Papakura railway station

# Papakura railway station

## Abstract

Papakura railway station is a station of the Auckland railway network located in Papakura, New Zealand. It is served by the Southern Line. It is accessed from Railway Street West and Ron Keat Drive.

## History

The station was opened on 20 May 1875, as part of the Auckland and Mercer Railway on 20 May 1875, built by Brogden & Co, when it was extended from Penrose. On 2 October 1874 a deputation asked for the contractor to run trains from Penrose to Papakura and some services were available from October 1874. For example, Brogden & Sons ran excursion trains to Drury that month.

Initially Papakura was served by 2 trains a day. By 1879 there were 3 trains a day, the fastest taking 1hr 9mins for the 19 mi (31 km) from Auckland. Papakura became the terminus of an improved suburban service in 1913. WAB Class locomotives were introduced to suburban services in 1922, but the coaching stock appears from photos to have been unchanged in 1966. With double tracking, suburban trains were speeded up in 1931, the fastest taking 49 minutes. Suburban Sunday trains at low fares were introduced in 1933. From 1938 to 1950 many trains carried troops to and from the Military Camp. Trains calling at Papakura have included The Overlander, Northerner (in 1975 the platform was extended to 200 m (660 ft) for the Northerner), Northern Explorer, Silver Fern (from 19 September 1977), Waikato Connection, Geyserland Express, Thames Express (from 1921), Taneatua Express and Kaimai Express.

Plantations were established near many railway stations for beautification and, possibly, to provide timber for railway construction. Papakura's railway reserve was planted in 1883, with oaks and blue gums, and was protected in 1935. It was renamed Massey Park in 1939. Some of the trees remain.

By 1884 Papakura had a 4th class station, platform, cart approach, 60 ft (18 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed (extended by 80 ft (24 m) in 1921), loading bank, cattle yards, stationmaster's house, urinals and a passing loop for 37 wagons (extended to 70 in 1905). From 1882 to 1913 a Post Office was run by railway staff. In 1885 the station was moved 4 ch (80 m) to the other side of the line. A verandah was added in 1905, sheep yards in 1911 and an engine shed between 1913 and 1917.

In 1920 the first sod was turned for a new station. In 1921 a new yard came into use, with a siding capacity of 450 wagons, together with an island platform, station building, a 55 ft (17 m) turntable replaced by one of 18.9 m (62 ft) by 1988) and several railway houses. By 1922 only the overhead footbridges were unfinished and the old building was being removed. Electric replaced oil lamps in 1926. With increasing suburban traffic, work started in 1938 on a new ticket office, carpark, bridge and platform. On 9 September 1940 a new 400 ft (120 m) suburban platform on the west of the station was brought into use. The station building was again rebuilt in 1983.

Tablet instruments were installed in 1904, fixed signals in 1905, distant signals in 1916 and electric interlocked signalling in 1927.

Duplication of the tracks between Papatoetoe and Papakura started in 1929 as an employment relief scheme and was completed on 29 March 1931. Doubling between Papakura and Paerata was completed on 3 December 1939.

On 3 November 1986 Papakura closed to goods traffic, but re-opened temporarily in 1987 to take glass for recycling. A report in 1987 said the goods shed and a shunting tractor had been removed, but another in 1990 said there was a goods shed.

Prior to October 2012, the station had an island platform between the main lines, complete with original wooden station building and signal panel, and a suburban side platform to the west. It had a bowstring footbridge connecting the platforms, which dated from at least the 1930s, constructed of old railway iron and sleepers.

### Upgrades

In 2007, the island platform was extended to the north, and new shelters were installed. Sidings were commissioned at the east of the station yard for stabling trains overnight. The heritage footbridge was demolished and scrapped, despite some local opposition, and replaced with a concrete bridge with two passenger lifts. The upgrade cost NZ$ 4,900,000 and was paid for as part of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority 's (ARTA) system-wide upgrade of stations. Platforms were lengthened to enable six-car trains, because of anticipated growth in passenger numbers. 3,000 people passed through each day as of 2007, and another thousand were anticipated to use the station within five years. The new station was the seventh station to be redeveloped by ARTA in 2007.

In 2012–2013, KiwiRail funded a significant upgrade as part of the Auckland railway electrification project, and to provide resiliency for suburban trains and freight trains heading south. The signalling was completely replaced; the signal panel had been commissioned over 80 years ago. The heritage station building was relocated to the western suburban platform, Platform 3, on 11 August 2012. The building was refurbished and restored, and contains the preserved signal panel on display, a ticket office, public toilets and space for a coffee kiosk. The North Island Main Trunk was slewed to the east, with the island Platforms 1 and 2 adjacent to the up main line to Auckland, typically serving suburban trains from Waitematā to Pukekohe. The western suburban platform, Platform 3, was lengthened, and a new bay platform, Platform 4, at its southern extremity was constructed to serve DMU shuttles to Pukekohe until 2022 when construction for electrification to Pukekohe began.

Bus stops are directly outside the ticket office, with the old bus stops on the station side of Railway Street West now only used for intercity services, and "rail buses" that operate when the railway network is shut down.

## Services

### Rail

The station is the terminus for suburban passenger trains on the Southern Line, which was electrified in 2015. An hourly diesel train shuttle service ran between Papakura and Pukekohe on non-electrified track using DMUs until 2022, when electrification works began.

The station is the terminus of the revived Waikato Connection, the Te Huia.

In May 2012, Auckland Transport 's board included an investigation to extend electrified services to Pukekohe in its 10-year integrated transport plan. In April 2018, it was announced that electrification would be extended south to Pukekohe; see Auckland railway electrification.

### Buses

Papakura is served by bus routes 33, 365, 372, 373, 376, 377 and 378.

## Gallery


Sewage treatment

# Sewage treatment

## Abstract

Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water pollution from raw sewage discharges. Sewage contains wastewater from households and businesses and possibly pre-treated industrial wastewater. There are a high number of sewage treatment processes to choose from. These can range from decentralized systems (including on-site treatment systems) to large centralized systems involving a network of pipes and pump stations (called sewerage) which convey the sewage to a treatment plant. For cities that have a combined sewer, the sewers will also carry urban runoff (stormwater) to the sewage treatment plant. Sewage treatment often involves two main stages, called primary and secondary treatment, while advanced treatment also incorporates a tertiary treatment stage with polishing processes and nutrient removal. Secondary treatment can reduce organic matter (measured as biological oxygen demand) from sewage, using aerobic or anaerobic biological processes. A so-called quarternary treatment step (sometimes referred to as advanced treatment) can also be added for the removal of organic micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals. This has been implemented in full-scale for example in Sweden.

A large number of sewage treatment technologies have been developed, mostly using biological treatment processes. Design engineers and decision makers need to take into account technical and economical criteria of each alternative when choosing a suitable technology. Often, the main criteria for selection are: desired effluent quality, expected construction and operating costs, availability of land, energy requirements and sustainability aspects. In developing countries and in rural areas with low population densities, sewage is often treated by various on-site sanitation systems and not conveyed in sewers. These systems include septic tanks connected to drain fields, on-site sewage systems (OSS), vermifilter systems and many more. On the other hand, advanced and relatively expensive sewage treatment plants may include tertiary treatment with disinfection and possibly even a fourth treatment stage to remove micropollutants.

At the global level, an estimated 52% of sewage is treated. However, sewage treatment rates are highly unequal for different countries around the world. For example, while high-income countries treat approximately 74% of their sewage, developing countries treat an average of just 4.2%.

The treatment of sewage is part of the field of sanitation. Sanitation also includes the management of human waste and solid waste as well as stormwater (drainage) management. The term sewage treatment plant is often used interchangeably with the term wastewater treatment plant.

## Terminology

The term sewage treatment plant (STP) (or sewage treatment works) is nowadays often replaced with the term wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Strictly speaking, the latter is a broader term that can also refer to industrial wastewater treatment.

The terms water recycling center or water reclamation plants are also in use as synonyms.

## Purposes and overview

The overall aim of treating sewage is to produce an effluent that can be discharged to the environment while causing as little water pollution as possible, or to produce an effluent that can be reused in a useful manner. This is achieved by removing contaminants from the sewage. It is a form of waste management.

With regards to biological treatment of sewage, the treatment objectives can include various degrees of the following: to transform or remove organic matter, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), pathogenic organisms, and specific trace organic constituents (micropollutants).

Some types of sewage treatment produce sewage sludge which can be treated before safe disposal or reuse. Under certain circumstances, the treated sewage sludge might be termed biosolids and can be used as a fertilizer.

## Sewage characteristics

Typical values for physical–chemical characteristics of raw sewage in developing countries have been published as follows: 180 g/person/d for total solids (or 1100 mg/L when expressed as a concentration), 50 g/person/d for BOD (300 mg/L), 100 g/person/d for COD (600 mg/L), 8 g/person/d for total nitrogen (45 mg/L), 4.5 g/person/d for ammonia-N (25 mg/L) and 1.0 g/person/d for total phosphorus (7 mg/L). The typical ranges for these values are: 120–220 g/person/d for total solids (or 700–1350 mg/L when expressed as a concentration), 40–60 g/person/d for BOD (250–400 mg/L), 80–120 g/person/d for COD (450–800 mg/L), 6–10 g/person/d for total nitrogen (35–60 mg/L), 3.5–6 g/person/d for ammonia-N (20–35 mg/L) and 0.7–2.5 g/person/d for total phosphorus (4–15 mg/L).

## Collection

Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff (stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and screening chambers of the combined sewer or sanitary sewer. Sewerage ends at the entry to a sewage treatment plant or at the point of discharge into the environment. It is the system of pipes, chambers, manholes or inspection chamber, etc. that conveys the sewage or storm water.

## Types of treatment processes

Sewage can be treated close to where the sewage is created, which may be called a decentralized system or even an on-site system (on-site sewage facility, septic tanks, etc.). Alternatively, sewage can be collected and transported by a network of pipes and pump stations to a municipal treatment plant. This is called a centralized system (see also sewerage and pipes and infrastructure).

