November 20, 2020 5:54:33 pm

Written byN Dayasindhu

In one of the most unforgettable scenes of the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, released in 2005, surgical robots dramatically transform Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, one of most identifiable characters in Hollywood movies. Robotic surgery has been around since the mid-1980s, when Arthrobot helped surgeons perform orthopaedic surgical procedures. The space connection is not all imagination. The AESOP robot was funded by NASA to work as a robotic arm in space but soon became a pioneer as a camera for laparoscopic procedures in the mid-1990s. ZEUS, another robotic surgical aid, was used in a beating heart coronary artery bypass graft in the late 1990s. Today, robotic surgical aids are used across the world.

General-purpose robots are making their mark in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has stretched our healthcare sector to its limits. Mitra, a friendly Indian robot, helps COVID-19 patients make video calls with their families using its camera and a video screen on its torso. Mitra can move on its own from the bedside of one patient to another. Another robot from Milagrow, a Gurgaon-based firm, is cleaning and disinfecting hospitals. These robots are doing their part in assisting our healthcare heroes and reducing their exposure to COVID-positive patients. Both patients and healthcare heroes appear to have formed a bond with the machines. Many patients who have seen these robots in action dont leave the hospital without a selfie.

This brings us to the important question: Will robots replace Indians at work? The answer lies in how we plan to use robots. One approach that Indian policymakers should consider is to encourage use of robots that assist us in making our jobs more productive, rather than focus on robots that are likely to entirely replace us at work. The real possibility of robots replacing humans has been highlighted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as well. In a 2016 report, it indicated that while robots threaten up to two-thirds of jobs developing countries, robots will also open up new opportunities for work. Let us also not forget the externalities in play. Sometime in the near future, robots can reduce the labour costs in manufacturing to such an extent that factories are likely to be re-shored from their current offshore low-labour cost locations.

However, there are application domains where we will want robots to entirely replace us as soon as possible. One of them is manual scavenging. A team from IIT Madras has developed a Sepoy Septic Tank Robot, which uses high-velocity cutters to cut through the sludge in septic tanks and a vacuum pump to suck it out. This Indian robot comes at fraction of the price of a similar imported robot. A couple of years ago, Bandicoot, a scavenging robot, was piloted to clean the sewers in Thiruvananthapuram. According to a 2018 report by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, one life is lost in about every five days while cleaning sewers and septic tanks across the country. Manual scavenging has to end in India and robots can play an important role in rooting this practice out. Like India, other countries are also making their assessments of robots and their use.

Labour-rich countries like China have been working on a policy for robots for almost a decade. Their Ministry of Industry and Information Technology came up with a report Guidance on the Promotion and Development of the Robot Industry. The Made in China 2025 programme set a goal of producing 1,00,000 industrial robots per year and achieving a density of 150 robots per 10,000 workers by 2020 from about 97 in 2017. There is also a definite possibility of inducting robots in the military. Earlier this year, the head of Russias Advanced Research Foundation indicated that humans in the military will be gradually replaced by robots who can act faster, more accurately and more selectively than humans. These international developments provide yet another context for India to fine-tune its policy on robots.

We need to assess the benefits and risks of robots in different sectors of the economy. India has been proactive in identifying priority sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, and smart mobility where artificial intelligence, including robotics, will make a positive difference to India. Multiple government organisations like NITI Aayog, office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the government of India, the Prime Ministers Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Science and Technology are working on refining the Indian policy on artificial intelligence and robotics. The economic potential of using artificial intelligence seems impressive, with NITI Aayog forecasting that artificial intelligence is likely to add about $1 trillion to the Indian economy by 2035. While Indian policymakers have been at work, the Indian robotics startup ecosystem has also been busy.

All the Indian robots mentioned so far are from startups or translational research initiatives in our universities. Cruchbase indicates suggest that there are close to about 400 robot startups in India. The top robotics startups have raised about $200 million in venture funding. It is impressive that our robot companies are solving problems that are common for India and many other parts of the world. Plansys, an IIT Madras alumni and faculty startup, provides submersible robotic inspection and survey solutions using remotely operated vehicles. Apart from underwater inspection of marine structures, Plansyss services also impact the largest sector of the Indian economy agriculture. Proper functioning of dams is critical to the livelihoods of many Indian farmers. Plansys provides underwater assessment of dam gates. This is critical for early assessment of preventive work to ensure the proper functioning of dams. Inspection by submersible robots is sometimes the only effective solution since reservoirs can be too turbid for effective human diver inspection. Many a time, human diver inspection is dangerous since the reservoirs are home to crocodiles. While the Indian robotics startup ecosystem has made a good start, we still have a long journey ahead of us.

