Tuesday 26 April 2011

Guidelines for Cleaning Polyethylene Lined Steel Rainwater Tanks

In the next couple of weeks when the community water scheme becomes operational we propose cleaning our 104,000 litre Rhino polyethylene lined steel rainwater tank given that the community scheme supply will be high quality clear bore water. We want to clean the tank given:
  • To date we have been using dam water which is not clear due to natural tannins. It may also have contained some sediment that will have settled on the tank bottom
  • We have had some challenges with frogs living in the tank and they naturally produce excrement. We do know that they were able to access the tank for a while due to some vermin proofing being missing when the initial installation was done and it is also possible frogs’ eggs entered the tank from the gravity fed dam water.


We’ve been in contact with the team at Rhino Tanks to seek guidance on how best to approach the cleaning task. The main things to remember in cleaning this type tank given it was filled with dam water are below.

Getting Started
  • Make sure it isn't a windy day as the liner will blow around and move inside the tank and give you all sorts of trouble when you fill it up again.
  • Take the first and last roof sheet off for ventilation
  • Test the air for hazardous gasses with a Gastec machine and purge the tank if needed
  • To begin the draining process grip the scour drain pipe as well as the bung when loosening or tightening to prevent the drain pipe from twisting
  • If using a separate ladder from ground level to access the man-hole ensure it is stable
  • Given the edge of the man-hole is sharp it is not a bad idea to wear gloves until you are in the tank


Doing The Cleaning
  • Don’t wear shoes or waders as you won’t be able to feel for any rocks or lumps under the liner or in the tank
  • Lightly sweep the sediment to the scour drain with about 150mm of water still in the tank
  • Clean/flush the tank with just water and don’t use any chemicals or cleaning based products as you would only be dissolving soil based solids
  • If using a hose from, say, a fire fighting pump the water pressure must be no stronger than low pressure. Don’t use a pressure washer.
  • A soft horse hair broom can be used if you have one, but nothing with stiff bristles.
  • With shoes removed swirl the water around to stir up the sediment and drain through the scour valve.


Refilling the Tank Post Cleaning
Make sure the liner hasn't moved or twisted. Reset the liner with the floor to wall seem in correct location as the water is running in

Frog Removal Tips
Some tips in getting frogs out of tanks (including poly tanks) based on our recent experience are below:
  • Ideally the water depth should be knee depth or lower
  • To locate the frogs use a very strong torch or spotlight
  • Remember to check every little nook and cranny for frogs, including the hole under the intake float valve and on top of it PLUS under the lid of the tank itself
  • Frogs seem to be able to stay under the water for several minutes so be prepared to stay in the tank for quite some time in order to ensure you locate them all
  • It is much easier to catch the frogs using a flexible net, obviously with no sharp edges
  • It is also a good idea to have someone outside the tank at the same time, for occupational health and safety reasons and to assist in spotting the frogs in the water
  • Turn the torch off at some point for a while to see where light is entering the tank. Gaps will need to be filled to prevent frogs returning.

Saturday 16 April 2011

Community Water Scheme Close to Operational

In March last year we posted an article on Ochre Archives where we shared some of the base information about the Ooma Water Scheme. At that time the scheme had been in the planning stages for a few years and construction had just commenced. Since then the local area has had its wettest year on record, making it impossible for the contracted company to complete the task in what would normally be considered a reasonable period of time. It’s ironic that the idea for the scheme came out of many years of drought but then completion was delayed due to flooding!

Last Saturday we decided to take a drive down to the main bore site as we’d learned that some of the members in the scheme were now receiving water. Our own supply from the scheme has yet to commence for various reasons, including the fact that we are at ‘the end of the line’ and thus will be last. We expect our own connection, though, to be operational ‘soon’.
  
Here are some of the photographs we took and some accompanying commentary.




Forbes Shire Council and especially the Mayor, Phyllis Miller has strongly supported the project from the start. Three very tangible forms of support have included creation and future maintenance of a gravel roadway to the main bore pump site (see photo), support for our grant application to the NSW State Government (approved) seeking funding to cover the cost of the main pump, and lobbying to several key players at at least State level to help ‘remove roadblocks’.