A large number of sewage treatment technologies have been developed, mostly using biological treatment processes (see list of wastewater treatment technologies). Very broadly, they can be grouped into high tech (high cost) versus low tech (low cost) options, although some technologies might fall into either category. Other grouping classifications are intensive or mechanized systems (more compact, and frequently employing high tech options) versus extensive or natural or nature-based systems (usually using natural treatment processes and occupying larger areas) systems. This classification may be sometimes oversimplified, because a treatment plant may involve a combination of processes, and the interpretation of the concepts of high tech and low tech, intensive and extensive, mechanized and natural processes may vary from place to place.

### Low tech, extensive or nature-based processes

Examples for more low-tech, often less expensive sewage treatment systems are shown below. They often use little or no energy. Some of these systems do not provide a high level of treatment, or only treat part of the sewage (for example only the toilet wastewater), or they only provide pre-treatment, like septic tanks. On the other hand, some systems are capable of providing a good performance, satisfactory for several applications. Many of these systems are based on natural treatment processes, requiring large areas, while others are more compact. In most cases, they are used in rural areas or in small to medium-sized communities.

For example, waste stabilization ponds are a low cost treatment option with practically no energy requirements but they require a lot of land. Due to their technical simplicity, most of the savings (compared with high tech systems) are in terms of operation and maintenance costs.

- Anaerobic digester types and anaerobic digestion, for example: Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor Septic tank Imhoff tank

- Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor

- Septic tank

- Imhoff tank

- Constructed wetland (see also biofilters)

- Decentralized wastewater system

- Nature-based solutions

- On-site sewage facility

- Sand filter

- Vermifilter

- Waste stabilization pond with sub-types: e.g. Facultative ponds, high rate ponds, maturation ponds

- e.g. Facultative ponds, high rate ponds, maturation ponds

Examples for systems that can provide full or partial treatment for toilet wastewater only:

- Composting toilet (see also dry toilets in general)

- Urine-diverting dry toilet

- Vermifilter toilet

### High tech, intensive or mechanized processes

Examples for more high-tech, intensive or mechanized, often relatively expensive sewage treatment systems are listed below. Some of them are energy intensive as well. Many of them provide a very high level of treatment. For example, broadly speaking, the activated sludge process achieves a high effluent quality but is relatively expensive and energy intensive.

- Activated sludge systems

- Aerobic treatment system

- Enhanced biological phosphorus removal

- Expanded granular sludge bed digestion

- Filtration

- Membrane bioreactor

- Moving bed biofilm reactor

- Rotating biological contactor

- Trickling filter

- Ultraviolet disinfection

### Disposal or treatment options

There are other process options which may be classified as disposal options, although they can also be understood as basic treatment options. These include: Application of sludge, irrigation, soak pit, leach field, fish pond, floating plant pond, water disposal/ groundwater recharge, surface disposal and storage.

The application of sewage to land is both: a type of treatment and a type of final disposal. It leads to groundwater recharge and/or to evapotranspiration. Land application include slow-rate systems, rapid infiltration, subsurface infiltration, overland flow. It is done by flooding, furrows, sprinkler and dripping. It is a treatment/disposal system that requires a large amount of land per person.

## Design aspects

### Population equivalent

The per person organic matter load is a parameter used in the design of sewage treatment plants. This concept is known as population equivalent (PE). The base value used for PE can vary from one country to another. Commonly used definitions used worldwide are: 1 PE equates to 60 gram of BOD per person per day, and it also equals 200 liters of sewage per day. This concept is also used as a comparison parameter to express the strength of industrial wastewater compared to sewage.

### Process selection

When choosing a suitable sewage treatment process, decision makers need to take into account technical and economical criteria. Therefore, each analysis is site-specific. A life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used, and criteria or weightings are attributed to the various aspects. This makes the final decision subjective to some extent. A range of publications exist to help with technology selection.

In industrialized countries, the most important parameters in process selection are typically efficiency, reliability, and space requirements. In developing countries, they might be different and the focus might be more on construction and operating costs as well as process simplicity.

Choosing the most suitable treatment process is complicated and requires expert inputs, often in the form of feasibility studies. This is because the main important factors to be considered when evaluating and selecting sewage treatment processes are numerous. They include: process applicability, applicable flow, acceptable flow variation, influent characteristics, inhibiting or refractory compounds, climatic aspects, process kinetics and reactor hydraulics, performance, treatment residuals, sludge processing, environmental constraints, requirements for chemical products, energy and other resources; requirements for personnel, operating and maintenance; ancillary processes, reliability, complexity, compatibility, area availability.

With regards to environmental impacts of sewage treatment plants the following aspects are included in the selection process: Odors, vector attraction, sludge transportation, sanitary risks, air contamination, soil and subsoil contamination, surface water pollution or groundwater contamination, devaluation of nearby areas, inconvenience to the nearby population.

### Odor control

Odors emitted by sewage treatment are typically an indication of an anaerobic or septic condition. Early stages of processing will tend to produce foul-smelling gases, with hydrogen sulfide being most common in generating complaints. Large process plants in urban areas will often treat the odors with carbon reactors, a contact media with bio-slimes, small doses of chlorine, or circulating fluids to biologically capture and metabolize the noxious gases. Other methods of odor control exist, including addition of iron salts, hydrogen peroxide, calcium nitrate, etc. to manage hydrogen sulfide levels.

### Energy requirements

The energy requirements vary with type of treatment process as well as sewage strength. For example, constructed wetlands and stabilization ponds have low energy requirements. In comparison, the activated sludge process has a high energy consumption because it includes an aeration step. Some sewage treatment plants produce biogas from their sewage sludge treatment process by using a process called anaerobic digestion. This process can produce enough energy to meet most of the energy needs of the sewage treatment plant itself.

For activated sludge treatment plants in the United States, around 30 percent of the annual operating costs is usually required for energy. Most of this electricity is used for aeration, pumping systems and equipment for the dewatering and drying of sewage sludge. Advanced sewage treatment plants, e.g. for nutrient removal, require more energy than plants that only achieve primary or secondary treatment.

Small rural plants using trickling filters may operate with no net energy requirements, the whole process being driven by gravitational flow, including tipping bucket flow distribution and the desludging of settlement tanks to drying beds. This is usually only practical in hilly terrain and in areas where the treatment plant is relatively remote from housing because of the difficulty in managing odors.

### Co-treatment of industrial effluent

In highly regulated developed countries, industrial wastewater usually receives at least pretreatment if not full treatment at the factories themselves to reduce the pollutant load, before discharge to the sewer. The pretreatment has the following two main aims: Firstly, to prevent toxic or inhibitory compounds entering the biological stage of the sewage treatment plant and reduce its efficiency. And secondly to avoid toxic compounds from accumulating in the produced sewage sludge which would reduce its beneficial reuse options. Some industrial wastewater may contain pollutants which cannot be removed by sewage treatment plants. Also, variable flow of industrial waste associated with production cycles may upset the population dynamics of biological treatment units.

### Non-sewered areas

Urban residents in many parts of the world rely on on-site sanitation systems without sewers, such as septic tanks and pit latrines, and fecal sludge management in these cities is an enormous challenge.

For sewage treatment the use of septic tanks and other on-site sewage facilities (OSSF) is widespread in some rural areas, for example serving up to 20 percent of the homes in the U.S.

## Available process steps

Sewage treatment often involves two main stages, called primary and secondary treatment, while advanced treatment also incorporates a tertiary treatment stage with polishing processes. Different types of sewage treatment may utilize some or all of the process steps listed below.

### Preliminary treatment

Preliminary treatment (sometimes called pretreatment) removes coarse materials that can be easily collected from the raw sewage before they damage or clog the pumps and sewage lines of primary treatment clarifiers.

#### Screening

The influent in sewage water passes through a bar screen to remove all large objects like cans, rags, sticks, plastic packets, etc. carried in the sewage stream. This is most commonly done with an automated mechanically raked bar screen in modern plants serving large populations, while in smaller or less modern plants, a manually cleaned screen may be used. The raking action of a mechanical bar screen is typically paced according to the accumulation on the bar screens and/or flow rate. The solids are collected and later disposed in a landfill, or incinerated. Bar screens or mesh screens of varying sizes may be used to optimize solids removal. If gross solids are not removed, they become entrained in pipes and moving parts of the treatment plant, and can cause substantial damage and inefficiency in the process.

#### Grit removal

Grit consists of sand, gravel, rocks, and other heavy materials. Preliminary treatment may include a sand or grit removal channel or chamber, where the velocity of the incoming sewage is reduced to allow the settlement of grit. Grit removal is necessary to (1) reduce formation of deposits in primary sedimentation tanks, aeration tanks, anaerobic digesters, pipes, channels, etc. (2) reduce the frequency of tank cleaning caused by excessive accumulation of grit; and (3) protect moving mechanical equipment from abrasion and accompanying abnormal wear. The removal of grit is essential for equipment with closely machined metal surfaces such as comminutors, fine screens, centrifuges, heat exchangers, and high pressure diaphragm pumps.

Grit chambers come in three types: horizontal grit chambers, aerated grit chambers, and vortex grit chambers. Vortex grit chambers include mechanically induced vortex, hydraulically induced vortex, and multi-tray vortex separators. Given that traditionally, grit removal systems have been designed to remove clean inorganic particles that are greater than 0.210 millimetres (0.0083 in), most of the finer grit passes through the grit removal flows under normal conditions. During periods of high flow deposited grit is resuspended and the quantity of grit reaching the treatment plant increases substantially.

#### Flow equalization

Equalization basins can be used to achieve flow equalization. This is especially useful for combined sewer systems which produce peak dry-weather flows or peak wet-weather flows that are much higher than the average flows. Such basins can improve the performance of the biological treatment processes and the secondary clarifiers.

Disadvantages include the basins' capital cost and space requirements. Basins can also provide a place to temporarily hold, dilute and distribute batch discharges of toxic or high-strength wastewater which might otherwise inhibit biological secondary treatment (such was wastewater from portable toilets or fecal sludge that is brought to the sewage treatment plant in vacuum trucks). Flow equalization basins require variable discharge control, typically include provisions for bypass and cleaning, and may also include aerators and odor control.

