Health officials said the rise in closures is because they now have better water quality tests that they conduct more frequently to check for bacteria that can cause multiple illnesses, such as gastrointestinal infections and hepatitis. Because the water and sun act as a natural treatment and filtration system, swimmers can usually go back in the water a couple of days after most minor incidents, such as untreated sewage being released, health officials said. The Neighborhood Information System can quickly identify houses for sale and houses about to be abandoned, as well as assist planners in developing neighborhood strategies. Digital photos of houses and lots deemed vacant by the Housing Office are also displayed. Plans are underway to upgrade the system so users can view maps of single blocks or entire neighborhoods layered with dots representing a wide variety of data.
Researchers also hope to add statistical data about health, welfare, and crime.
The system is currently accessible only to licensed community-development corporations and city agencies. Wright's Ennis Brown House has suffered earthquake damage but is still a remarkable work, surprisingly melancholy. Thanks to the efforts of contractors and officials, the completed plant will allow the city to remain in compliance with federal environmental laws. The Navy plans to use the computer's processing capabilities to forecast weather and ocean conditions, simulate wave action and currents, and to design and model new ships and aircraft. Soon, the US Energy Department will adopt another IBM supercomputer, this one capable of performing 12.3 trillion operations per second.