There is optimism about the future of robots in India and Im waiting for the day where job postings will include the phrase should be comfortable working with our friendly robots. We need to refine and implement an Indian policy on robots as well as to nurture a larger and more vibrant startup ecosystem to build indigenous robots. If robots still feel alien for some of us, let me leave you with a quote from Richard Dawkins The Selfish Gene, We are survival machines robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.

The writer is co-founder and CEO of Itihaasa Research and Digital. Views are personal

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Go here to see the original:
The friendly robot and the future of work - The Indian Express

As the UN observed World Toilet Day on Thursday, Amnesty International, WaterAid and the International Dalit Solidarity Network called on the authorities in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to take immediate action to protect the sanitation workers who hae been risking their lives as Covid-19 frontliners.

According to a joint statement released by these organisations, across South Asia, workers cleaning toilets and streets, emptying latrine pits and maintaining sewers are faced with acute health and safety risks. However, they lack adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), training support to cope with risks, job security, social security, health insurance and access to handwashing facilities.

The three organisations have appealed to the national governments and local authorities in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to urgently provide immediate support and implement protective measures to help sanitation and waste workers cope with the heightened risks of the pandemic.

The caste dimension of sanitation work in these countries also means that workers are highly stigmatised and discriminated against when accessing services or seeking other occupations, the statement said.

A new research by WaterAid in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh showed that the Covid-19 pandemic worsened the situation for the vast majority of these workers. Some have even been redeployed to service Covid-19 quarantine centres with limited training on Covid-19 related risks or how to use PPE, the study found.

The WaterAid study further found that these workers' financial security has also been affected either due to increased but non-compensated working hours in some cases, and reduced demand for their services in others. Likewise, their transportation costs increased due to lockdowns and many had to buy face masks and other equipment that their employers did not regularly provide.

Sanitation workers are the hidden workforce keeping towns and cities in South Asia functioning throughout the pandemic, but they work in very poor and too often life-threatening conditions and are subject to stigma and discrimination based on caste and religion, Vanita Suneja, South Asia Regional Advocacy Manager at WaterAid, said. Covid-19 and related lockdowns have exacerbated these risks, especially among the many sanitation workers informally employed. Most female sanitation workers are informal workers risking their lives every day. The safety and dignity of these workers have been disproportionately affected.

The International Dalit Solidarity Network has campaigned to raise the plight of low caste sanitation workers, being lowered into sewers or cleaning dry latrines with no protective equipment. Many of these workers inherit these occupations due to their designated status in the caste system. This status has travelled with them to countries like Bangladesh, where many street sweepers are Dalits and live in segregation in sweepers colonies.

These workers are not asking for a medal. They are asking for their rights and dignity to be respected and that the same concern authorities are showing for the health and safety of other segments of the population is also extended to them, said Meena Varma, Executive Director of the International Dalit Solidarity Network.

Issues of stigma and discrimination against sanitation workers are reported across South Asia. Amnesty International has appealed for action in India urging the government to ensure dignity and protection of sanitation workers.

An estimated five million sanitation workers, mostly belonging to Dalit communities, are forced to work as manual scavengers to clean faecal sludge in sewers, septic tanks, etc.

Many of the sanitation workers are Dalits, the so-called lowest caste in South Asia. Because of their descent, they are historically subjected to extreme forms of indignity, oppression, exclusion, and discrimination. Their already marginalised position is even further compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, said David Griffiths, Director of the Office of the Secretary-General at Amnesty International. It beggars belief that anyone should be forced into the practice of manually cleaning and carrying human excrement, often simply because of their birth. Governments must take urgent action to protect the rights of these workers and immediately stop anybody from being subject to this illegal, degrading, and inhumane treatment.

Read more:
Authorities must urgently protect sanitation workers risking their lives on the Covid-19 frontlines - The Kathmandu Post

In rural India, castes still rule the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Those we used to call the Untouchables, the Dalits, are in charge of cleaning sewers and septic tanks; in exchange, they receive a little bread. A deeply rooted mentality, even among the first concerned. Its my fault, I was born into an untouchable family, considers a young woman. His village is divided into two: the untouchables live in a separate neighborhood. Daily discrimination affects all levels.