#### Fat and grease removal

In some larger plants, fat and grease are removed by passing the sewage through a small tank where skimmers collect the fat floating on the surface. Air blowers in the base of the tank may also be used to help recover the fat as a froth. Many plants, however, use primary clarifiers with mechanical surface skimmers for fat and grease removal.

### Primary treatment

Primary treatment is the "removal of a portion of the suspended solids and organic matter from the sewage". It consists of allowing sewage to pass slowly through a basin where heavy solids can settle to the bottom while oil, grease and lighter solids float to the surface and are skimmed off. These basins are called primary sedimentation tanks or primary clarifiers and typically have a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The settled and floating materials are removed and the remaining liquid may be discharged or subjected to secondary treatment. Primary settling tanks are usually equipped with mechanically driven scrapers that continually drive the collected sludge towards a hopper in the base of the tank where it is pumped to sludge treatment facilities.

Sewage treatment plants that are connected to a combined sewer system sometimes have a bypass arrangement after the primary treatment unit. This means that during very heavy rainfall events, the secondary and tertiary treatment systems can be bypassed to protect them from hydraulic overloading, and the mixture of sewage and storm-water receives primary treatment only.

Primary sedimentation tanks remove about 50–70% of the suspended solids, and 25–40% of the biological oxygen demand (BOD).

### Secondary treatment

The main processes involved in secondary sewage treatment are designed to remove as much of the solid material as possible. They use biological processes to digest and remove the remaining soluble material, especially the organic fraction. This can be done with either suspended-growth or biofilm processes. The microorganisms that feed on the organic matter present in the sewage grow and multiply, constituting the biological solids, or biomass. These grow and group together in the form of flocs or biofilms and, in some specific processes, as granules. The biological floc or biofilm and remaining fine solids form a sludge which can be settled and separated. After separation, a liquid remains that is almost free of solids, and with a greatly reduced concentration of pollutants.

Secondary treatment can reduce organic matter (measured as biological oxygen demand) from sewage, using aerobic or anaerobic processes. The organisms involved in these processes are sensitive to the presence of toxic materials, although these are not expected to be present at high concentrations in typical municipal sewage.

### Tertiary treatment

Advanced sewage treatment generally involves three main stages, called primary, secondary and tertiary treatment but may also include intermediate stages and final polishing processes. The purpose of tertiary treatment (also called advanced treatment) is to provide a final treatment stage to further improve the effluent quality before it is discharged to the receiving water body or reused. More than one tertiary treatment process may be used at any treatment plant. If disinfection is practiced, it is always the final process. It is also called effluent polishing. Tertiary treatment may include biological nutrient removal (alternatively, this can be classified as secondary treatment), disinfection and removal of micropollutants, such as environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants.

Tertiary treatment is sometimes defined as anything more than primary and secondary treatment in order to allow discharge into a highly sensitive or fragile ecosystem such as estuaries, low-flow rivers or coral reefs. Treated water is sometimes disinfected chemically or physically (for example, by lagoons and microfiltration) prior to discharge into a stream, river, bay, lagoon or wetland, or it can be used for the irrigation of a golf course, greenway or park. If it is sufficiently clean, it can also be used for groundwater recharge or agricultural purposes.

Sand filtration removes much of the residual suspended matter. Filtration over activated carbon, also called carbon adsorption, removes residual toxins. Micro filtration or synthetic membranes are used in membrane bioreactors and can also remove pathogens.

Settlement and further biological improvement of treated sewage may be achieved through storage in large human-made ponds or lagoons. These lagoons are highly aerobic, and colonization by native macrophytes, especially reeds, is often encouraged.

### Disinfection

Disinfection of treated sewage aims to kill pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) prior to disposal. It is increasingly effective after more elements of the foregoing treatment sequence have been completed. The purpose of disinfection in the treatment of sewage is to substantially reduce the number of pathogens in the water to be discharged back into the environment or to be reused. The target level of reduction of biological contaminants like pathogens is often regulated by the presiding governmental authority. The effectiveness of disinfection depends on the quality of the water being treated (e.g. turbidity, pH, etc.), the type of disinfection being used, the disinfectant dosage (concentration and time), and other environmental variables. Water with high turbidity will be treated less successfully, since solid matter can shield organisms, especially from ultraviolet light or if contact times are low. Generally, short contact times, low doses and high flows all militate against effective disinfection. Common methods of disinfection include ozone, chlorine, ultraviolet light, or sodium hypochlorite. Monochloramine, which is used for drinking water, is not used in the treatment of sewage because of its persistence.

Chlorination remains the most common form of treated sewage disinfection in many countries due to its low cost and long-term history of effectiveness. One disadvantage is that chlorination of residual organic material can generate chlorinated-organic compounds that may be carcinogenic or harmful to the environment. Residual chlorine or chloramines may also be capable of chlorinating organic material in the natural aquatic environment. Further, because residual chlorine is toxic to aquatic species, the treated effluent must also be chemically dechlorinated, adding to the complexity and cost of treatment.

Ultraviolet (UV) light can be used instead of chlorine, iodine, or other chemicals. Because no chemicals are used, the treated water has no adverse effect on organisms that later consume it, as may be the case with other methods. UV radiation causes damage to the genetic structure of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, making them incapable of reproduction. The key disadvantages of UV disinfection are the need for frequent lamp maintenance and replacement and the need for a highly treated effluent to ensure that the target microorganisms are not shielded from the UV radiation (i.e., any solids present in the treated effluent may protect microorganisms from the UV light). In many countries, UV light is becoming the most common means of disinfection because of the concerns about the impacts of chlorine in chlorinating residual organics in the treated sewage and in chlorinating organics in the receiving water.

As with UV treatment, heat sterilization also does not add chemicals to the water being treated. However, unlike UV, heat can penetrate liquids that are not transparent. Heat disinfection can also penetrate solid materials within wastewater, sterilizing their contents. Thermal effluent decontamination systems provide low resource, low maintenance effluent decontamination once installed.

Ozone (O) is generated by passing oxygen (O) through a high voltage potential resulting in a third oxygen atom becoming attached and forming O. Ozone is very unstable and reactive and oxidizes most organic material it comes in contact with, thereby destroying many pathogenic microorganisms. Ozone is considered to be safer than chlorine because, unlike chlorine which has to be stored on site (highly poisonous in the event of an accidental release), ozone is generated on-site as needed from the oxygen in the ambient air. Ozonation also produces fewer disinfection by-products than chlorination. A disadvantage of ozone disinfection is the high cost of the ozone generation equipment and the requirements for special operators. Ozone sewage treatment requires the use of an ozone generator, which decontaminates the water as ozone bubbles percolate through the tank.

Membranes can also be effective disinfectants, because they act as barriers, avoiding the passage of the microorganisms. As a result, the final effluent may be devoid of pathogenic organisms, depending on the type of membrane used. This principle is applied in membrane bioreactors.

### Biological nutrient removal

Sewage may contain high levels of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus. Typical values for nutrient loads per person and nutrient concentrations in raw sewage in developing countries have been published as follows: 8 g/person/d for total nitrogen (45 mg/L), 4.5 g/person/d for ammonia -N (25 mg/L) and 1.0 g/person/d for total phosphorus (7 mg/L). The typical ranges for these values are: 6-10 g/person/d for total nitrogen (35–60 mg/L), 3.5-6 g/person/d for ammonia-N (20–35 mg/L) and 0.7-2.5 g/person/d for total phosphorus (4–15 mg/L).

Excessive release to the environment can lead to nutrient pollution, which can manifest itself in eutrophication. This process can lead to algal blooms, a rapid growth, and later decay, in the population of algae. In addition to causing deoxygenation, some algal species produce toxins that contaminate drinking water supplies.

Ammonia nitrogen, in the form of free ammonia (NH) is toxic to fish. Ammonia nitrogen, when converted to nitrite and further to nitrate in a water body, in the process of nitrification, is associated with the consumption of dissolved oxygen. Nitrite and nitrate may also have public health significance if concentrations are high in drinking water, because of a disease called metahemoglobinemia.

Phosphorus removal is important as phosphorus is a limiting nutrient for algae growth in many fresh water systems. Therefore, an excess of phosphorus can lead to eutrophication. It is also particularly important for water reuse systems where high phosphorus concentrations may lead to fouling of downstream equipment such as reverse osmosis.

A range of treatment processes are available to remove nitrogen and phosphorus. Biological nutrient removal (BNR) is regarded by some as a type of secondary treatment process, and by others as a tertiary (or advanced) treatment process.

#### Nitrogen removal

Nitrogen is removed through the biological oxidation of nitrogen from ammonia to nitrate (nitrification), followed by denitrification, the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas is released to the atmosphere and thus removed from the water.

Nitrification itself is a two-step aerobic process, each step facilitated by a different type of bacteria. The oxidation of ammonia (NH) to nitrite (NO) is most often facilitated by bacteria such as Nitrosomonas spp. (nitroso refers to the formation of a nitroso functional group). Nitrite oxidation to nitrate (NO), though traditionally believed to be facilitated by Nitrobacter spp. (nitro referring the formation of a nitro functional group), is now known to be facilitated in the environment predominantly by Nitrospira spp.

Denitrification requires anoxic conditions to encourage the appropriate biological communities to form. Anoxic conditions refers to a situation where oxygen is absent but nitrate is present. Denitrification is facilitated by a wide diversity of bacteria. The activated sludge process, sand filters, waste stabilization ponds, constructed wetlands and other processes can all be used to reduce nitrogen. Since denitrification is the reduction of nitrate to dinitrogen (molecular nitrogen) gas, an electron donor is needed. This can be, depending on the wastewater, organic matter (from the sewage itself), sulfide, or an added donor like methanol. The sludge in the anoxic tanks (denitrification tanks) must be mixed well (mixture of recirculated mixed liquor, return activated sludge, and raw influent) e.g. by using submersible mixers in order to achieve the desired denitrification.