Country Energy was engaged by the main contractor to supply mains power to the main and other pump sites. This photo shows the new ‘heavy duty’ power pole and transformer at the main bore site. Cabling from the power pole is underground which makes for better safety all-round.

Dubbo based irrigation supplies company ‘Aquawest’ was / is the main contractor for the scheme. Jeff Vandermaal has been the lead contact point all the way through and has been great to deal with. This photo shows the main pump overall set-up, with shed close to completion.

The above photo shows the main pump set-up above ground. Components from left to right are: (partially obscured) ball valve to allow to air release and on-site water access, main joiner in case of the need for repairs, water metre, air pressure tank (NB: I’m not exactly sure what it’s role is but hope to find out at some point), gate valve (to close off the flow on the main line if necessary), water pressure metre and the bore casing / head. From memory the bore is around 110 metres deep. The pump is fully submersed which also means it is totally silent when running.
Here is a close-up of the water pressure gauge. The pump was running when we were on-site. Pressure was around 520 kilopascals which in theory suggests that water was being pumped to around 50 metres above the height of the pump prior to adjusting for pipe friction loss.



The above two photos are of the pump control unit … as a whole and a close-up of the control panel.
Here is a close-up of the water metre. At that moment at total of 2,468 cubic metres had so far been pumped. If you look closely you will see that the metre actually measures down to 1/1,000th of a cubic metre which equals 1 litre.


In closing … countless amounts of time, effort, persistent and creativity have gone in to making the Ooma Water Scheme a reality. I ‘take my hat off’ to all of the Committee members and especially the Executive: John Johnson, Clemence Matchett, Robert Johnson, Bill Matchett and Murray Mitton. Our little piece of the world is a better place thanks to these good folks.

Thursday 7 April 2011

Inland Carpet Python

 Yesterday we were heading off to town and were surprised and pleased to come across the 1.5 metre Inland Carpet Python (Morelia spilota metcalfei) in the accompanying photos just inside our front gate.
It's been over 7 years since we saw another of these on the farm. It was about 2 metres in length and not far from Lookout Rock.
It is unusual to see Carpet Pythons locally and discussions with local long term residence suggests they were once more common. Whilst Carpet Pythons are not listed as endangered nationally (Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999) or in New South Wales (Threatened Species Conservation Act of 1995) they are listed as 'threatened' in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. (NB: Our sincere thanks go to our nephew Scott H for researching the status on these 3 Acts of parliament for us).
To quote from the Melbourne Museum website: "Inland Carpet Pythons are preyed upon by foxes. Furthermore, habitat loss through logging and firewood collection has reduced their range. They are also commonly killed by humans, even though they are largely harmless and are natural enemies of pests such as introduced mice and rats. Inland Carpet Pythons are semi-arboreal, living in tree hollows and rock crevices. Females lay 10–50 eggs every 3–4 years and guard their clutch, ‘shivering’ to generate heat to warm the eggs. Inland Carpet Pythons are not venomous, but kill their prey by constriction. They ambush their prey and wrap themselves around the animal, squeezing until it dies from suffocation. Despite this, Inland Carpet Pythons are popular as pets since they are generally not aggressive towards humans."

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Peron's Tree Frogs in Big Numbers on Ochre Arch

The continuing comparative wet conditions have been a catalyst for the increase in frog numbers here on the farm. It was only yesterday with the help of our friend Tamara G that we learned that the main species we are seeing (especially in the outside loo and in some of the new poly tanks) is Peron's Tree Frog (Litoria peroni). Here's a link to a website that provides more information. Those reading this who live in or have visited south east Australia might like to click on the 'Hear it now' link ... and may recognise the call of these critters.
We do find it curious that these are tree frogs given we find them in wetlands and pasture ... but stranger things have happened. Maybe they do spend much of their time in trees. They certainly move around quite a bit, and find our mobile stock troughs quickly after each move.
The photo was taken a few days ago at one of our stock water troughs.