For example, an eight-year-old girl no longer goes to school, although it is compulsory. In question : his teachers, who told him not to come. For adults too, the humiliations are incessant; the untouchables arent even allowed in a barbershop, among other things. These discriminations are prohibited; there are dozens of laws supposed to protect Dalits, but they are seldom applied. 15% of the Indian population are always considered as untouchable.

The JT

The other subjects of the news

See original here:
India: the Untouchables, still victims of the caste system - Pledge Times

The world is alarmingly off-track on delivering universal access to safe sanitation. For billions of people, toilets and sewage systems are still out of reach. Those living in poor and rural communities are at most risk of being left behind.

Over 700 children die every day from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water, sanitation, and poor hygiene. Over half the worlds population uses sanitation services that leave human waste untreated, threatening human health. Meanwhile, 673 million people still practice open defecation and an estimated 367 million children attend a school with no sanitation facility at all.

Everyone is entitled to sanitation services that are affordable and accessible, and provide privacy, dignity and safety.This not only improves societys health but also leads to better economic and social development.

Sanitation is a human right.

Talking about toilets may be awkward, but we need to act now and double ourefforts if we are to eliminate open defecation. While the challenges are significant, meeting the goal of universal sanitation by 2030 is possible with greater investment, sustained effort and increased rates of sanitation coverage.

Many countries have made rapid progress in access to sanitation, transforming lives, the environment, and their economies, all within one generation.

Above: Aumelina helps her child in using the family latrine outside their home in Tablanusu, a 100 per cent Open Defecation Free (ODF)village in Papua Province, Indonesia.

See the original post here:
The state of the world's sanitation | UNICEF - UNICEF

In order to provide fresh and pure water, Chandigarh is all set to apply for SBM Water Plus certification this year. SBM Water Plus is the next level of certification beyond ODF ++ and is also a precondition for a city to compete for a 7-star garbage-free city rating so as to rank amongst the top cleanest cities in Swacch Survekshan 2021.

In order to provide fresh and pure water, Chandigarh is all set to apply for SBM Water Plus certification this year. SBM Water Plus is the next level of certification beyond ODF ++ and is also a precondition for a city to compete for 7-star garbage-free city rating so as to rank amongst top cleanest cities in Swacch Survekshan 2021.

A city or ward can be declared as Water Plus provided all wastewater released from households, commercial establishments drain, nallah are treated to a satisfactory level (as per CPCB norms), before releasing the treated wastewater into the environment. Further, the adequate capacity of wastewater and sewage treatment facilities is to be ensured. The infrastructure should be maintained properly and cost recovery is ensured through reuse/recycling of treated wastewater to ensure sustainability.

Chief Engineer Shailender Anand said that the documentation has been done for water plus. Also, on World Toilet Day, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will be launching Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge 2020 starting from November 19 onwards. It will be a challenge for Chandigarh.

The programme will end on August 15, 2021.

This programme will have a special focus on training for sanitary workers on the cleaning of sewers and septic tanks throughout urban local bodies of the country.

The World Toilet Day is a United Nations Observance day on November 19 that celebrates toilets and raises awareness of more than 400 crore people living without access to safely managed sanitation. It is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban is undertaking a Swachh Survekshan 2021 campaign to drive the message of safe sanitation throughout the month of November to commemorate the World Toilet Day.

SBM Toilets have been linked toGoogleMaps which lets users locate the nearest public toilet on Google Maps through mobile apps.

Chandigarh was accorded ODF status first on September 27, 2016. Subsequently, the city was certified ODF++ on September 19, 2019. ODF Certification is valid for a period of one year and re-certification is based upon third party assessment involving independent inspection for open defecation and toilets at minimum 45 locations over four zones of the city.

Vinod Vashisht, convener, CFORWO (City Forum of Residents Welfare Organizations), said that a city can be notified/ declared as SBM ODF++ city if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/ or urinating in the open, all community and public toilets are functional and well- maintained and entire faecal sludge/septage and sewage is safely managed and treated, with no discharging and/or dumping of untreated faecal sludge/septage and sewage in drains, water bodies or open areas.