Over time, different treatment configurations for activated sludge processes have evolved to achieve high levels of nitrogen removal. An initial scheme was called the Ludzack–Ettinger Process. It could not achieve a high level of denitrification. The Modified Ludzak–Ettinger Process (MLE) came later and was an improvement on the original concept. It recycles mixed liquor from the discharge end of the aeration tank to the head of the anoxic tank. This provides nitrate for the facultative bacteria.

There are other process configurations, such as variations of the Bardenpho process. They might differ in the placement of anoxic tanks, e.g. before and after the aeration tanks.

#### Phosphorus removal

Studies of United States sewage in the late 1960s estimated mean per capita contributions of 500 grams (18 oz) in urine and feces, 1,000 grams (35 oz) in synthetic detergents, and lesser variable amounts used as corrosion and scale control chemicals in water supplies. Source control via alternative detergent formulations has subsequently reduced the largest contribution, but naturally the phosphorus content of urine and feces remained unchanged.

Phosphorus can be removed biologically in a process called enhanced biological phosphorus removal. In this process, specific bacteria, called polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs), are selectively enriched and accumulate large quantities of phosphorus within their cells (up to 20 percent of their mass).

Phosphorus removal can also be achieved by chemical precipitation, usually with salts of iron (e.g. ferric chloride) or aluminum (e.g. alum), or lime. This may lead to a higher sludge production as hydroxides precipitate and the added chemicals can be expensive. Chemical phosphorus removal requires significantly smaller equipment footprint than biological removal, is easier to operate and is often more reliable than biological phosphorus removal. Another method for phosphorus removal is to use granular laterite or zeolite.

Some systems use both biological phosphorus removal and chemical phosphorus removal. The chemical phosphorus removal in those systems may be used as a backup system, for use when the biological phosphorus removal is not removing enough phosphorus, or may be used continuously. In either case, using both biological and chemical phosphorus removal has the advantage of not increasing sludge production as much as chemical phosphorus removal on its own, with the disadvantage of the increased initial cost associated with installing two different systems.

Once removed, phosphorus, in the form of a phosphate-rich sewage sludge, may be sent to landfill or used as fertilizer in admixture with other digested sewage sludges. In the latter case, the treated sewage sludge is also sometimes referred to as biosolids. 22% of the world's phosphorus needs could be satisfied by recycling residential wastewater.

### Fourth treatment stage

Micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, ingredients of household chemicals, chemicals used in small businesses or industries, environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants (EPPP) or pesticides may not be eliminated in the commonly used sewage treatment processes (primary, secondary and tertiary treatment) and therefore lead to water pollution. Although concentrations of those substances and their decomposition products are quite low, there is still a chance of harming aquatic organisms. For pharmaceuticals, the following substances have been identified as toxicologically relevant: substances with endocrine disrupting effects, genotoxic substances and substances that enhance the development of bacterial resistances. They mainly belong to the group of EPPP.

Techniques for elimination of micropollutants via a fourth treatment stage during sewage treatment are implemented in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands and tests are ongoing in several other countries. Such process steps mainly consist of activated carbon filters that adsorb the micropollutants. The combination of advanced oxidation with ozone followed by granular activated carbon (GAC) has been suggested as a cost-effective treatment combination for pharmaceutical residues. For a full reduction of microplasts the combination of ultrafiltration followed by GAC has been suggested. Also the use of enzymes such as laccase secreted by fungi is under investigation. Microbial biofuel cells are investigated for their property to treat organic matter in sewage.

To reduce pharmaceuticals in water bodies, source control measures are also under investigation, such as innovations in drug development or more responsible handling of drugs. In the US, the National Take Back Initiative is a voluntary program with the general public, encouraging people to return excess or expired drugs, and avoid flushing them to the sewage system.

### Sludge treatment and disposal

Sewage sludge treatment describes the processes used to manage and dispose of sewage sludge produced during sewage treatment. Sludge treatment is focused on reducing sludge weight and volume to reduce transportation and disposal costs, and on reducing potential health risks of disposal options. Water removal is the primary means of weight and volume reduction, while pathogen destruction is frequently accomplished through heating during thermophilic digestion, composting, or incineration. The choice of a sludge treatment method depends on the volume of sludge generated, and comparison of treatment costs required for available disposal options. Air-drying and composting may be attractive to rural communities, while limited land availability may make aerobic digestion and mechanical dewatering preferable for cities, and economies of scale may encourage energy recovery alternatives in metropolitan areas.

Sludge is mostly water with some amounts of solid material removed from liquid sewage. Primary sludge includes settleable solids removed during primary treatment in primary clarifiers. Secondary sludge is sludge separated in secondary clarifiers that are used in secondary treatment bioreactors or processes using inorganic oxidizing agents. In intensive sewage treatment processes, the sludge produced needs to be removed from the liquid line on a continuous basis because the volumes of the tanks in the liquid line have insufficient volume to store sludge. This is done in order to keep the treatment processes compact and in balance (production of sludge approximately equal to the removal of sludge). The sludge removed from the liquid line goes to the sludge treatment line. Aerobic processes (such as the activated sludge process) tend to produce more sludge compared with anaerobic processes. On the other hand, in extensive (natural) treatment processes, such as ponds and constructed wetlands, the produced sludge remains accumulated in the treatment units (liquid line) and is only removed after several years of operation.

## Environmental impacts

Sewage treatment plants can have significant effects on the biotic status of receiving waters and can cause some water pollution, especially if the treatment process used is only basic. For example, for sewage treatment plants without nutrient removal, eutrophication of receiving water bodies can be a problem.

In 2024, The Royal Academy of Engineering released a study into the effects wastewater on public health in the United Kingdom. The study gained media attention, with comments from the UKs leading health professionals, including Sir Chris Whitty. Outlining 15 recommendations for various UK bodies to dramatically reduce public health risks by increasing the water quality in its waterways, such as rivers and lakes.

After the release of the report, The Guardian newspaper interviewed Whitty, who stated that improving water quality and sewage treatment should be a high level of importance and a "public health priority". He compared it to eradicating cholera in the 19th century in the country following improvements to the sewage treatment network. The study also identified that low water flows in rivers saw high concentration levels of sewage, as well as times of flooding or heavy rainfall. While heavy rainfall had always been associated with sewage overflows into streams and rivers, the British media went as far to warn parents of the dangers of paddling in shallow rivers during warm weather.

Whitty's comments came after the study revealed that the UK was experiencing a growth in the number of people that were using coastal and inland waters recreationally. This could be connected to a growing interest in activities such as open water swimming or other water sports. Despite this growth in recreation, poor water quality meant some were becoming unwell during events. Most notably, the 2024 Paris Olympics had to delay numerous swimming-focused events like the triathlon due to high levels of sewage in the River Seine.

## Reuse

### Irrigation

Increasingly, people use treated or even untreated sewage for irrigation to produce crops. Cities provide lucrative markets for fresh produce, so are attractive to farmers. Because agriculture has to compete for increasingly scarce water resources with industry and municipal users, there is often no alternative for farmers but to use water polluted with sewage directly to water their crops. There can be significant health hazards related to using water loaded with pathogens in this way. The World Health Organization developed guidelines for safe use of wastewater in 2006. They advocate a 'multiple-barrier' approach to wastewater use, where farmers are encouraged to adopt various risk-reducing behaviors. These include ceasing irrigation a few days before harvesting to allow pathogens to die off in the sunlight, applying water carefully so it does not contaminate leaves likely to be eaten raw, cleaning vegetables with disinfectant or allowing fecal sludge used in farming to dry before being used as a human manure.

### Reclaimed water

## Global situation

Before the 20th century in Europe, sewers usually discharged into a body of water such as a river, lake, or ocean. There was no treatment, so the breakdown of the human waste was left to the ecosystem. This could lead to satisfactory results if the assimilative capacity of the ecosystem is sufficient which is nowadays not often the case due to increasing population density.

Today, the situation in urban areas of industrialized countries is usually that sewers route their contents to a sewage treatment plant rather than directly to a body of water. In many developing countries, however, the bulk of municipal and industrial wastewater is discharged to rivers and the ocean without any treatment or after preliminary treatment or primary treatment only. Doing so can lead to water pollution. Few reliable figures exist on the share of the wastewater collected in sewers that is being treated in the world. A global estimate by UNDP and UN-Habitat in 2010 was that 90% of all wastewater generated is released into the environment untreated. A more recent study in 2021 estimated that globally, about 52% of sewage is treated. However, sewage treatment rates are highly unequal for different countries around the world. For example, while high-income countries treat approximately 74% of their sewage, developing countries treat an average of just 4.2%. As of 2022, without sufficient treatment, more than 80% of all wastewater generated globally is released into the environment. High-income nations treat, on average, 70% of the wastewater they produce, according to UN Water. Only 8% of wastewater produced in low-income nations receives any sort of treatment.

The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation by WHO and UNICEF report in 2021 that 82% of people with sewer connections are connected to sewage treatment plants providing at least secondary treatment. However, this value varies widely between regions. For example, in Europe, North America, Northern Africa and Western Asia, a total of 31 countries had universal (>99%) wastewater treatment. However, in Albania, Bermuda, North Macedonia and Serbia "less than 50% of sewered wastewater received secondary or better treatment" and in Algeria, Lebanon and Libya the value was less than 20% of sewered wastewater that was being treated. The report also found that "globally, 594 million people have sewer connections that don't receive sufficient treatment. Many more are connected to wastewater treatment plants that do not provide effective treatment or comply with effluent requirements.".

### Global targets

Sustainable Development Goal 6 has a Target 6.3 which is formulated as follows: "By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating,dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally." The corresponding Indicator 6.3.1 is the "proportion of wastewater safely treated". It is anticipated that wastewater production would rise by 24% by 2030 and by 51% by 2050.

