Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS10 Human Activities and Their Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems (Environmental Connections; Science and Society Connections)

Date: Monday, February 12, 2001, Time: 4:15:00 PM

Location: La Cienega

Hairston, N, G, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA, NGH1@cornell.edu

Moran, E, C, EcoLogic, LLC, Cazenovia NY, USA, ecmoran@sprintmail.com

Effler, S, W, Upstate Freshwater Institute, Syracuse NY, USA, sweffler@upstatefreshwater.org

Howarth, R, W, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA, RWH2@cornell.edu

COLD HYPOLIMNETIC WATER FOR INSTITUTIONAL AIR CONDITIONING: CORNELL UNIVERSITY'S EXPERIENCE WITH COSTS, BENEFITS AND THE PUBLIC

Cornell University's Lake Source Cooling (LSC) project uses hypolimnetic water from Cayuga Lake for campus-wide central air conditioning. Water circulating through campus piping (closed loop) loses heat to 4°C-lake water via a heat exchanger on shore. Warmed lake water returns 3 m beneath the lake surface through a diffused outfall. LSC eliminates refrigerants, and reduces energy use (>80%) and its associated air emissions. LSC cost $60 Million, required an exploration of potential limnological impacts, and meant coping with a local organization's vocal assertions of impending environmental damage. Possible impacts of LSC, investigated during permitting, include (during construction) a resuspension of sediment-buried pollutants, and (during operation) stimulation of phytoplankton growth through transport of soluble phosphorus to the lake surface, elevation of lake temperatures, entrainment of mysid shrimp and fish, and effects of zebra-mussel controls.. Most of these issues were addressed either by engineering (curtained dredging, screened and lighted intake, mechanical mussel removal) or were determined to be negligible (temperature). Despite counter-assertions, the amount and concentration of P moved by LSC seem well below levels that would cause visible algal blooms.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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