Read more from the original source:
Chandigarh will apply for Water Plus certification | Chandigarh NYOOOZ - NYOOOZ

Wilton Simpson was sworn in Tuesday as president of the Florida Senate and that means Citrus County residents now have a powerful force in the highest levels of state government going to bat for them.

Citrus County has been very good to me as a person and very supportive of me as their local senator, Simpson said. What I will do in the next two years is do the best I can to continue to fund our priorities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cut deeply into state budget reserves and some priorities might be harder to get through going forward. He expects a state budget of $88-90 billion heading into next year, about $3-5 billion less than originally envisioned all due to the economic upheaval from the pandemic.

Goal one is to right-size our government to continue to have a booming economy and we have to do that with a balanced budget and replenish our reserves, he said.

Simpson, 54, was elected to the Senate in 2012 and served as majority leader in 2016 and 2017. He succeeds President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and takes on the coveted position of president for the next two years.

The Chronicle interviewed Simpson just days before he took the helm of the Senate. Heres what he had to say:

What are your goals as Senate president?

Simpson said he will continue to fight for the environment, and that includes continued cleanup efforts of Kings Bay and Homosassa waterways. It also means advancing the septic-to-sewer initiative.

To cut back on cost, Simpson said the state needs to explore incentives to local government for replacing outdated, pollution-causing septic systems.

Streamline the states foster-care system and make it easier for people to adopt children. Being adopted, this issue is personal to the senator.

You can eliminate a lot of future education and mental health problems by bringing permanency to a child, he said.

Simpson said fixing the problem will cost money and plans to partner with First Lady Casey DeSantis, who is one of the top advisers to her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis. This year, she has worked on a number of initiatives aimed at helping Florida children.

Promote better mental health options. He supports efforts to build a LifeStream Baker Act facility in Lecanto. He will work with State Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto also a project supporter to make sure that happens.

I fully intend to make sure thats funded, he said.

Continue to fund road infrastructure improvements.

Business can only thrive in Citrus County if you have clean water and good connector roads, he said.

Continue to attract top teachers which, he said, should be easier now that the starting pay for beginning teachers is $47,500 a year.

Could the pandemic affect these goals?

The pandemic, he said, has changed this state in ways that will affect it long into his tenure.

Anything that costs money is going to be tougher to get things done, he said.

For example, reports sent last week to state lawmakers advocate putting the brakes on three toll-road projects.

The projects would extend the Suncoast Parkway from Citrus County to Jefferson County near the Georgia border, extend Floridas Turnpike from Wildwood to connect with the Suncoast Parkway and create a new road linking Polk and Collier counties.

Simpson said road infrastructure is the lifeblood of industry and small-business in Citrus County and makes it easier for employers to transport goods.

There are a lot of roads in Citrus County that need widening and upgrading so thats a priority, Simpson said.

Weve got to get beyond this pandemic first and get our state back up to 100%, he said. Thats my focus right now.

One positive in navigating the rough waters: Simpson said his counterpart in the House, Palm Harbor Republican Chris Sprowls, should be easy to work with.

Were good friends, he said. We have a very good trust factor between the two of us.

Simpson also heaped praise on Gov. DeSantis who, he said, has done a masterful job guiding us through this pandemic.

Will a Joe Biden presidency affect your goals in the Senate?

I think it might make my job harder, he said. It will slow the national economy down, which will slow the Florida economy down over time. What happens at the federal level from an economic and regulatory and financial standpoint will affect Florida greatly. I know nothing that will be positive from a Biden administration.

For example, if Biden raises taxes and regulations again, the state is probably looking at a 1% growth as opposed to the projected 4%, he said.

If you raise capital gains taxes, everyone with a 401K or IRA would have their taxes raised, he added.

How do you want to be remembered and what are your plans when you term-out in two years?

Simpson called his tenure in the Florida Senate the last eight years the honor of a lifetime and a humbling experience.

What I hope is that folks who live and work here will look at the record of my accomplishments and say, It might not have been perfect but he did the best he could to represent Citrus County and he worked hard.

What will he do after he leaves the Senate?

I just might come back home and count (chicken) eggs, joked Simpson, referring to his Trilby agricultural operation.

But more seriously, Simpson said he will likely stay involved in various community organizations. Through the years, hes been involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Pasco County Fair, Habitat for Humanity and PACE Center for Girls.