Data in 2020 showed that there is still too much uncollected household wastewater: Only 66% of all household wastewater flows were collected at treatment facilities in 2020 (this is determined from data from 128 countries). Based on data from 42 countries in 2015, the report stated that "32 per cent of all wastewater flows generated from point sources received at least some treatment". For sewage that has indeed been collected at centralized sewage treatment plants, about 79% went on to be safely treated in 2020.

## History

The history of sewage treatment had the following developments: It began with land application (sewage farms) in the 1840s in England, followed by chemical treatment and sedimentation of sewage in tanks, then biological treatment in the late 19th century, which led to the development of the activated sludge process starting in 1912.

It was not until the late 19th century that it became possible to treat the sewage by biologically decomposing the organic components through the use of microorganisms and removing the pollutants. Land treatment was also steadily becoming less feasible, as cities grew and the volume of sewage produced could no longer be absorbed by the farmland on the outskirts.

Edward Frankland conducted experiments at the sewage farm in Croydon, England during the 1870s and was able to demonstrate that filtration of sewage through porous gravel produced a nitrified effluent (the ammonia was converted into nitrate) and that the filter remained unclogged over long periods of time. This established the then revolutionary possibility of biological treatment of sewage using a contact bed to oxidize the waste. This concept was taken up by the chief chemist for the London Metropolitan Board of Works, William Libdin, in 1887:

## Regulations

In most countries, sewage collection and treatment are subject to local and national regulations and standards.

## Country Examples

### Overview

### Europe

In the European Union, 0.8% of total energy consumption goes to wastewater treatment facilities. The European Union needs to make extra investments of €90 billion in the water and waste sector to meet its 2030 climate and energy goals.

In October 2021, British Members of Parliament voted to continue allowing untreated sewage from combined sewer overflows to be released into waterways.

### Asia

#### India

The ' Delhi Jal Board ' (DJB) is currently operating on the construction of the largest sewage treatment plant in India. It will be operational by the end of 2022 with an estimated capacity of 564 MLD. It is supposed to solve the existing situation wherein untreated sewage water is being discharged directly into the river 'Yamuna'.

#### Japan

### Africa

#### Libya

In Libya, municipal wastewater treatment is managed by the general company for water and wastewater in Libya, which falls within the competence of the Housing and Utilities Government Ministry. There are approximately 200 sewage treatment plants across the nation, but few plants are functioning. In fact, the 36 larger plants are in the major cities; however, only nine of them are operational, and the rest of them are under repair.

### Americas

#### United States

## More information

- Decentralized wastewater system

- List of largest wastewater treatment plants

- List of water supply and sanitation by country

- Nutrient Recovery and Reuse: producing agricultural nutrients from sewage

- Organisms involved in water purification

- Sanitary engineering

- Waste disposal


Louis Sulzbacher

# Louis Sulzbacher

## Abstract

Louis Sulzbacher (May 10, 1842 – January 17, 1915) was the first continental American appointed as Associate Justice of the newly created Supreme Court of Puerto Rico in 1900. Appointed by President William McKinley he assumed his post in August 1900 and served until 1904.

## Early life and family

Louis M. Sulzbacher was born in Kirchheimbolanden, Kingdom of Bavaria on May 10, 1842, to Jacob Sulzbacher and Regina Schwarz. Jacob was a professor and writer for several newspapers, while Regina was German language scholar educated in Paris. The Sulzbacher family claimed descendancy from Saul Wahl and Rashi. He studied in Frankfurt was fluent in English, German, Greek, Spanish, French and Latin.

## Move to United States

He moved to the United States in 1859 and settled in New Mexico Territory where he read the law. In 1870, he was admitted to the territorial bar before starting a law practice in Las Vegas. He married Paulina Flersheim in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1869. During the Spanish-American War he served in the Rough Riders.

In 1900, President William McKinley appointed Sulzbacher, who was fluent in Spanish, as one of the first judges of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. He served on that court until his appointment to the United States Court for the Indian Territory 's Western District in 1904 by Theodore Roosevelt. He left the bench upon statehood on November 16, 1907.

Sulzbacher practiced law in Kansas City after leaving the bench. He died in New York on January 17, 1915. He was buried in Kansas City. After his death he was honored by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico in a Memorial Resolution on January 29, 1915.


Pulse duration

# Pulse duration

## Abstract

In signal processing and telecommunications, pulse duration is the interval between the time, during the first transition, that the amplitude of the pulse reaches a specified fraction (level) of its final amplitude, and the time the pulse amplitude drops, on the last transition, to the same level.

The interval between the 50% points of the final amplitude is usually used to determine or define pulse duration, and this is understood to be the case unless otherwise specified. Other fractions of the final amplitude, e.g., 90% or 1/ e, may also be used, as may the root mean square (rms) value of the pulse amplitude.

In radar, the pulse duration is the time the radar's transmitter is energized during each cycle.


Shannon railway station

# Shannon railway station

## Abstract

Shannon railway station is a station on the North Island Main Trunk serving Shannon in the Horowhenua District of New Zealand. It is served by the Capital Connection long distance commuter train between Wellington and Palmerston North.

## History

A simple Class 6 or flag station type building was opened by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR)—a private company—in 1886 as an intermediate station on the Wellington–Manawatu Line, and was named after company director George Shannon. Other company directors had the stations at Levin and Plimmerton named after them. Shannon opened on Monday 2 August 1886, when trains started to run between Longburn and Ōtaki, though a special train had run from Longburn to Ohau in April 1886. The first through train from Wellington to Palmerston North ran on 30 November 1886.

In 1893, the original station building was moved to Paraparaumu and replaced by a WMR Class Four building. Later a luggage/parcels room (1902) and a verandah (1910) were added. Further stock sidings were added prior to World War I to cope with increased demand. Further sidings were built after the war when the Mangahao Power Station was under construction. The parcel and luggage room was extended in 1936.

Railway traffic declined after the second world war and the station closed in 1980, but use has since been established again for the Capital Connection. The Shannon Railway Trust was founded in 1985 with the aim to preserve the building. Horowhenua District Council bought the building in 1992. It was subsequently restored by the trust and reopened in 1998 for community use, as a tourist destination, and an info centre.

The 1893 replacement building is one of the few remaining physical relics of the WMR and it is rare that a station of this age built from timber survives. For this reason, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) added the station to its register as a Category I listing on 25 September 1986.


Lê Quang Liêm

# Lê Quang Liêm

## Abstract

Lê Quang Liêm (born 13 March 1991) is a Vietnamese chess grandmaster, the top-ranked of his country. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2006. Liêm won the Asian Chess Championship in 2019 and was the World Blitz Chess Champion in 2013.

He has competed for team Vietnam at the Chess Olympiad since 2006. The best result occurred in 2012, when he scored 8/10 points on board 1 and his team finished in 7th place, the highest ever for Vietnam.

Quang Liêm now lives in St. Louis, Missouri and is the head coach for the Webster University Chess Team.

## Chess career

### Early career

Lê Quang Liêm won a gold medal at the 2003 Asian Youth Chess Championships, held in Calicut, India, in the Under 12 category. As a result of this victory he was awarded the title of FIDE Master. In the 2004 edition, which took place in Singapore, Lê Quang Liêm won the Under 14 section. Also in 2004, he tied with Subramanian Arun Prasad for first place in the Asian Under 16 Championship in Tehran, Iran, taking the silver medal on tiebreak score. The next year Quang Liêm won the Under 14 division of the World Youth Chess Championship in July in Belfort, France.

### 2008

During August–September, he won the 1st Dragon Capital Vietnam chess open with 7/9.

### 2009

In September, he won the 4th Kolkata Open Chess Tournament ahead of 13 higher-rated players.

In December, Lê Quang Liêm with Vietnamese team won the silver prize at Tata Steel Asian Team Chess Championship in India, behind the host India. His personal performance is +4=1-1.

### 2010

In February, Lê Quang Liêm participated in the Moscow Open tournament in Moscow, Russia. With +5=4 performance, he tied for 1st-4th with Konstantin Chernyshov, Evgeny Bareev and Ernesto Inarkiev. Immediately after the Moscow open at the same venue, Quang Liêm won the 9th Aeroflot Open with 7/9 (+5=4), earning him an invitation to the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting.

From July 15 through the 25th, he took part in his first elite invitational tournament in Dortmund, in a field consisting of nine-time Dortmund champion and former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, world No. 6 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov, 2004 World Chess Championship challenger Peter Leko, and former Dortmund champion Arkadij Naiditsch. Facing Kramnik with the black pieces in the opening round, Quang Liêm held the former world champion to a draw, and after defeating the eventual winner Ponomariov in round 4, and Leko in round 5, Quang Liêm finished with five consecutive draws to secure clear second place with 5½/10 (+2=7-1) and a performance rating of 2776.

From August 28 to September 3, he participated in 1st Campomanes Memorial Cup Open in the Philippines. His final score was 7/9 (+5=4), a shared first place with Zhao Jun of China, who won on tiebreak score.

From 20 September to 4 October at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, Quang Liêm with the other Vietnamese players took part in 39th World Team Chess Championship. Playing on board one, Quang Liêm's score was +2=7-2.

### 2011

From February 7 to February 18, he once again participated in Aeroflot Open and successfully defended the title. His score was 6½/9, a shared first place with Nikita Vitiugov and Evgeny Tomashevsky. At the time he was the only player to have won Aeroflot Open twice, now having been matched by Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2015. His win automatically qualifies him for a return invitation to the Dortmund Invitational tournament, where he competed in a field that included Vladimir Kramnik, Hikaru Nakamura, and Ruslan Ponomariov among others.

From May 10 to May 21, he was invited to play in the Elite group of the Capablanca Memorial tournament, a very strong field of players (FIDE category 19) including reigning champion Vassily Ivanchuk, Latin America's number one Leinier Domínguez, Czech Republic's number one David Navara, Lázaro Bruzón of Cuba and Dmitry Andreikin of Russia. After the final round defeat to Ivanchuk, his score was 6½/10, a shared first place but ranked second after Ivanchuk via tiebreak score.

