzles had served to palliate souls that took refuge in its solace. Instead of offering a repose to humans (who visited it for occasional escapes), an empty fountain now further aggravates feelings of emptiness and failure.

 Paurakh and me during his graduation. Best of luck for his Ph.D program at Stanford University. 

Furthermore, Trinity students have not celebrated their birthdays in the old-fashioned way ever since the fountains went dry. An important tradition has been to throw the student in the fountain on the midnight of their birthday. This has been followed without any ordinance or mention in Student Handbook. A reason to rejoice though is that some Trinity students have not given up on this tradition despite this. On one occasion, my friends and I hand-carried water in our bottles and mugs to the fountain and poured it on the birthday boy as a symbolic gesture of celebrating birthday and also upholding the Trinity tradition. I have seen some others do the same.

Water level in Edwards Aquifer for the recent 12 months. Source: SAWS website.

It is natural to ask then, when will the drought restrictions be lifted? When will Trinity students start enjoying the beauty, serenity and the tradition offered by Miller Fountain they had hitherto taken for granted? The answer lies on SAWS website. Currently, San Antonio is in Phase Two water restrictions due to drought which has decreased the water level in Edwards Aquifer. Edwards Aquifer is the only source of clean drinking water from the underground in San Antonio. The water level has been receding due to lack of rainfall but continued usage by city dwellers. Phase I is enacted when the water level drops below 660 ft below sea level. And Phase II is enacted when it drops below 650 ft below sea level. Currently, the water level is around 643 ft. Following the water level trend in the last two months, SAWS might have to declare Phase III soon if, the water level drops below 640 ft. The water restrictions will be even stricter and seeing sprouts in Miller Fountain might be a distant dream.

So, is it all doom for Trinity students  and residents of San Antonio? Should we all start praying to the God for showering us with some love and rain? Of course, there is an option for us to reduce our water consumption by taking shorter showers and using electric razors among others. We are talking about a drastic change in water consumption habits here. And that is not easy.

Verdant grass despite SAWS restrictions because Trinity uses recycled/reclaimed water. Photo: Digital Subway

On the positive side, the grasses and lawns at Trinity have still remained verdant and green, thanks to sprinkling that has been performed duly. During phase II, use of non-handheld sprinklers are prohibited, but Trinity seems to have gotten around that because it uses recycled, treated water. 

Another note to SAWS and other city dwellers (who might be jealous) to justify Trinity's use of sprinklers. Photo: Digital Subway

A short term and a hell lot easier solution to get Miller Fountain operational is to get a waiver from SAWS. If Trinity can convince SAWS that fountain’s operation is essential for reasons other than aesthetics alone and that only secondary (treated) water is being used, an exception might be granted. If not, Trinity could always use the condensate from its cooling and heating units. Condensates in most air conditioning units go to waste by default. Harvesting rainwater and treating it for circulation in the fountains is also a possibility. If all fails, the talented students and professors in Chemistry department might devise an experiment to produce inexpensive water that does not come from SAWS and thus not subject to drought restrictions. The dry fountains should serve as the innovation bed for Trinity’s creative minds.

Cultural Symbolism Behind Grass

Perfect grass after months of hard work & maintenance at Trinity University's renovated Soccer Stadium. Photo: Digital Subway

           Grass, despite being one of the most abundant life forms on the Earth, has failed to draw any noticeable attention or  secure its berth in human hearts and minds. The fact that I am even writing about grass may appear mind-boggling to some. Grass is a form of weed that adorns our garden, gives it a verdant appearance, adds vernal fresh air but needs to be trimmed down duly to maintain its aesthetics. And that’s all. I argue that grass carries with itself cultural symbols which vary across transoceanic boundaries. It impacts our lives in subtle yet important ways and therefore deserves more visible attention. Let me explain.

Grass, by the virtue of possessing a naturally green color is soothing to eyes. Unsurprisingly, after spending the entire day staring at light emanating screens at work, we go out for a run or a walk in the park rich with luscious green grass and vegetation because it soothes our eyes and offers the much needed repose to our soul that we so desperately seek. It is true that grass has receded from our vicinity as time has passed and we have to travel greater and greater distances when we desire to find solace in its vernal serenity. Yet, we still desire to have them close to our dwelling, albeit in limited amounts, of which lawns are the prime examples. Well-maintained luscious green grass is still characteristic of beautiful campuses, mansions and corporate complexes. It has certainly gone from being universal to available only to the luxurious in urban areas. It is nature’s gift that its prevalence has still been maintained in rural areas though. Nevertheless, grass has become a symbol of ornamental display.

