CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB
NEXT WEEK_______________________________________________
Monday, November 3, noon, Read House - Continental Room
Topic: Lego Competition Update - Ed Chapin, Technology Management Associates
You've all heard of the club's involvement in the Lego competition, but are unsure of what all is involved. Well today is your day to have that question answered. Our own Ed Chapin will provide us with a progress report of how the teams and their projects are shaping up. He will share background information about FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and it's founder Dean Kamen. Ed will be showing off the team projects to us and telling us about the state competition for the team on December 6. There will be a local competition rehearsal held on Saturday, November 15 in the Challenger Center at UTC from 1:00 to 3:00pm. The theme this year is "Mission to Mars."
Invocation Chairperson for November: Walt Davies
OUR PREVIOUS MEETING_______________________________________
Dr. Dick Urban, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Water Pollution Control, told us there are no pending permit requests at the state for more inter-basin water transfers. He gave us a list of 17 criteria for issuance of individual permits for Inter-Basin Transfer of Water taken from Rule Chapter 1200-4-13-.05 that can be found on www.state.tn.us/environment/wpc/basin/ibasin.pdf. He also told us about the seven classified uses of water. This and much more may be found at the state’s website on water: www.state.tn.us/environment/water.
Dr. Jim Cunningham, one of ten on the Water Quality Control Board, told us they are appointed by the governor of Tennessee to serve staggered four year terms. They meet two consecutive days each month to review and update rules. They also act as a jury in public hearings. The website for the Water Quality Control Board is: www.state.tn.us/environment/boards/wqcb.
Dr. Charles Bohac, Water Supply Specialist for TVA’s River Operations, has studied water use and modeled it for Tennessee Valley Authority and joint studies with the U.S. Geological Survey. Comments are being taken on eight alternative ways to operate the reservoir system. Each of these alternatives has the essential feature of the ability to meet future water demand in the Valley. Statistics from his talk on Monday included:
Current water use – 12 billion gallons per day (at this rate, it would take 17 days to drain Chickamauga Lake.)
Estimated 2030 use – 14 billion gallons per day
Current consumptive use – 644 million gallons per day
Current inter-basin transfers – 6 million gallons per day
Current Tennessee-Tombigbee transfer – 200 million gallons per day
Estimate 2030 consumptive use 953 million gallons per day
Estimate 2030 inter-basin transfers – 27
Estimate 2030 Tennessee-Tombigbee transfer – 393 million gallons per day
For more details about the two year long reservoir operations study, please visit: www.tva.gov/feature_rostudy/index.htm.
ELECTION OF OFFICER ______________________________________
Election of officers for next year will be held at our regular meeting on November 24. If you are interested in being a candidate or would like to suggest someone as candidate, please get in touch with Uwe Zitzow (uwe@chattanooga.net or 756-4321) or Lulu Copeland (lulu.copeland@chattanoogastate.edu or 697-3212). Any nominations must have had the consent of the proposed candidate. The nominating committee has proposed Jim Barrott as candidate for the position of Secretary. A second candidate for that office, as required by the club by-laws, has not yet been established.
FUTURE MONDAY MEETINGS_____________________________________
November 17: Alabama Water Issues - Trey Glenn, Director of the Office of Water Resources Division for the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs
November 24: Remotely Controlled Laboratory at UTC - Dr. James Henry, Univ. of Tenn. at Chattanooga
December 1: Farming Goes High Tech - Mark Downing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
December 6: Christmas Dinner at 6 p.m. - Stone Fort Inn, 120 East 10th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402 www.stonefortinn.com
December 8: The August 2003 Blackout - Terry Boston, Tennessee Valley Authority
(Joint meeting with the Power Engineering Society)
WHERE WE MEET ____________________________________________
In November, we will be meeting at the Read House - Continental Room in downtown Chattanooga. We may continue to park at the Days Inn on Carter Street (being sure to leave a notice on your dashboard that indicates you are attending the Chattanooga Engineers Club meeting). A map showing the location of the Read House may be found at http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org/ReadHouse.gif.
QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS? ______________________________
If you have any questions or suggestions about program items please call Brad Baucom at 423-648-3582 or email him at baucombe@epb.net. You can find references to other Chattanooga Engineers Club members at our web site: www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org.