Saturday 2 April 2011

Himalayan Crystal Mineral Rock Salt Analysis

On Tuesday we expect to collect 1 tonne of Himalayan Crystal Mineral Rock Salt which we intend giving our sheep constant access to. We've selected this product and option for several reasons:

  • The salt is world renowned as being the best of its type ... containing as many as 88 separate trace elements. See analysis included at the bottom of this post.
  • We are able to purchase it reasonably large quantities, which makes both the product and transport cost effective. The supplier is based at Uralla in the northern tablelands region of NSW and there is regular truck transport services that run from there to Grenfell (Uralla to Tamworth, Tamworth to Dubbo, Dubbo to Cowra, and Cowra to Grenfell). Cost per dry sheep equivalent is expected to be in the order of $1-1.50 per annum on a long term basis.
  • We know that our soils are 'light' and the samples we had analysed last year demonstrate that there are some mineral gaps. Mineral gaps in the soil translate to mineral gaps in the plants which in turn translates into mineral gaps in the diet of the sheep. If the right minerals are able to get to the life forms in the stomachs of the animals then they are capable of better utilising the herbage mass the animals  consume.
  • It will be very simple to both store and make available to the stock. The salt blocks can be left in the rain without damage (unlike some granulated salts and licks) if left on a simple platform of some type that allows the blocks to dry completely post rainfall events.
  • We want our sheep to be healthy and have access to appropriate dietary input.
The supplier has given us an analysis of the product taken from the book "Water and Salt: The Essence of Life" by Dr. Barbara Hendel MD and Peter Ferreira which we've included below.

