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The FOGHORN
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY
August 12, 2021
Rinaldo Veseliza
Environmental Infrastructure, Pollution and Water Recycling in Coastside/HMB
Article by Susan Kealey
Photos by Dianne Bobko
Rinaldo Veseliza, Registered Architect, AIA and LEED AP, is an international Environmental Architect and Consultant with over 45 years working on major projects. He moved to Half Moon Bay three years ago after living in San Mateo, Santa Monica, Washington DC, New York, Salt Lake City, Jeddah and Detroit where he has designed and managed major development projects in Office Buildings, College Campuses, Hotels, Schools, Housing, Airports and R&D facilities. Rinaldo has incorporated leading edge Green and environmentally responsible solutions to most of his projects, including innovative energy efficient lighting, partition and mobile office systems, pre-fabricated modular housing systems, modular MBR water treatment systems, solar/battery storage systems and microgrid control systems. A partial list of his more than 40 Million Square Feet of his projects include:
•Chrysler Technology Center, Auburn Hills, MI
•CIGNA Headquarters, Bloomfield, CT
•Triad Development, Salt Lake City, UT
•Fort Sill Housing Master Plan, Lawton, OK
•Water Garden Phase 2 Development, Santa Monica, CA
•LAUSD Middle College High School, Los Angeles CA
•LACCD Southwest College, Los Angeles, CA
•New Haven Unified School District, Union City, CA
•Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA
•Marriott Hotel Renovations in Burlingame, Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Rey, CA
•King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, KSA
•Palo Alto Unified School District, Palo Alto, CA
Some of our Coastside challenges include old, crumbling infrastructure that needs replacement; our beaches, rivers, streams, wells and underground aquifers are polluted; potable water is being used for industrial applications, car washing, toilets, showers, landscape irrigation, laundry, cooling towers, and firefighting; we spend millions in waste water secondary treatment; and wind up dumping all the product into the ocean/bay.
We need creative, sustainable solutions to keep pace with our increasing population and our diminishing resources. He is currently working on micro grids for community water recycling and modular water systems which have been around for 20-30 years. Technology has evolved significantly during that time, i.e., leak detection can be automated to issue an alert or even shut down a module.
Currently wastewater is being wasted—water that could be used to irrigate, for industrial use, car washing, firefighting, etc. Rinaldo suggests a de-centralized concept, similar to cell phones. It would be mobile and flexible. This concept has already worked on very large projects which required infrastructure and self sustainability—they are independent and off the grid. Currently sewage spills are a continuing problem. Rather than hiding our infrastructure, we should be aware of it. For example, the SAM plant is clogged with highly toxic materials—see recent HMB Review article. We should treat and use waste water as a resource.
Sewer plants in the Bay Area are in low-lying areas with the treated water going into the bay or the ocean To recycle treated water, it would have to be pumped back up to where the customers are.
The problems: old infrastructure, large budgets, pumping, large facilities…
The punch list for improvement: replenish wells, recycle treated water, recycle sludge, clean up waste, create local micro grids, decentralize utilities…
Just out of college Rinaldo designed airports which included large programs with community involvement. Water treatment plants were included. He worked on developing a water garden in conjunction with the water treatment. They recycled 80-90% of their sewage. Did you know storm water is polluted? It is and it needs to be treated.
Malaibu twenty years ago was much like the Coastside today. They had pollution problems from septic system and there was no way to get treated water back. The Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) is a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind water recycling plant that treats dry weather urban runoff by conventional and advanced treatment systems to remove pollutants such as sediment, oil, grease, and pathogens for beneficial non-potable use. Check out their website—
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/Categories/Urban_Runoff/UR_SMURRF_Info_Sheets.pdf. Treatment systems today are much smaller and very modular. Each build can be its own micro plant.
Q and A
Warren asked how individuals could capture and save water. Rinaldo emphasized that storage is important. Treating, storing underground and, most importantly, don’t let it get to the ocean.
Rinaldo was thanked for an excellent presentation on an important topic. He was given a certificate for the donation to Polio Plus made on his behalf.
Club Meeting - August 12, 2021
Rotary President Joe welcomed the virtual attendees.
Pledge of Allegiance -Warren Barmore
Inspirational Thought - Ed shared some pearls of wisdom from Albert Schweitzer on helping others.
Guests - Gary Warhaftig, Sylvia does Tombe, James Hotchles, Joaquin Jimenez, Paul Gater
HMB Library/Friends of the Library Update
Paul Gater is President of the Friends of the HMB Library. He has succeeded Hope Atmore and was a member of the capital campaign that raised over a million dollars. He wanted to thank us for our recent check. (The Club committed $175,000 to the Library three years ago with an agreement to contribute the total amount over several years.). There is a plaque recognizing our donation to the building fund on the outside wall right where people enter the Library.
The Friends of the Library focus has shifted back to programs. Current funding sources for the programs are Coastside Gives, donations and book sales. Book sales were on hold during quarantine and are starting back up—books for sale are available at the library for now. Currently only Friends of the Library members can donate books.
We thanked him for helping us with the little libraries and we are looking forward to meeting at the library again.
Happy/Crappy News 
Announcements
Joint meeting with the New Zealand Club is scheduled for October 7.
Community Service Updates
Susan reported that she and Dennis recently did a Home Rehab garden job for Senior Coastsiders.
We had a joint clean up at San Pedro Creek with the Pacifica Club, and they will join us for a beach cleanup in the future.
Bill, EJ, Joe and Rose painted some deck railing as a Home Rehab job for Senior Coastsiders.
Mark your calendar - Joaquin announced that there will be a Hispanic Latin American Heritage Festival on September 19 from 12-4. Join the fun which will include a parade, music, food and culture.
Pres. Joe's Weekly 'States of the Union Quiz - UTAH
Today’s state was Utah. Notable things about Utah include—Joe was born there (note to Kevin—fodder for the debunking). It is the Beehive State because people there are close-knit and active. It is the most charitable state, and has the most powder snow, the most parks. So many westerns have been filmed there, and it includes the heaviest organism (quaking Aspens). The Trans Continental RR connected there. Salt Lake City is the only state capital with three words. You will also find Bonneville Salt Flats and the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Next Week - Christine Thorsteinson will discuss “The Big Lift – Bold Adventures in Early Learning and Literacy.
Christine Thorsteinson is the Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Director of Early Childhood Development who works to ensure that all young children in Silicon Valley have access to the care, education, and resources they need to grow and flourish.
Marble Draw 
Postponed until next week.
PHOTO GALLERY