Ill get back involved somehow, he said. I love to serve in my community and see things get better. Well see. Stay tuned.

Simpson, in his opening remarks on becoming Senate president Tuesday, had this to say:

This pandemic has been a strain on so many families and on our businesses. Some wonder if it is ever going to end. Senators, I believe it will. In the last few days we heard promising news about a new vaccine, and there is more good news on trials and therapeutics every day.

Better days are ahead, but we must continue to do what we can to personally prevent the spread. I want to thank all of you for taking our new protocols seriously. We will get through this together.

Material from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.

Read more:
Simpson takes the reins of Florida Senate - Citrus County Chronicle

Randall Waszynski

Suffolk County executive Steve Bellone signed historic legislation on Thursday, Oct. 15, to require the use of nitrogen-reducing wastewater technologies in unsewered areas of the county for all new construction. It also allows greater flexibility for the use of small sewer plants in downtown business districts.

What this legislation means today is that we are continuing to make good on our commitment and our promise that we are going to protect and preserve water quality in Suffolk County because it means everything to us, Bellone said in front of Lake Ronkonkoma during a press conference last week.

Others speaking at the press conference referenced Bellones listed No. 1 priority since he took office: a commitment to restoring water quality, drinking water quality, and coastal ecosystems. Bellone praised the advancements in technology and the work accomplished by the septic industry.

We said that nitrogen was public enemy No. 1. This industry: this was all old technology that we were utilizing, and there were pioneers who stepped forward and businesses that stepped forward, Bellone said. Without the industry in place, you cannot snap your fingers or turn on a switch and all of a sudden have the infrastructure necessary to reverse decades of damage that had occurred. There had to be an infrastructure and an ecosystem built in order to make it work, and that was that industrys system.

Dr. Chris Gobler, the chair of coastal ecology and conservation at School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences director for the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, said that this legislation is a game changer for Suffolk County.

The story of Suffolk County and water and the coastal environments is one that you could start as saying went from first to worst, said Gobler, referencing the clam and scallop fisheries in the 1980s being the largest on the East Coast. From that point forward, Suffolk County witnessed the collapse of both of those fisheries to the point where the landings dropped to less than 1 percent of what they were in the 1980s. We saw the nitrogen levels increase by up to 200 percent from that period to today due to on-site septic systems.

Gobler said that the Bellone administration and its commitment to water quality was a turning point in the county.

When it comes to advanced treatment of wastewater, which we knew caused all these collapses, Suffolk County went from worst to first, Gobler said. We are looking all across the country and around the globe at what people are doing when it comes to treating on-site wastewater. I can say with confidence that today there is no better program for installing advanced septic systems anywhere in the country than there is here in Suffolk County. They knew it was a monumental task. They took it slow. They did it right. The program has been enormously successful.

Gobler also referenced the 380,000 unsewered homes in the county. And Kevin McDonald of the Nature Conservancy said that the action of replacing the old with new, individual/advanced wastewater treatment systems will remove roughly 20,000 pounds of nitrogen every year out of the environment in a compounding way. This means that the following year would see twice the removal due to the additional installations that year.

This is a significant, monumental event in Suffolk Countys environmental history, McDonald said. This is a dramatic improvement over Roman technology.

Kevin McAllister, president of Defend H20, said that the growing effects of wastewater treatment that is used today in Suffolk County as well as the influences due to climate change severely threaten water quality on Long Island. He also referenced water quality as a priority issue in the county and the region, and congratulated Bellone and the Suffolk County Legislature for their efforts, considering a unanimous yes vote on the bill.

Today, we celebrate meaningful progress towards that goal with the adoption of progressive sanitary amendments, McAllister said. The Suffolk Legislature is commended for demonstrating its commitment, and in particular executive Steve Bellone for instituting an effective, forward-looking program that delivers.

Mitch Pally, CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute, pointed out how the legislation opens the door for development.

This is going to be a game changer for the development community in Suffolk County, he said. The ability to use the Appendix A systems in larger, mid-sized development projects, to help renovate our downtowns, to help renovate our other areas where development is appropriate is going to be a significant ability to build this type of housing.

More here:
Bellone signs legislation to reduce nitrogen levels - Long Island Advance

LUMBERTON More than three years after the City of Lumberton began the Community Development Block Grant process, dirt will be turned soon at Rosewood Mobile Home Park as construction on the housing complexs new sewer system begins.