Element
Order
Num.
Results
Analysis Type
Hydrogen
H
1
0.30g/kg
DIN
Lithium
Li
3
0.40g/kg
AAS
Beryllium
Be
4
<0.01ppm
AAS
Boron
B
5
<0.001ppm
FSK
Carbon
C
6
<0.001ppm
FSK
Nitrogen
N
7
0.024ppm
ICG
Oxygen
O
8
1.20g/kg
DIN
Flouride
F-
9
<0.1g/kg
Potentiometer
Sodium
Na+
11
382.61g/kg
FSM
Magnesium
Mg
12
0.16g/kg
AAS
Aluminum
Al
13
0.661ppm
AAS
Silicon
Si
14
<0.1g/kg
AAS
Phosphorus
P
15
<0.10ppm
ICG
Sulfur
S
16
12.4g/kg
TXRF
Chloride
Cl-
17
590.93g/kg
gravimetrie
Potassium
K+
19
3.5g/kg
FSM
Calcium
Ca
20
4.05g/kg
Titration
Scandium
Sc
21
<0.0001ppm
FSK
Titanium
Ti
22
<0.001ppm
FSK
Vanadium
V
23
0.06ppm
AAS
Chromium
Cr
24
0.05ppm
AAS
Manganese
Mn
25
0.27ppm
AAS
Iron
Fe
26
38.9ppm
AAS
Cobalt
Co
27
0.60ppm
AAS
Nickel
Ni
28
0.13ppm
AAS
Copper
Cu
29
0.56ppm
AAS
Zinc
Zn
30
2.38ppm
AAS
Gallium
Ga
31
<0.001ppm
FSK
Germanium
Ge
32
<0.001ppm
FSK
Arsenic
As
33
<0.01ppm
AAS
Selenium
Se
34
0.05ppm
AAS
Bromine
Br
35
2.1ppm
TXRF
Rubidium
Rb
37
0.04ppm
AAS
Strontium
Sr
38
0.014g/kg
AAS
Ytterbium
Y
39
<0.001ppm
FSK
Zirconium
Zr
40
<0.001ppm
FSK
Niobium
Nb
41
<0.001ppm
FSK
Molybdenum
Mo
42
0.01ppm
AAS
Technetium
Tc
43
unstable
artificial isotope - not included
Ruthenium
Ru
44
<0.001ppm
FSK
Rhodium
Rh
45
<0.001ppm
FSK
Palladium
Pd
46
<0.001ppm
FSK
Silver
Ag
47
0.031ppm
AAS
Cadmium
Cd
48
<0.01ppm
AAS
Indium
In
49
<0.001ppm
FSK
Tin
Sn
50
<0.01ppm
AAS
Antimony
Sb
51
<0.01ppm
AAS
Tellurium
Te
52
<0.001ppm
FSK
Iodine
I
53
<0.1g/kg
potentiometrie
Cesium
Cs
55
<0.001ppm
FSK
Barium
Ba
56
1.96ppm
AAS/TXR
Lanthan
La
57
<0.001ppm
FSK
Cerium
Ce
58
<0.001ppm
FSK
Praseodynium
Pr
59
<0.001ppm
FSK
Neodymium
Nd
60
<0.001ppm
FSK
Promethium
Pm
61
unstable
artificial isotope - not included
Samarium
Sm
62
<0.001ppm
FSK
Europium
Eu
63
<3.0ppm
TXRF
Gadolinium
Gd
64
<0.001ppm
FSK
Terbium
Tb
65
<0.001ppm
FSK
Dysprosium
Dy
66
<4.0ppm
TXRF
Holmium
Ho
67
<0.001ppm
FSK
Erbium
Er
68
<0.001ppm
FSK
Thulium
Tm
69
<0.001ppm
FSK
Ytterbium
Yb
70
<0.001ppm
FSK
Lutetium
Lu
71
<0.001ppm
FSK
Hafnium
Hf
72
<0.001ppm
FSK
Tantalum
Ta
73
1.1ppm
TXRF
Wolfram
W
74
<0.001ppm
FSK
Rhenium
Re
75
<2.5ppm
TXRF
Osmium
Os
76
<0.001ppm
FSK
Iridium
Ir
77
<2.0ppm
TXRF
Platinum
Pt
78
0.47ppm
TXRF
Gold
Au
79
<1.0ppm
TXRF
Mercury
Hg
80
<0.03ppm
AAS
Thallium
Ti
81
0.06ppm
AAS
Lead
Pb
82
0.10ppm
AAS
Bismuth
Bi
83
<0.10ppm
AAS
Polonium
Po
84
<0.001ppm
FSK
Astat
At
85
<0.001ppm
FSK
Francium
Fr
87
<1.0ppm
TXRF
Radium
Ra
88
<0.001ppm
FSK
Actinium
Ac
89
<0.001ppm
FSK
Thorium
Th
90
<0.001ppm
FSK
Protactinium
Pa
91
<0.001ppm
FSK
Uranium
U
92
<0.001ppm
FSK
Neptunium
Np
93
<0.001ppm
FSK
Plutonium
Pu
94
<0.001ppm
FSK

Additional Combined Elements
Water
H2O

1.5g/kg
DIN
Ammonium
NH4+

0.010ppm
Photometrie
Nitrate
NO3-

0.09ppm
Photometrie
Phosphate
PO43-

<0.10ppm
ICG
Hydrogencarbonate
HCO3-

<1.0g/kg
Titration
The inert gasses Helium-He-2, Neon-Ne-10, Argon-Ar-18, Krypton-Kr-36, Xenon-Xe-54, and Radon-Rn-86 could not be included in the research. Many of the elements could not be proven with conventional chemical analysis. Through the transfer of frequency patterns by means of wave transference, it was possible to prove the frequency pattern with the aid of frequency spectroscopy. With this, the dectection of elements even smaller than <0.001 ppm was proven.
The research analysis confirmed the holistic properties of the original Himalayan crystal salt. The sodium chloride content is 97.41% and meets the worldwide necessary standards for table salt.
g/kg
Grams per kilogram
DIN
German Standards Institute
ICG
Ionchromatography
AAS
Atom absorbtion spectrometry
TXRF
Total reflection -X-Ray -Floresence-Spectometry
ppm
Parts per million
FSM
Flamespectrometry
FSK
Frequency Spectroscopy

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