### 2012

From October 12 to 21, he participated in the SPICE Cup, the highest rated international invitational round-robin tournament in US history (FIDE category 18) including Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Ding Liren, Wesley So, Georg Meier, and Csaba Balogh. He was undefeated but finished in a tie for second with Ding Liren, half point behind the winner Vachier-Lagrave. After the tournament, he accepted a 4-year scholarship to attend Webster University, starting in August 2013.

### 2013

From March 19 to 24, he participated in the HD Bank Cup Open, the highest rated international open tournament in Vietnam. He was undefeated with six wins, three draws, scoring 7½/9 and winning the tournament.

From May 16 to 26, he participated in the Asian Continental Championships, which was held in the Philippines. He finished at 4th place with a score of 6½/9. Quang Liêm won the blitz championship with 8½/9.

From June 6 to 8, he took part in the World Rapid Chess Championship, held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. He finished 4th, with 10/15, behind Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (11½/15), Ian Nepomniachtchi (11/15) and Alexander Grischuk (10½/15). After that he participated in World Blitz Chess Championship, which he won, scoring 20½/30. He is the first Vietnamese athlete to achieve the world champion title.

### 2014

From June 15 to 20 Quang Liêm competed in the 2014 World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Dubai, UAE as the defending champion in blitz. At blitz Quang Liêm finished fourth with +12=4-5, behind the new champion Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura. At rapid Quang Liêm finished 19th with +7=4-4.

From 2 to 15 August, Quang Liêm, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, and other Vietnamese chess players took part in Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, Norway. Quang Liêm scored 5½ points from 10 games (+3-2=5) at board 1.

### College chess

Quang Liêm graduated summa cum laude from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, US in May, 2017. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in management. While at Webster University, Quang Liêm played Board 1 for the national championship chess team under the leadership of Susan Polgar, winning the President's Cup all four years as a student, 2014 through 2017.

### 2017

In March, Quang Liêm won the 7th HDBank tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, with total score 7 in 9 games (+5=4).

From 1 to 5 July, Quang Liêm participated in the World Open as the number 1 seed and finished at second place (behind Tigran L. Petrosian) with 7 points after 9 rounds.

From 8 to 18 July, Quang Liêm participated in Danzhou SuperGrandmaster Tournament in Danzhou, China. His result of 5½/9 (+2=7) earned him second place behind the winner Wei Yi, having the same number of points as Ding Liren but a worse tiebreak.

From 13 to 19 of August, Quang Liêm was invited to the Saint Louis rapid and blitz event of the Grand Chess Tour, with attendance of top super-grandmasters, including the return of Garry Kasparov. He shared the 5th place with Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez. In the event Quang Liêm won against Caruana, Aronian, Nakamura and Kasparov.

In early September he competed in the FIDE World Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia. He beat Vitaly Kunin from Germany in the first round, then Quang Liêm was eliminated by Vidit Santosh Gujrathi from India in the second.

From 21 to 27 September, Quang Liêm participated in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. He won the gold medal with 5½ points after 7 games in the individual classical category. Then he also won, together with Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, the team rapid and blitz categories.

### 2018

In the second Danzhou super-grandmaster tournament with all 8 participants with Elo higher than 2700, Quang Liêm finished second with 4/7 (+2=4-1). His only loss was to Bu Xiangzhi. Quang Liêm defeated Vidit Gujrathi and Samuel Shankland in the last two rounds.

### 2019

In June, Quang Liêm won the Asian Continental Championship in Xingtai, China, becoming the first Vietnamese player ever to do so. Soon after he also won the Summer Classic A tournament in St. Louis, US and the World Open (after a playoff with Jeffery Xiong) in Philadelphia, US.

### 2021

In 2021 Quang Liêm participated in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2021. He scored 30 points across the tour, placing him 10th out of the 41 total tour participants. Consequently, he narrowly missed out on the tour finals. His most successful tournament in the tour was the Chessable Masters, where he beat super grandmasters Alireza Firouzja and Levon Aronian on his way to the final where he lost to Wesley So.

In the same year, Le took the offer to be the chess coach at his alma mater Webster University, succeeding Susan Polgar.

### 2022

In February Quang Liêm participated in the Airthings Masters round of the Champions Chess Tour 2022 where he qualified for quarter finals, which he lost to the eventual tournament winner Magnus Carlsen.

In March, he played in the second leg of the Champions Chess Tour, Charity Cup. He had a dominant qualifying, placing first with the score of 32/45 (football scoring, +9=5-1). He beat David Navara in the quarterfinal, but lost to Jan-Krzysztof Duda in the semifinal.

In April, he beat Magnus Carlsen in the Oslo Esports Cup. Liêm has a good chance to become Oslo Esports Cup champion but Liêm are unfortunately unable to win a big victory over Jorden Van Foreest, grandmaster Le Quang Liem was satisfied with the Oslo Esports Cup runner-up with 13 points. In the end, the top three places of the Oslo Esports Cup belonged to Jan-Krzysztof Duda (14 points), Le Quang Liem (13 points) and Magnus Carlsen (12 points), Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (12 points).

In July, Quang Liêm won the 2022 Biel Chess Festival with a score of 35.5.

In August (15-22), Quang Liêm participated at FTX Crypto Cup and finished fourth after Magnus Carlsen, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja, with results of +4-3.

### 2023

In April, the Webster University Chess Team won its sixth national collegiate chess title under the guidance of Coach Quang Liêm. This was Webster's first national chess title since 2017, when Lê Quang Liêm was still a student.

In July, Quang Liêm defended his title at the 2023 Biel Chess Festival with a score of 32.5.

## Notable tournament results

- 2005 World Championship (U14), Belfort (Classical) 1st 9/11

- 2008 Dragon Capital VietNam Chess Open (Classical) 1st 8/9

- 2009 Kolkata Open (classical) 1st 8/10

- 2010 Aeroflot Open (classical) 1st 7/9

- 2010 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting (classical) 2nd 5.5/10

- 2010 Campomanes Memorial (classical) 2nd 7/9

- 2010 Moscow Open (Classical) 3rd 7/9

- 2011 HD BANK Cup (Classical) 4th 6.5/9

- 2011 TATA Steel (Group B) 4th 7.5/13

- 2011 Aeroflot Open (classical) 1st 6.5/9

- 2011 Capablanca (classical) 2nd 6.5/10

- 2011 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting (classical) 2nd 5.5/10

- 2011 SPICE Cup (classical) 1st 17/10 (football score system)

- 2012 HD BANK Cup (classical) 2nd 7.5/9

- 2012 FIDE World Blitz Championship 7th 16.5/30

- 2012 SPICE Cup (Classical) 2nd 5.5/10

- 2012 Chess Olympiad Istanbul 2012 5th 8/11

- 2013 HD BANK Cup (Classical) 1st 7.5/9

- 2013 Asian Continental Chess Championships 4th 6.5/9

- 2013 Asian Continental Blitz Chess Championships 1st 8.5/9

- 2013 FIDE World Rapid Championships 4th 10/15

- 2013 FIDE World Blitz Championships 1st 20.5/30

- 2013 SPICE Cup (Classical) 3rd 6/9

- 2014 HD BANK Cup (Classical) 3rd 7/9

- 2014 FIDE World Blitz Championships 4th 14/21

- 2015 HD BANK Cup (Classical) 1st 7.5/9

- 2015 President's Cup (Armageddon) 1st 10/24

- 2015 Millionaire Chess Open (Classical) 2nd 6/7

- 2015 SPICE Cup (Classical) 1st 7/9

- 2016 College Final Four (Classical) 1st 3/3

- 2016 Asian Nations Cup (Blitz) 1st 4.5/5

- 2016 Asian Continental Chess Championships 2nd 6.5/9

- 2016 Asian Continental Blitz Chess Championships 2nd 7/9

- 2017 HD BANK Cup (Classical) 1st 7.0/9

- 2017 Danzhou Super Chess Grandmaster Tournament (Classical) 2nd 5.5/9

- 2017 St. Louis, Grand Chess Tour (rapid and blitz) : tied 5th (10 players in the tourney).

- 2017 AIMAG (Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan) : 1st 5.5/7 (classical) and gold medals in team rapid and blitz categories.


Silverstream railway station

# Silverstream railway station

## Abstract

Silverstream railway station is a suburban railway station serving Silverstream in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. The station is located on the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line, 26.8 km (16.7 mi) north of Wellington. The station is served by Metlink 's electric multiple unit trains of the "Matangi" FP class. Trains stopping at Silverstream run to Wellington and Upper Hutt.

The station has an island platform between two tracks, linked to Field Street in the south by a footpath, and to Fergusson Drive in the north-west and Whitemans Road to the north-east via pedestrian level crossings.

## Services

### Rail

TransDev operates Hutt Valley Line electric suburban services between Wellington and Upper Hutt via Silverstream. The basic daytime off-peak timetable is:

- 3 tph to Wellington, stopping all stations (2 tph on weekends)

- 3 tph to Upper Hutt, stopping all stations (2 tph on weekends)

The basic morning peak timetable is:

- 3 tph to Wellington, stopping all stations to Taita then Waterloo only

- 2 tph to Upper Hutt, stopping all stations

### Bus

The following Metlink bus services serve the station:

## History

The present Silverstream railway station replaced the earlier station from 21 November 1954 when the section of line alongside the hill south of Silverstream, which passed over the wooden truss bridge just below Silverstream Hospital, was closed. The deviation of the line is some distance to the west of the original line and crosses the Hutt River on a steel bridge with concrete piers - the replacement station is several hundred yards to the north of the old station.

An adjacent level crossing had automatically locking gates installed to stop pedestrians using the crossing until a second train clears the crossing (after a 2003 accident).

The station was damaged by a small fire circa 2000, which left it leaking and with no lights under the shelter for several years. The fire damage showed until some repairs were made that the station had toilets at one point until the area was boarded up again.

In 2019–20 the GWRC is to "renew" the Silverstream railway station.


The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

# The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

## Abstract

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Care and written by Jeff Stockwell and Michael Petroni based on Chris Fuhrman 's 1994 semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel of the same name. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster and Vincent D'Onofrio.

