Parjana Gets Deal To Drain Ponds With High-Tech System
CANTON TWP. (WWJ) -- Ann Arbor-based Aqua-Channel has been awarded a contract by the Michigan Department of Transportation to install the Parjana energy-passive groundwater recharge system at Canton Township's Mettetal Airport.
The system will be used to remove standing storm water in retention ponds, causing it to filter down into the soil.
Mettetal Airport has a high groundwater level, which causes stormwater to remain in the ponds for long periods of time.
Aqua-Channel is a subsidiary of Meadowlark Energy LLC, a provider of energy-efficient building services and energy audits.
Parjana devices are long, narrow tubes with a unique design that harnesses the earth's natural hydrostatic forces and gravity to channel standing water and groundwater close to the surface farther down into the earth. Systems are maintenance free and designed to last well over 50 years.
Invented and patented in Detroit by Andrew Niemczyk, Parjana officials say this technology will revolutionize water management worldwide. Instead of fighting physics, this technology works with natural processes, allowing much larger volumes of surface and subsurface water to safely recharge aquifers without the use of electricity or fossil fuels.
Parjana says its systems can alleviate problems for roads, buildings, farms, airports, municipal storm water systems, and recreational spaces. The Parjana EGRP also naturally channels water towards the surface during dry seasons, which helps soil stay moist, reduces irrigation, and minimizes runoff of polluted water from entering lakes, rivers, and streams.
This technology has wide-reaching applicability and can permanently solve:
• Wet and damp basements -- removes water and conditions that create mold growth in basements, improving foundation durability, and improving indoor air quality
• Degrading foundation walls -- eliminates wet and dry cycles that create hydrostatic pressure and water intrusion on foundation walls
• Flowing water near foundations -- houses that require sump pumps can greatly reduce the flowing water that makes the sump pumps necessary in the first place
• Seasonally wet yards and fields -- naturally pooling water can be diverted whenever present
• Road and driveway degradation -- many roads and driveways deteriorate faster than normal due to subsurface water flow. These roads and driveways can be de-watered, greatly increasing their life span.
• Retention Ponds -- Parjana EGRP helps storm water dissipate faster, thereby reducing the need for retention ponds and other bulk water management systems
• Pressure on municipal storm and sewer systems -- by keeping water on site, Parjana EGRP can reduce pressure on storm water systems and effectively disconnect drains from sewer systems at a fraction of the cost.
"This simple solution is a permanent and ecologically friendly way to work with problem groundwater," said Aqua-Channel president Doug Selby. "With 20 percent of the world's fresh water located in the Great Lakes aquifer, it is fitting that a technology that will have such a profound impact on the world's fresh water supply would be invented here in Southeast Michigan."
The Parjana system will be installed at Mettetal in Canton Township Monday, Oct. 14.
More at www.parjana.com.
