HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-12-03 City Council (7)City of Polo Alto
C ty Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
ATTENTION:FINANCE COMMITTEE
POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
AGENDA DATES: DECEMBER 3, 1996
DECEMBER 10, 1996
CMR:484:96
SUBJECT:COUNCIL COMMITTEE REVIEW OF CONSULTANT SCOPE
OF SERVICES FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR
MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF WASTEWATER
DISCHARGE FROM THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL PLANT (RWQCP)
REQUEST
Staff requests that the Policy and Services Committee and Finance Committee review the
following summary of the scope of services for a Request for Proposals (RFP) for
consultant assistance in mathematical modeling of wastewater discharge from the Regional
Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) and, if appropriate, allow staff to proceed with the
RFP and selection process without further Committee participation.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
An RFP and consultant agreement are needed by the Public Works Department to perform
mathematical modeling of the discharge of treated wastewater from the RWQCP to San
Francisco Bay. The City’s discharge permit will be reissued in July 1998, and Palo Alto
must calculate the dilution achieved by that time.
This project was not listed on the annual project list for consideration by the Standing
Committees, because it was not known what work would be needed or how it would be
performed.
Staff has now determined that a computer simulation of the current patterns and the
discharge will allow the amount of dilution to be calculated. If accepted by regulatory
CMR:484:96 Page 1 of.
agencies, this calculated dilution ratio could then be used in calculating the permit
limitations. The higher the dilution, the higher the allowable permit limit would be.
A sophisticated modeling exercise is required because the discharge is to a shallow
intertidal area of lower South San Francisco Bay. The mud flats adjacent to the discharge
channel are exposed during part of the tidal cycle and covered with water during part of
the cycle.
Other work is also being done which will be used to calculate new permit limits in
July 1998. RWQCP staff and consultants have a number of studies underway to transform
the Bay ("receiving water") standard into a discharge standard. The regulatory agencies
are working to redo the Bay standards, most notably for copper. The copper standard and
the standards for other toxic pollutants need to be redone because the previous ones were
found to be invalid by the courts. Once the Bay standards are finalized, allowable limits
for Palo Alto’s discharge can be calculated.
If the Committee wishes to review the RFP and Scope of Services for the modeling, it is
requested that staff be advised. If the Committee does not wish to review the RFP, staff
will proceed with the RFP and selection process.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of the modeling work is expected to be approximately $75,000.
budgeted in the Public Works Department’s operating budget.
Funds are
PREPARED BY: Phil Bobel, Manager, Environmental Compliance
DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: 7~--,~-/, ~
GLENN S. ROBERTS
Director of Public
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
~G~ Manager
CMR:484:96 Page 2 of 2