        Cultural distinctions associated with grass across transoceanic boundaries can be understood more clearly if we foray into attitudes held towards walking on grass in these regions. My parents and grandparents in South Asia encouraged me to walk barefooted on grass, especially in the morning when dew is still fresh on their leaves. This is known to soothe one’s heel which in turn calms one’s minds. Take a continental stride right from Asia to America, walking on grass is prohibited and considered socially inappropriate. On one occasion, my friends and I took the shortcut by walking on grass instead of concrete pavement. One of the professors behind us yelled out, “Don’t walk on grass. Get off immediately.” Unhappily, we obliged.

            In another instance, a student complained because we were playing soccer in the open space. His argument was that we were killing the grass. In America, walking on grass is a taboo unless you are in the park or forest. Grass is grown and nurtured painstakingly, and watered frequently using an extensive network of fancy sprinklers supported by underground water pipelines. Municipal water suppliers even have clear guidelines and restrictions about what days and times the lawn can be watered. Clearly, any person in (rural) areas where grass grows abundantly would find this excessive expenditure of energy astonishing, if not out rightly ludicrous.

             Growing and mowing grass is a cultural activity in America. Lawn-moving is centered around this and holds a unique position in every American’s heart. Every American has his/her own memories of lawn mowing in childhood. For some, it might have been a source of additional income or a (bi) weekly ritual performed with their dad. For others it might have just been a punishment for some misdeed or a mandatory chore for continued reception of pocket money. Whatever the reason may be, every American can relate to lawn mowing. There can be some exceptions and there always are. And of course, many absolutely abhor mowing their lawn just as they do shaving (since they share a similar trait, are repetitive and monotonous) and others love it because it allows them an opportunity to reconnect with nature, expend some energy naturally or because it is a mutual family activity. This whole experience and childhood memories are centered around grass yet, we regard them with utter indifference. I did not seek motorized assistance for mowing my lawn as a kid, but I too have memories of cutting grass using a traditional “khurpi”. It was not for aesthetic reasons but rather because I enjoyed feeding the grass to the cows and buffaloes that my grandparents reared. The joy I felt as these pleasant and docile creatures munched on the grass I fed incentivized me to spend hours cutting grass as a child. Incentives diminish as we mature, I agree and eventually vanish in some cases, such as this one.

              It will be false to claim that grass has only received indifference despite its cultural and salubrious significance. Humans have selectively chosen varieties that have superior softness and aesthetics. Some of the best grasses to walk on, albeit forbidden fall in this exquisite category and are colloquially known as “carpet grass” because of its appearance. I hope that by now, you are somewhat convinced that grasses are not simply fodder for vegetarians but also cultural and visual fodder for humans.

A Naturalist’s Remorse

Construction and man-made pavements outnumber natural paths for walking. Photo: Digital Subway

It is easy to fall prey to machinations of a plebian lifestyle. And it normally takes a stimulant or in its absence, a conscious effort to resist this temptation. Our deviation from spiritual to material beings has followed along a continuum, which is largely why many of us have embraced without any questioning. However, once in a while we come down with this bout of dissatisfaction, sense of guilt or maybe even acute depression and are not sure how or why it came about. I will share with you a little revelation (self-rambling) I had.

A few days ago, I was taking a barefooted walk. I hope you know that walking without an artificial layer of protection between our heels and the Earth is fun. The experience is not transformative yet it is uniquely rewarding because suddenly we have a greater awareness of our surroundings. While walking in our shoes, our heels are indifferent to grass, gravel pavements or tarred roads.

Barefooted, I could feel the textures of pebbles, thick and thin grasses, tarred roads and varieties of soil. While I was trying to avoid concrete pavements, just because walking on grass felt a lot softer and kinder on my heels, it struck me that walking on grass has become a luxury. Everywhere I looked, I saw concrete pavements. Grass was rare. I came to realize that one of the most abundant substances on the Earth had become a rarity in the region with high population density. Nature is absent where humans are present. And this feeling pushed me into further contemplation, an abysmal realization as I would later determine.

Trinity University's beauty is marred by construction and concrete rubble. Photo: Digital Subway

The roads and pavements that we have constructed out of tons of cement, sand, rocks, fired clay and tar has been brought about by mass displacements of these substances from its original destination. Thousands of clay-fired bricks for construction is prepared by digging out large amounts of clay which leaves behind islands of emptied Earth, only later to be filled as puddles or ponds by rain. Tons of concrete is manufactured by mining limestone from caves and mountains which renders them unstable and vulnerable to further erosion. Similarly, sand for preparing the right density of concrete is obtained by digging up river basins or grinding rocks collected from rivers or mountains which alters the landscape and decreases the capacity of rivers to soak water. What we proudly call development is limited to our vicinity and if seen, in the light of a larger area is an unplanned, unwise and eco-destructive resource displacement.