Work on the project is anticipated to begin around Thanksgiving, Lumberton Public Works Director Rob Armstrong said. Lumberton City Council approved a construction bid for the project during its regular meeting Oct. 7.

Weve got a little bit of an administrative procedure to go through because its funded by CDBG money, Armstrong aid. Well have to get the whole bid package reviewed by CDBG folks.

The city does not anticipate any issues with that process, in part because the lowest bid was not the one selected, but instead the lowest responsible bid was accepted, Armstrong said. That base bid with alternates, from Ralph Hodge Construction Co. in Wilson, was $1,358,480.80. After CDBG approval is given, the city will hold a preconstruction conference with the contractor to review project plans.

Even as the lowest bid was rejected, the project is still within the citys budget and the city has some contingencies in case of unforeseen problems, Armstrong said.

Once work begins at the mobile home park, located on East Elizabethtown Road, the project is anticipated to take a year or more to complete, he said.

Out of 125 home sites at the park, 86 have failing septic tanks, Armstrong said. As plots have become vacant, they cannot be rented out because of their current condition. Additionally, a notice of violation has been given on some occupied lots, with time to correct the problem before the occupants would face potential eviction. The Robeson County Health Department is not renewing individual tanks because of the systemwide issues, so a new sewer system is the only fix.

This will correct that issue and allow these plots to be occupied, Armstrong said. Theres some health hazards that have popped up over the years, such as sewer water loose on the ground.

About 40 lots that are currently vacant can be added back to the market upon completion of the project, with the CDBG provision that they be occupied by low- to moderate-income residents, Armstrong said.

City Council approved application for a $750,000 grant, through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, on Sept. 11, 2017. The grant amount awarded was $1,997,500, and its receipt was approved by City Council May 14, 2018. Council approved a resolution on Sept. 5, 2018, to adopt a grant project ordinance and the authorization of a program manual.

From that point, the grant process played out behind the scenes until the project was bid out earlier this month.

The CDBG grants historically move very slow, Armstrong said. This project was more complex than the average sewer extension.

A major high-pressure natural gas line passes beneath the park, Armstrong said. While there are no mobile homes sitting directly over it, engineers had to design a way for the sewer system to cross the line. Obtaining and processing information that confirmed which residents were considered low to moderate income was also a part of the process, in addition to making plans to reroute the sewer downstream because of the need for additional capacity.

Some easements and right of ways also had to be obtained, City Manager Wayne Horne said.

Rosewood Mobile Home Park paid $39,214 in project funding, which City Attorney Holt Moore said during the Oct. 7 City Council meeting had been received by the city. This covered the project costs related to the units that did not qualify for the grant, as they are either unoccupied or their occupants are not considered low- to moderate-income, according to Horne and Armstrong.

This is not the only mobile home park in Lumberton where the city is looking to rebuild a sewer system, Horne said.

Weve been trying to get sewers into these mobile home parks, Horne said. Basically these soil conditions and the fact these mobile homes were on lots, and the high density, it was saturating the soil.

The Rosewood project will include installing about one mile of pipes and building a new lift station. The roadway will then need to be repaired and the old septic tanks removed.

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [emailprotected]

Original post:
Sewer repairs at Rosewood Mobile Home Park expected to start around Thanksgiving - The Robesonian

Plumbers have warned people not to use washing up liquid to clean a toilet after a cleaning hack went viral.

We've put togetherwhat you need to know about the cleaning hack - and why you shouldn't do it.

What was the hack?

Originally posted to Facebook group, Mums Who Clean, one woman explained how shed been using washing up liquid to keep her toilet clean.

She wrote, [Put] Dishwashing liquid in the toilet tank compartment and every flush is fresh, clean smelling bubbles and the toilet always looks clean.

The writer explained:I do a big squeeze about three days a week and the toilet is used all the time.

She also said how she had been doing it for years with no problems.

Why you shouldnt put dish soap in your toilet

It appears, however, that not everyone is on board with this DIY toilet hack - with other users warning against the trick.

It ruins your system, so dont do it, wrote one person, and another added, Please dont do this - the rubber/seals in your toilet cistern can break down when anything else but water is used in there.

Peter Daly, CEO of Master Plumbers, said that you should be wary of using products that arent designed to go into a toilet system.