The film is about a group of Catholic school friends in the Southern United States in the 1970s who engage in a series of pranks and general mischief. The boys also collaborate on a comic book they call The Atomic Trinity. Interspersed within the film are segments of animated footage based on the comic book. THINKFilm paid $1 million to acquire the film's North American distribution rights and went on to gross $1.8 million in limited theatrical release, making it a profitable acquisition for THINKFilm.

Fuhrman died of cancer before completing the final revision of the novel. The film, dedicated to his memory, received positive reviews from critics.

## Plot

Set in the early 1970s in the city of Savannah, Georgia, the film follows the lives of protagonist Francis Doyle, and three of his friends, Tim Sullivan, Wade Scalisi and Joey Anderson. The four boys all attend a private Catholic school named St. Agatha's, which they detest. The boys rebel by smoking pot, drinking, obsessing over girls, listening to hard rock music and playing pranks on their teachers, such as stealing their school's statue of St. Agatha and keeping it in their clubhouse. The four friends dedicate much of their time to a comic book of their own creation titled The Atomic Trinity in order to escape the monotony and avoid the difficulties in their own lives.

After receiving a love note from Francis, which was actually written by Tim, Margie Flynn becomes a major presence and weaves her way into the lives of these four friends. She and Francis have an obvious connection that progresses into much more. At times, Francis must choose between his friends and Margie, which causes the group of friends to fall apart. The boys' lives are also translated into segments of animation based on the characters of The Atomic Trinity: Brakken, The Muscle, Captain Asskicker and Major Screw; Nunzilla, based on their peglegged, overly repressive Catholic school teacher Sister Assumpta; and Sorcerella, based on Margie Flynn.

After a school field trip to the zoo, Tim and Francis have the idea of playing another prank on Sister Assumpta. They decide to drug the cougar at the local zoo and then transport it to Sister Assumpta's office to scare her. When they learn how serious Tim and Francis are, the other half of the Atomic Trinity wimp out, which leaves an unlikely group of friends consisting of Margie, Tim and Francis. Francis soon learns that Margie had been sexually assaulted by her own brother, Donny. During gym class Donny bullies Tim. Tim, out of pressure and his own impulsive nature, insults Donny for molesting his own sister. He regrets telling Donny, who beats him up, and then tells Francis who becomes angry with him. Donny takes Tim and Francis's comic, The Atomic Trinity, and gives it to the nun. The violent, blasphemous and inappropriate drawings in the notebook cause Tim and Francis to be suspended, pending expulsion from the school.

In an act of final retribution, Tim, Francis, Wade and Joey attempt to steal a cougar to place inside the school to cover up a wrecking of the school they did that night. At the zoo, a makeshift tranquilizer created from several narcotic drugs is used to put the cougar to sleep. The other three boys go down to the gate to retrieve the cougar in a cage, while Tim impulsively climbs over the fence into the cougar's den. He checks to see if the cougar is alive, and happily replies that it is. When the other boys reach the gate to retrieve the cougar, another cougar leaps at Tim, mauling him to death. At Tim's funeral, Francis quotes the poem " The Tyger " by William Blake, whom Sister Assumpta earlier condemned as a "dangerous thinker". Francis places the book at the stolen statue of St. Agatha in their hideout, and starts a new comic series dedicated entirely to the character based on Tim, Skeleton Boy.

## Cast

- Emile Hirsch as Francis Doyle

- Kieran Culkin as Tim Sullivan

- Jena Malone as Margie Flynn

- Jodie Foster as Sister Assumpta

- Vincent D'Onofrio as Father Casey

- Jake Richardson as Wade Scalisi

- Tyler Long as Joey Anderson

- Arthur Bridges as Donny Flynn

## Production

In order to adapt the book effectively, director Care and producer Jay Shapiro decided to use segments of animation throughout the film. Since most of the book is from Francis' perspective and takes place in his mind, they needed to find a way to stay true to this "internal narrative". "Animation seemed like a natural way to go in and out of this interior world and use that as the thread that ties everything together," said Shapiro. The sequences were created by Todd McFarlane, and they are visually similar to basic superhero comic strips. Screenwriter Jeff Stockwell helped to create the storyline for the animated sequences.

Cinematography is done by Lance Acord, who also worked on Being John Malkovich and Buffalo '66. Production design was done by Gideon Pointe, who also worked on Buffalo '66, as well as American Psycho.

### Casting

The filmmakers said that Emile Hirsch was the first actor they had in mind for the Francis character, as he had the "innocence and naivete" that they were looking for. Similarly, filmmakers believed that Kieran Culkin had a similar personality to Tim. "I think he is going through a lot of similar things," stated Jodie Foster, producer and star of the film.

Neither the filmmakers nor Foster had planned on her also playing the part of the stern Catholic school teacher and headmistress, Sister Assumpta, as well as being a producer. Foster was drawn to the role, and called producing partner Meg LeFauve up with a request to play the part. LeFauve graciously accepted, saying that it's not "traditional casting to see a young beautiful woman in that kind of a role."

### Setting

Although the novel by Chris Fuhrman is set in 1970s Savannah, Georgia, the filmmakers wanted a more "universal look" and decided not to specify a place. Principal photography took place in North and South Carolina, and lasted from May to July 2000. There was also a lot of debate about whether the characters should have Southern accents, but to keep with this "universal feeling," the producers decided against any strong accents.

## Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Marco Beltrami and was released in 2002 by Milan Records. Several songs were specifically written and performed for the film by Queens of the Stone Age lead singer Joshua Homme.

- "The Atomic Trinity" – Joshua Homme

- "The Atomic Trinity vs. Heaven's Devils" – Marco Beltrami

- "The Empty House" – Marco Beltrami

- "The Couch" – Marco Beltrami

- "Hanging (aka Ramble Off)" – Joshua Homme

- "Margie's Confession" – Marco Beltrami

- "The Atomic Trinity vs. Heaven's Devils, Round II" – Marco Beltrami

- "St. Agatha" – Marco Beltrami

- " On the Road Again " – Canned Heat

- "Francis and Margie" – Joshua Homme

- "Stoned" – Joshua Homme

- "Dead Dog, Part II" – Marco Beltrami

- "Skeleton Boy is Born" – Marco Beltrami

- "Do for the Others" – Stephen Stills

- "Story of the Fish" – Marco Beltrami

- "For the Gods / Act Like Cougars" – Marco Beltrami

- "Torn Apart" – Marco Beltrami

- "Someone is Coming" – Marco Beltrami

- "Eulogy" – Marco Beltrami

- "All the Same" – Joshua Homme

## Reception

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 76% based on 106 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website’s critics consensus states: "The inter-cutting of animation by Spawn's creator, Todd McFarlane, doesn't always work, but the performances by the young actors capture the pains of growing up well." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, the film has a score of 69 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it a "bracingly truthful" coming-of-age film that "digs into the flaming recesses of the adolescent mind with such acuity, compassion and good humor that it will plummet you back to that painfully awkward age". Holden noted that "the movie struggles to compare the boys' comic-book vision with William Blake 's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, its one glaringly off-key note."

Roger Ebert gave the film two and a half stars out of four, calling it "an honorable film with good intentions." Ebert went on to say that the screenplay is trying too hard to impress and falls short of achieving the "emotional payoff" it is searching for.

A vocal fan of the animated sequences was Armond White of New York Press, who singled them out for praise.

## Accolades

In 2002, director Care won the award for Best New Filmmaker from the Boston Society of Film Critics. In 2003, the film won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.


Solway railway station

# Solway railway station

## Abstract

Solway railway station is a suburban railway station serving Solway and the southern end of Masterton, New Zealand. The station is located on the Wairarapa Line, 88.1 km (54.7 mi) north of Wellington and 2.9 km (1.8 mi) south of Masterton. The Wairarapa Connection serves the station several times daily with services to Wellington and Masterton. The station has a single track served by a four-car platform on the Ngaumutawa Road side.

As part of the Wairarapa station upgrade programme to prepare stations for the SW-class passenger carriages, this station was upgraded between 14 May 2007 and late August 2007.

## History

When the station was opened along with the line to Masterton on 1 November 1880 it had only a shelter and platform. It was originally named Kurupuni and was located south of Masterton. Later, the station was briefly known as Purakau between 1908 and 1912 when it was renamed Solway. The station was never regarded as being of any great importance but did also handle freight until 1986 with customers including the Wairarapa Electric Power Board and a fertiliser company.

A new car park was built at the station in 2001 by the Masterton District Council as part of a regional programme to "Enhance and expand urban public passenger transport facilities and services".

In 2006, it was proposed that the historic Class 6 station shelter shed at Solway be removed to a fenced yard at Carterton Station to make way for a new shelter and the platform improvements. After concern was expressed by local residents the plan was rescinded.

## Footnotes


The Dark Redemption

# The Dark Redemption

## Abstract

The Dark Redemption is a 1999 Australian Star Wars fanfilm featuring Mara Jade, a character featured in Star Wars books and comics. Peter Sumner returns to the role of Imperial Officer Lt. Pol Treidum, whom he played in Star Wars.

An attempt was made to submit the film to an official fan film contest in 2003 that was sanctioned by George Lucas; however, the short was not considered to be eligible as it was set prior to the events of Episode IV: A New Hope, which violated the contest's rules by adding new content to the series, which Lucas also considered to be a copyright violation. The film was briefly removed from the Internet at Lucas' request.

## Synopsis

Set just before the events of the original Star Wars, the film tells of how Mara Jade (a character from the Star Wars expanded universe) worked with other Rebels to capture the plans for the first Death Star. While on the mission, though, Mara hears the Emperor 's call to turn to the dark side of the Force.

Other crucial moments in Star Wars history are explained in this film, such as how Han Solo got in trouble with Jabba the Hutt.