It does not always require one to be in a thinking session to be struck by such grossly inappropriate human actions. All it takes is a receptive mind. We do not always realize the full implications or ramifications of our actions. Circumspection, although essential has been used very infrequently. Take for instance, the remorse and suffering after a natural disaster like flood strikes a region. We are smart and quick to call it a “natural” disaster oblivious of the fact that it could have been caused due to our own unwise action of emptying out sands from river-beds. Similarly, by replacing natural grasses with concrete pavements, we reduce its natural capacity to maintain moisture, regulate water cycle and resist desertification. And then again, we feel terrible that the God brought upon us yet another drought or excessive rainfall this season.

Natural imbalances that we (humans) are inducing inadvertently have been pointed out by several naturalists, scientists, saints and philosophers alike. However, the human populations driven by materialistic instincts are more comfortable believing the rational explanations offered by economists that environmental impacts are simply by-products of development. A less pristine environment is tolerable to maintain the high standards of living. We are assured that even if we have unusually hot summers or frigid winters, air conditioning units (thanks to smart engineers) will continue to keep us cozy. Occasional brown-outs or black-outs caused on days with severe weather (an unusual snow day or during a heat wave) is attributed to anomalies in our aging transmission grid and electrical failures. Unless we are willing to admit that development is synonymous to ecological destruction, we may lie as much as we like about “natural” causes of calamities but their frequencies will keep increasing. The fact that 2010 and 2011 were among the years with most “natural” disasters around the world should serve as an evidence to the claim proposed in this article.

Trinity Construction: Upgrading Tennis Courts

Tennis Courts at Trinity University in midst of upgrade. Photo: Digital Subway

In the wake of recession, most universities' endowments suffered a major blow. However, anyone would be skeptical to believe this given the aggressiveness of construction projects at Trinity University. A perfectly good tennis court in great condition, with a capacity for eight simultaneous games was torn down for an upgrade right before our eyes. I overheard a Trinity student saying, "They took down a freakin' good tennis court, it better look damn good once it's completed."

This is how the tennis courts shown above looked before  upgrade. Source:  http://bit.ly/qV7EQR

The administration has proclaimed that the tennis court was in dire need for a major face-lift, additional seating capacity, shading for spectators, a scoreboard and extra space between individual courts. It can be agreed that shading, scoreboard and extra spaces are welcome attributes to an already awesome tennis court in red and green. However, it will be an arduous task to find supporters who would agree that the tennis ground itself needed a major face-lift. 

Tennis Court beside Murchison is also being upgraded. Photo: Digital Subway

Spending more than 2 million dollars for just adding shade, extra space between courts and a scoreboard appears as an imprudent move in terms of economics and value obtained. However, there is little room for argument among amateur economists (including me) when decisions like these are thoughtfully approved by economic scholar and university president Dr. Dennis Ahlburg and other wise board members in the light of all possible investment opportunities.

Trinity Construction: Utility Plants and Horizontal Drilling (video)

Trinity University in a maze. Photo: Digital Subway

If you miss the exhilaration and excitement of finding your way through a maze, consider visiting Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. It is free and open to public which makse it the best deal anyone could find in these tough economic times. A green and beautiful campus has become a maze and a sight of bustling activities due to simultaneous construction projects being undertaken. 

Laying out of pipelines for consolidation of utility plants at Trinity. Photo: Digital Subway

One of the projects in the process is the consolidation of three utility plants into two in order to be efficient and save space for Center for Sciences and Innovation. Currently, three central heating/cooling units service the university's needs for hot and cold water. These shall be consolidated into two energy-efficient units - one boiler and chiller each separately. 

Drilling Machine used for horizontal drilling. Photo: Digital Subway

At first, it might seem like a multi-million dollar project like this may not be cost-effective keeping in mind the elimination of benefit from heat exchange that could take place between boiler and chiller if placed in the same plant. However, the new chillers use modern technology to cool water and thus their operational costs will be lower in the long run and result in net savings. I have neither looked at economics nor technical details behind the equipment used in this project so I can not comment any further. But it has been acclaimed that the project will be completed before university reopens in Fall 2011.

A worker joining pipes for injecting drilling fluid. Photo: Digital Subway

A project of this magnitude is no easy task and requires rigorous drilling at multiple sites to re-channel pipelines for flow of hot/cold waters. The Californian contractor performing this task is using horizontal drilling, the same controversial technique using in extracting natural gas from shale formations - also known as fracking. The only difference in this project that has exempted it from being criticized by environmental groups, students or professors alike is the lack of use of hazardous chemicals. However, upon closer inspection, I discovered that a drilling liquid (see below) is being injected while drilling. Since I was unable to obtain a sample or conduct any tests, its nature and toxicity remains a mystery.

