[Question] Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

[SailorTweek]

At the beginning of the New Year, Disneyland will drain the Rivers of America to start work on a 5 month referb. I find this absolutely fascinating! ^_^ I know it's incredibly odd, but I've always wanted to see what it all looks like drained. (How deep is it really? I want to see the tracks! and so on and so forth)

According to this article, the drained water of both the Rviers of America and the DCA Lagoon is to be/was recylced. Recycled how? Do they store it all in huge tanks to put back into the lagoon/river? or is it used to water the plants? or is it used to power the steam locomotives?

Does anyone know?

[tech4all]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

Here's a site that has pics of the ROA when drained: Construction of Disneyland's Fantasmic!

The ROA are not that deep. Maybe 5-6 feet at the most. Not sure where the water goes when it's drained.

[Guest]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

The OC register has an article on the recycle process here.

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

With Paradise Lagoon the water was sent to the Orange County Sanitation Districtnin Fountain Valley where it was treated and sent through pipes to an underground aquifer near Anaheim. This water was used to refill they lagoon. About 85% of the water in there now is the water that was originally in it. I am guessing they will do the same with the ROA.

I would think after the ROA project is complete, this system will be used for what it was intended for. And that would be to replenish a portion of Anaheim's drinking water from filtered water from the Sanitation District. Now there's something to think about when you take a sip from a Disneyland drinking fountain in the ner future!

[Mac Daddy]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

With Paradise Lagoon the water was sent to the Orange County Sanitation Districtnin Fountain Valley where it was treated and sent through pipes to an underground aquifer near Anaheim. This water was used to refill they lagoon. About 85% of the water in there now is the water that was originally in it. I am guessing they will do the same with the ROA.

I would think after the ROA project is complete, this system will be used for what it was intended for. And that would be to replenish a portion of Anaheim's drinking water from filtered water from the Sanitation District. Now there's something to think about when you take a sip from a Disneyland drinking fountain in the ner future!

I would think they would put it in large barrels and bury it somewhere in the Nevada desert. I mean....that water practically glows at night. I can't imagine someone ever drinking that stuff...no matter how much it's been treated. Too bad they can't figure out a way to use it just for landscaping...although it would probably kill the plants.

[Guest]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

^Just because its dyed doesn't mean its poisonous or a bio hazard.

Of course the water in Anahiem was barely drinkable anyway. Had to gag that liquid flourine/chlorine down.

[FantasmicDragon]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

^Just because its dyed doesn't mean its poisonous or a bio hazard.

Of course the water in Anahiem was barely drinkable anyway. Had to gag that liquid flourine/chlorine down.

I agree. The water in ROA is perfectly safe to drink.

[Dopey's Girl]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

I agree. The water in ROA is perfectly safe to drink.

You go first!

[Guest]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

I agree. The water in ROA is perfectly safe to drink.

Now now, it does require treatment considering that birds can uhmmm... yea, and things get spilled and dropped into it, but it is just like any other water source which requires purification. After that, its all good.

[Bruce Bergman]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

I would think they would put it in large barrels and bury it somewhere in the Nevada desert. I mean....that water practically glows at night. I can't imagine someone ever drinking that stuff...no matter how much it's been treated. Too bad they can't figure out a way to use it just for landscaping...although it would probably kill the plants.

Now now! Is that any way for a Mod to talk??

The water in the ROA isn't *that* bad, the Health Department does monitor it. You own a private river or lake like that, and they can force you to remediate health concerns - setup oxygenation bubblers and add bulk chemicals to kill little beasties building up, add AquaShade dye to cut the algae (it's not just for looks!), stock with fish to create an ecosystem that will eat the algae and mosquito larvae and junk...

I know several people who have full-time jobs managing and maintaining small recreational lakes, dealing with all the health concerns, maintaining the docks and access, etc. Because when their pumps break, or the lights and outlets fail at the docks, I get called.

The water will be used for landscaping when Disney is done with it. It goes into the sanitary sewers and through the regional sewer plant for treatment, and then piped into the Reclaimed Water mains system. And from there either to the spreading basins for storage and percolation, or tapped off by other reclaimed water users - golf courses, playgrounds, large landscaping systems at schools and commercial buildings and residential complexes, other small lakes and ornamental water features.

And the water going into the Reclaimed system is technically clean enough to drink again when it leaves the plant - it just isn't chlorinated enough. So they make you flag the plumbing with purple paint/colorant, and place the "Do Not Drink" signs and tags as a precaution.

When they are ready to refill the ROA they draw from the same reclaimed water mains system. It's probably not the same exact water drop for drop, because it's been several months. Don't worry, there's enough plant output to handle the job.