## Cast

- Damian Rice... Zev Senesca

- Jason Chong... Klaus Vanderon

- Michelle Ellard... Hah'Shyyk Baba

- Martin Grelis... Boba Fett

- Leah McLeod... Mara Jade

- Peter Sumner... Lieutenant Pol Treidum

- David Wheeler... Garrock

- Drew Sneddon... Darth Sidious

- William Bowden... Voice of Darth Sidious and Cantina Alien

- Nathan Harvey... Kyle Katarn

- Uncredited voice actor... Han Solo

- Ben Craig... Darth Vader

- Alan Cinis... General Towa and Voice of Darth Vader

- John Griffiths... Admiral Melaan

- Robert McDougal... Captain McDougal and Imperial Officer

- Andrew Gibson... Rebel Officer

- Maynard... Lieutenant Arras

- Jake Downs... Lieutenant Drovas

- David Lucas... Lieutenant Raltar

- Will Usic... Lieutenant Valle

- David Edwards... Lieutenant Tighe

- Yul Kannan... Zelig, Kessel Slave Miner, and voice of Cantina Alien

- Tabitha... Bitha Tah'

- Jabba... Ramsa Lenam

- Daniel Budd... Royal Guard, Stormtrooper, and Imperial Officer

## Production

Warren Duxbury and Dwight Boniecki worked on a script for The Dark Redemption for eight months before approaching Mether to help them make the film. It was considered an ambitious fanfilm at the time, with 72 scenes and 20 CGI sequences. A team of 20 3D artists worked on the short. At the time of filming, Mether was a director-producer at Foxtel, and many Foxtel presenters acted in the film.

## Reception

The film was screened twice at the Noosa Film Festival.


The Strand Station

# The Strand Station

## Abstract

The Strand Station, also referred to as Auckland Strand Station (formerly part of Auckland Railway Station), is a railway station located on the eastern edge of the Auckland CBD. It serves as the long-distance railway station for Auckland. It is the northern terminus of the Northern Explorer service between Auckland and Wellington, and the northern terminus for the Te Huia service between Auckland and Hamilton. Suburban services are not scheduled to pass through the station, however, it serves as a backup for Waitematā railway station (formerly Britomart Transport Centre) during times of disruption.

The platforms were formerly part of the Auckland Railway Station complex which was opened in 1930 on Beach Road, replacing the previous railway terminus which was on the Queen Street site where Britomart now stands. The 1930 station was the third to serve as the rail terminus for Auckland, and remained the sole station serving the CBD until its closure in July 2003, when Britomart became the new terminus. The original Platform 7 (now referred to as Platform 1) was retained for limited use as 'The Strand Station', named after the adjacent street. It continued to be used by a limited number of peak-hour suburban trains for a few months following the opening of Britomart. After this, the sole used platform served as a limited-use station for excursions and charters, though it and the other abandoned platforms fell into a state of disrepair. In August 2011, the original Platform 7 and Platform 6 (now referred to as Platform 2) were redeveloped and officially reopened for potential use during Rugby World Cup 2011, although they were never used for that purpose.

## History

### Refurbishment

Between 2003 and 2011, the platforms had deteriorated into a decrepit state. All of the platforms had been shortened for the Britomart Curve, sections of removed track were stacked up on top of each other adjacent to the platforms, and grass and weeds covered most of the site.

In 2011, two platforms were upgraded by Auckland Transport to prepare them for use as an alternative to Britomart for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In a $1.7 million project, the canopies were removed from two platforms, with a small section left behind for historic purposes, and the canopies on the other platforms were also left standing due to their heritage value. The platforms were resurfaced, and amenities such as lighting and a public address system were installed. The platforms did not end up being used during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but they continued to serve as a potential backup station for Britomart during disruptions.

During 2013, stabling facilities were constructed in the disused part of the station, to the north of the refurbished platforms. The stabling yard, officially called the Strand Distributed Stabling Facility, is designed to hold trains when they are not in service. In 2014, the station was fully electrified as part of Auckland's railway electrification project. In December 2015, the station became the terminus of Auckland's sole long-distance passenger train service, the Northern Explorer which ran between Auckland and Wellington, following the shift of its Auckland terminus from Britomart. As the Northern Explorer had become the only diesel service still using Britomart, its operator KiwiRail was requested by Auckland Transport to fund an upgrade to the diesel extraction fans at the underground station, but KiwiRail decided it would be more cost-efficient to cease serving Britomart and move the Northern Explorer terminus to The Strand instead.

## Current use

The Strand is occasionally used for excursion trains and is also available as a backup station for Britomart in case of disruptions. Since electrification, part of the station has been used as a stabling facility. Platform 8 restaurant occupies the former foyer of the 1930 station.

Te Huia extends to The Strand on Saturdays from 24 July 2021. It was extended to The Strand on weekdays from 24 January 2022, much earlier than an earlier 2024 proposal, contingent on the Third Main Line project being sufficiently advanced. It may also run on Sundays and public holidays after year 4 or 5; once track access in the Auckland area is not required on Sundays for key rail projects.

## Future

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, the local iwi who owns much of the land in the area of the station, states on their masterplan for the area the wish for the station to be renamed Te Tōangaroa, the traditional name of Mechanics Bay, the reclaimed bay in which the station is located.

Proposals have also involved or inferred the return of suburban trains to The Strand, though this would entail moving the station further east or building new platforms on the tracks between Quay Park Junction and Britomart. In this case Eastern Line trains would call at The Strand/Te Tōangaroa station.


Griselda Records

# Griselda Records

## Abstract

Griselda Records (also known as GriseldaxFR; GXFR) is an American independent hip hop record label based in Buffalo, New York. It was founded by rapper Westside Gunn, his brother Conway the Machine, and Mach-Hommy in 2012. In addition to the founding members, Benny the Butcher and in-house producer Daringer make up the flagship artists of the Griselda Records roster.

The name Griselda comes from drug lord Griselda Blanco. Griselda refers to a loose-knit hip hop collective composed of the core signees of the label. The collective's de facto leader is the label's founder Westside Gunn. To date, Griselda has two releases as a collective: the extended play Don't Get Scared Now in 2016 and debut album WWCD in 2019.

Beginning in the label's formative years, physical copies of the label's music were distributed in limited releases by London label Daupe! that often sold out within minutes. In 2017, Griselda signed a distribution deal with Shady Records for artists Westside Gunn and Conway, which ended when both left the label in 2020 and 2022. In 2019, Westside Gunn and Benny the Butcher signed a management deal with Jay-Z 's entertainment company Roc Nation.

In 2021, Benny and Westside Gunn produced and starred in the movie Conflicted, which received mixed reviews from critics.

## Artists

### Current acts

- Armani Caesar

- Benny the Butcher

- Boldy James

- Rome Streetz

- Westside Gunn

### Former acts

- Conway the Machine

- Mach-Hommy

### In-house producers

- Conductor Williams

- Daringer

## Discography


Hilarempis undumeni

# Hilarempis undumeni

## Abstract

Hilarempis undumeni is a species of dance flies, in the fly family Empididae.


Jacques Groothaert

# Jacques Groothaert

## Abstract

Baron Jacques Groothaert (1922–2009) was a Belgian diplomat and entrepreneur. He was honorary chairman of the company SA Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques (SABCA), former Ambassador for Belgium to Mexico and China, and chairman of the Generale de Banque. He was a member of the Coudenberg group, a Belgian federalist think tank. In 1984 he founded, together with Lucien Le Lièvre, the American European Community Association (AECA) in Belgium.


Chris Fehn

# Chris Fehn

## Abstract

Christopher Michael Fehn (born February 24, 1973) is an American musician. He was a percussionist and backing vocalist for the heavy metal band Slipknot from 1998 to 2019, in which he was designated #3. He was also the bassist for Will Haven from 2010 to 2012.

## Career

### Slipknot

Fehn joined Slipknot in 1998, replacing percussionist Brandon Darner. As well as lending his percussion talents to the band, he has also sung backing vocals on a number of songs Slipknot has both recorded and performed live. Fehn describes himself as a "big fan of the band" and says of Slipknot, "the world needed something like this."

In an interview with Face Culture, Fehn stated that the band members gave him a hard time during his early years with the band. He described that his time during the self-titled album era was his "hazing period."

Slipknot bassist Paul Gray stated in an interview that Fehn "often brings humor to the band," and that they "definitely need that guy." Fehn would wear a Pinocchio -style mask and would frequently stroke the nose as if he was masturbating.

On March 14, 2019, Fehn filed a lawsuit against Slipknot, citing payment being held back. Fehn specifically accused Corey Taylor and Shawn Crahan for what he felt was questionable business dealings.

On March 18, 2019, Fehn officially split with Slipknot following the filing of his lawsuit. However, a few days later, the message was removed from the website and according to Fehn's lawyer, the percussionist's employment status with the band had not changed since his initial filing.

## Personal life

In the early years of Slipknot before their signing with Roadrunner Records, Fehn was an electrician.

Outside Slipknot, Fehn is a very keen golfer, and shown on an interview he did on the band's 2006 DVD, Voliminal: Inside the Nine, where he is interviewed at a golf course.

Fehn has two sons, born in 2012, and 2023.

Fehn has ornithophobia.

## Discography

### with Slipknot

- Slipknot (1999)

- Iowa (2001)

- Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004)

- 9.0 Live (2005)

- All Hope Is Gone (2008)

- Antennas to Hell (2012)

- .5: The Gray Chapter (2014)

- Live at MSG (2023)

### with Will Haven

- Voir Dire (2011)

### Other appearances

- Phil Campbell – Old Lions Still Roar (2019) drums on "These Old Boots"

## Filmography

- 1999: Welcome to Our Neighborhood

- 2000: Slipknot: Generation Z

- 2002: Disasterpieces

- 2002: Rollerball

- 2003: Slipknot: Up to Our Necks

- 2006: Voliminal: Inside the Nine

- 2008: Nine: The Making of "All Hope Is Gone"

- 2009: Of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams

- 2010: (sic)nesses

- 2013: Motionless in White – America (appears in the video as the freakshow host)

- 2016: Officer Downe

- 2017: Day of the Gusano: Live in Mexico


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