A Gel/Drilling fluid of unknown toxicity injected during horizontal drilling. Photo: Digital Subway

Pipes for chiller and boiler. Photo: Digital Subway

An anonymous Californian worker (anonymous because I forgot to ask his name) described that the tip of the drilling machine has a 2 degrees bend which allows easy maneuvering and makes horizontal drilling possible. A metallic pipe of 2 inches in diameter and 10 or 15 feet in length is first used to drill a hole from one end to another, which can be as long as 1000 feet. As drills are made, more pipes are joined using a socket. Furthermore, once the initial drill is made, other drills are made around it to accommodate the larger pipe which could be several inches in diameter. See a video demonstration of this process below. He admitted that it is a difficult task and requires both strength and technique. However, it pays well since he is part of a labor union back in California.

               Video clip of horizontal drilling process at Trinity University. By Digital Subway

If you have any questions, concerns about this report, please leave your comment below. All digital media in this post is copyrighted by Digital Subway.

San Antonio earning a name in Clean tech Industry

San Antonio's major Julian Castro announced a partnership to bring five cleantech companies to San Antonio next year or so. This is under his overarching Mission Verde Plan that wants to make San Antonio the greenest city in the U.S. I am excited that San Antonio is doing a lot of activities to make the city sustainable and promote greener lifestyle among city residents. While working as the energy management intern at Office of Environmental Policy, City of San Antonio, I am glad that my work to benchmark city-owned facilities for utility consumption will assist the city to become greener by reducing its energy consumption. 

CPS Energy is also aggressively supporting renewable energy generation by calling for investors to build utility-scale PV in the region in the upwards of 400 MW. This will place San Antonio on the charts among the cities with the largest PV installations. Since CPS Energy is a municipal owned utility with a monopoly in San Antonio for supplying electricity and natural gas to homes and businesses, it can drive changes from top-down very easily. In addition, unlike privately owned utilities, it is not always trying to maximize profits. It has responsibly encouraged homes and businesses to perform energy audits that are highly subsidized by CPS Energy, either through its own funds or stimulus money. It also supports installations of programmable thermostats and many smart meters as part of pilot program have already been installed. Its website offers numerous suggestions on how to reduce energy consumption and what kind of electrical appliances to buy/install for maximum efficiency. This is a very exciting time to be in San Antonio, Texas or the South in general because it is among the leading regions in renewable energy production and cleantech jobs.

A Temporary Technological Sabbath

Summer has been very interesting for me. Interesting for several reasons, primarily because my lifestyle has been very different than during the hectic college semesters. I wasn't planning on blogging as part of my temporary/partial technological Sabbath. Oh yes, I need to tell you about this. I have stopped using a cellphone since about a month after I got it wet and rendered it dysfunctional. No immediate plans to own a cellular device either. It is not the WHO report, linking cell-phones usage to a heightened probability of developing cancer from its radiation, that drove this change. It is primarily because I wanted to reassess the pervasiveness and impact of technology on cohesion/interaction among human beings.

The pace of digitization of appliances from analog has changed our lives pretty dramatically. We no longer produce analog acoustic waves for communication between us. Digital communication signals coded in 0 and 1 is what emanates from our devices varying from smart-phones to laptops. Communication has moved from being analog to mostly digital. Google is proud to service few billion search requests daily and happily lets tens of thousands of new users connect using its Android OS on smart-phones. Facebook too is adding millions of new members every month and Mark Zuckerberg (I don't care if I spelled his last name incorrectly) has vowed to eliminate privacy from our experience. Apparently, he believes there shouldn't be anything such as privacy. Amid this battle for digital attention, there are groups of secretive hackers expressing dissent by taking down websites of corporations and the government. What a world we live in, utterly confusing and digitized.

I am not against digitization of our world. In fact, as an aspiring and soon-to-be degree holding electrical engineer, I relish designing and thinking about novel designs for electrical and electronics products. If you have not noticed, my blog is titled "The DIGITAL Subway" and url also has the word digital. So, what is all this whining for? Well, I'm sure you know why. The ground has been shifting right before our feet. The very "laborsaving devices" that we built to free up leisure time are keeping us more occupied and busy. Staying busy has become the norm of hard-working and “intelligent” city-dwellers. The devices that we built to better communicate with our fellow acquaintances have overwhelmed us and captured all our attention. A typical workplace has become a 100 square feet of dreaded space with a computer. Seminars have transformed into webinars, meetings into conference calls, face-to-face talk into phone calls and small talks during lunch breaks into thumb swipes on touchscreens of smartphones for texting or browsing the web.

If you want to read more about how technology has changed us, I would recommend the book called, “Better off: flipping the switch on technology” by Eric Brende. Eric is a MIT graduate who took a break from his graduate education to live among a group of Mennonites to experience the life devoid of any motor-operated device which includes cars, cell-phones or any machine you can think of.

Note: More on this topic to come in subsequent posts. I actually decided to write something after a long time because I need some practice for my GRE essay; my GRE is in less than a week now.