Just remember, when you see a Landscapers truck go by with a load of bright purple plastic pipe on top, he is irrigating that golf course or condo complex with reclaimed water, and saving the "first run" water for your house.

--<< Bruce >>--

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

Very interesting, Bruce.

[Witches of Morva]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

ORWEN: I just always assumed the drained water went to Water Heaven!

[Bruce Bergman]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

The intertesting part is, they tell you what I just said - but they hide the real world terms it in flowery and benign bafflegab language so you don't realize what they said.

The opponents of this process derisively scream that it should be called "Toilet To Tap" -as if Mother Nature herself hasn't been doing the EXACT SAME THING for the past few billion years.

The waste water is sent out to the ocean, then it evaporates, then the clouds rain on the mountains, and the water is captured from the mountains, or it sinks into the earth and is pumped from a well, and used for drinking. Or the waste water was discharged on the ground and sank in, and the water has to percolate through thousands of feet of dirt and rock (think of it as filter media) till it gets to a fresh water well farther down the hill.

All we have done is used "Technology!" to speed up the process - rather than waiting for the water to go out to the ocean and do the whole thermodynamic cycle, we collect the water and pipe it away, clean it up in the treatment plant back to drinkable status, and send it to the spreading basins - usually a big gravel bed in a dry riverbed. And there the reclaimed water sinks back into the earth and goes through thousands of feet of dirt and rocks (finishing filter media again!) before it makes it back to the nearest water well.

Only takes a day to make the loop from Waste Water to Reclaimed Water, and a few months (to a few years depending on the strata) to percolate through the aquifer and be called Fresh Well Water again. And even after all that, we're still going to send that well water through a water treatment plant to be absolutely sure.

I hate bafflegab - but it has it's purposes, because real explanations take a whole lot longer. And the NIMBYs inevitably latch onto a few key words and start screaming "The Sky is FALLING!"

--<< Bruce >>--

[Mighty Mikerscope]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

...
"Rivers of America to be drained-what do they do with the water?"

Two words: Mint Juleps

[Guest]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

The intertesting part is, they tell you what I just said - but they hide the real world terms it in flowery and benign bafflegab language so you don't realize what they said.

The opponents of this process derisively scream that it should be called "Toilet To Tap" -as if Mother Nature herself hasn't been doing the EXACT SAME THING for the past few billion years.

The waste water is sent out to the ocean, then it evaporates, then the clouds rain on the mountains, and the water is captured from the mountains, or it sinks into the earth and is pumped from a well, and used for drinking. Or the waste water was discharged on the ground and sank in, and the water has to percolate through thousands of feet of dirt and rock (think of it as filter media) till it gets to a fresh water well farther down the hill.

All we have done is used "Technology!" to speed up the process - rather than waiting for the water to go out to the ocean and do the whole thermodynamic cycle, we collect the water and pipe it away, clean it up in the treatment plant back to drinkable status, and send it to the spreading basins - usually a big gravel bed in a dry riverbed. And there the reclaimed water sinks back into the earth and goes through thousands of feet of dirt and rocks (finishing filter media again!) before it makes it back to the nearest water well.

Only takes a day to make the loop from Waste Water to Reclaimed Water, and a few months (to a few years depending on the strata) to percolate through the aquifer and be called Fresh Well Water again. And even after all that, we're still going to send that well water through a water treatment plant to be absolutely sure.

I hate bafflegab - but it has it's purposes, because real explanations take a whole lot longer. And the NIMBYs inevitably latch onto a few key words and start screaming "The Sky is FALLING!"

--<< Bruce >>--

People are good at not noticing these kinds of things though... There are thousands of examples

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

...
"Rivers of America to be drained-what do they do with the water?"

Two words: Mint Juleps

EWWWWW :lol:

[WALL-E]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

According to this article[/URL], the drained water of both the Rviers of America and the DCA Lagoon is to be/was recylced. Recycled how?

Now you know why they give you so much ice in your soda, and why it tastes funny.

[SoCalbma]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

Here's a site that has pics of the ROA when drained: Construction of Disneyland's Fantasmic!

The ROA are not that deep. Maybe 5-6 feet at the most. Not sure where the water goes when it's drained.

IMO, I think ROA is more than 10 feet deep. Why? because the picture never tell the real depth. Is like an optical illusion.

When I took picture and recorded paradise pier when there was no water. I show the pictures/video to all my friends and my dad and they said "OMG is not that deep," but in reality its really deep at about 20 feet deep in the center.

Picture never tell the truth.

[Cowboy Jim]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

Thanks to Bruce B. Your posts make this seem like THe Education Channel sometimes - I always learn something new and useful.

[Kritter]

Re: Rivers of American to be drained-what do they do with the water?

All the water will be transferred to Jungle Cruise... Let's hope the animals, tribe members and plants enjoy a good flood!