Talking to News.com.au, Daly said:Master Plumbers advises that its safest to use cleaning products specifically designed for flush toilets. People living in outside built-up areas who are using septic tanks (rather than sewers) should ensure the product used is compatible with septic systems.

Daly also added that people should think about the environment when selecting cleaning products.

See the original post:
Plumbers reveal why people shouldn't use this popular cleaning 'hack' - South Cotswolds Gazette

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) Florida senators will be asked to eliminate the states no-fault auto insurance option and increase spending to repair the states natural springs, the incoming Senate president said Thursday.

Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, told business leaders that lawmakers meeting for the 2021 legislative session also will need to consider efforts to keep polluted Central Florida waters from flowing in Lake Okeechobee.

Three or four years ago, we did a bill that brought in more southern storage to that system. And what I believe is probably a flaw in our thinking, there was more of a political thought, Simpson said during a brief video appearance at the end of the Florida Chamber Foundations three-day virtual Future of Florida Forum. We need to go and work on northern storage more aggressively, because northern storage will actually fix the problem. When were talking about fixing the root causes of our problems, a substantial amount of the Everglades problems come from the northern Everglades.

Simpson and House Speaker-designate Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, spoke to business leaders as lawmakers prepare for the legislative session that begins in March and will likely be dominated by responding to the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

In evaluating the damage caused by the pandemic, state economists have lowered the general revenue estimate by $3.42 billion for the current fiscal year and by nearly $2 billion for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

General revenue, which includes such money as sales taxes and corporate income taxes, plays a vital role in funding schools, health care and prisons.

Simpson and Sprowls separately addressed the need for lawmakers to reduce the state budget in respond to the revenue estimates.

Both leaders expressed a need to maintain Floridas triple-A bond ratings from three major credit-rating agencies: Moodys Investor Services, Standard and Poors and Fitch Ratings.

Without giving specific details, Sprowls suggested that lawmakers should consider practical solutions to coastal flooding and empower families to make educational choices that are best for their children.

As the nation grapples with COVID-19, many states will have to find a way to fill the holes in their state budgets as a result of declining revenue. What will set Florida apart is that, instead of raising taxes or making your responsible cuts to vital services we will take this unprecedented opportunity to be thoughtful in our approach to minimize the size and scope of government and to get Floridians back to even a better normal, a better life, he said.

Simpson told forum attendees hed also like lawmakers to consider the Florida Retirement Systems unfunded liability.

The biggest eyesore that we have is the unfunded liability, the pension, approximately $25 billion today, Simpson said. I hope this year will be the year that we can address that shortfall within the budget.

In addition to addressing water flowing into the Everglades from the north, Simpson said other ways to improve state water resources is to pump more money into programs to replace septic tanks with sewers and to exceed the $50 million required to be spent annually on natural springs.

I would like to increase that sum if possible, so that we can continue to clean those up, he said.

Simpson also spoke of reviving talks to replace the states no-fault auto insurance system, which requires motorists to carry $10,000 in personal-injury protection coverage to help pay medical bills after accidents, with a requirement for bodily-injury coverage.

The issue has stalled the past few years as the House and Senate fought over whether to restrict bad faith litigation as part of the proposal.

I think we could have some major reforms there and have some guardrails as it relates to bad faith, Simpson said.

The Senate leader also suggested lawmakers consider other insurance-related legislation, such as limiting water-damage claims and home repairs.

One of the other ideas that has been thrown out is that on a roof, after 10 years, to allow a depreciable value on that roof system, Simpson said. Rather than an insurer coming in with a 19-year-old or 20-year-old roof and having to pay the entire amount that roof lifespan has been completely used. So why not allow it after the first 10 years to be on a depreciable value. That should bring significant savings to homeowners and insurance policies.

Earlier in the day, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis who noted he regularly discusses the states coronavirus response with Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said one of the biggest fears among business owners trying to reopen amid the pandemic is the possibility of being sued by people whove contracted COVID-19.

Businesses are telling me that these concerns might keep them from reopening. And we need to get people back to work, said Patronis, who intends to pursue Chamber-supported coronavirus liability-protection legislation in the upcoming session. We cannot allow our state recovery to be inhibited by the constant threat of lawsuits.

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Insurance, water issues on the table for legislative session - WMBB - mypanhandle.com