Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-11-22 City Council (7)" City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DATE: SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 22, 2004 CMR:488:04 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE LONG-TERM GOALS FOR THE PALO ALTO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL PLANT This is an informational report and no Council action is required. DISCUSSION On February 23, 1998 Council approved the Incinerator Rehabilitation Project and directed staff to perform a Long-Term Goals Study (Goals Study) for the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP). The RWQCP staff started the Goals Study in July 2000 with the vision that the future RWQCP will be consistent with the concept of sustainability. During the course of the Goals Study, the RWQCP staff hosted a series of seven workshops that led to the development of the long- term goals and decision tools by stakeholders. These goals are consistent with the City’s sustainability program, and will guide the development of the plant improvements and future planning. On November 13,2001, Council endorsed the long-term goals. The RWQCP is making consistent progress in its daily activities towards these goals, although complete implementation will take many years. The attached report (Attachment A) is prepared by the RWQCP on current activities towards achieving the goals. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: 2004 Annual Report - RWQCP Long-term Goals PREPARED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD: Daisy Stark, Senior Engineer RWQCP William D. Miks, GLENN S. ROBERTS Director of Public Works CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:488:04 Page 1 of 1 2001 2002 2003 2004 Established long-term goals to guide the RWQCP towards sustainability Developed a decision process Completed the ash handling system to facilitate beneficial reuse of the ash from the plant Launched the Sewer Science Program which received several awards Completed the high-efficiency blower replacement project and received $77,000 from the State for achieving the energy saving Completed the Mountain View/Moffett Water recycling Facility Planning Study and received $150,000 grant from the State Launched the BMP program on Mercury Applied for $4M State grant for the construction of the Mountain View/Moffett water recycling Facility Started the Facility Condition Assessment project Started the construction to utilize landfill gas as fuel in the furnaces Adopted new ordinance on Mercury The recycled water facility project will replace a deteriorated pipe from the RWQCP to Shoreline golf links and expand the recycled water distribution system to the Shoreline Regional Park Community for landscape irrigation. Funding for the project would be from an anticipated $4 million State grant, committed funds from the RWQCP, the cities of Mountain View and Palo Alto for a grand total of ,16M. ~eline Extension Plans ect i~ to replace ~he existing pipeline to the Shorelinepipeline ~o reach the Mounlaill View/Moffett a~a for To meet the State grant requirements, the city of Mountain View, city of Palo Alto, and the RWQCP have jointly completed the following: Planning study (50% funded by the State) Environmental report (50% funded by the State) City of Mountain View mandatory reuse ordinance Application for construction grant from the State The final approval to construct the project is pending on the commitment of the state grant and an economically viable mitigation program to assure successful irrigation of the landscape in the Shoreline Regional Park Community with recycled water. At the conclusion of the Long-term Goals Study, the RWQCP informed the stakeholders that the plant would be working on the Facility Condition Assessment project. The Condition Assessment Study would evaluate the remaining lifetime of the treatment plant and serve as the basis to determine the Plant-wide Master Plan actual needs and timeline. The study would also identify the projects that require immediate attention and would need to be considered as a stand-alone activity. The RWQCP started the Facility Condition Assessment study this summer. It is anticipated that the study would be completed in 2005. The Palo Alto Landfill, located next to the RWQCP, is required by the Bay Area Air Quality Control Board to either utilize or flare (open-burn) off the landfill gas. In June this year, Council approved the construction of the project to utilize the landfill gas as fuel for the RWQCP incinerators. The project would reduce the natural gas consumption at the RWQCP and pollutant emission through flaring at the landfill. It furthers the RWQCP long-term goal to take a leadership role in promoting beneficial reuse and environmental enhancement. Construction is scheduled to complete in the spring of 2005. Mercury is a key pollutant of concern because it is accumulating in fish tissue in San Francisco Bay. To address the fourth Goal ("Minimize or Eliminate Toxins in the Influent") for Mercury, a new Ordinance was adopted requiring dental offices to install a separator to remove mercury-containing amalgam before it reaches the sewer. The amalgam used by dentists to repair cavities in teeth contains a high percentage of mercury. When the fillings are repaired or removed, pieces of the amalgam go into the waste line from the dental chair. The amalgam separator captures 95% of the mercury, and the dental office must have it removed and handled as a Hazardous Waste. Disinfection Alternatives Work Plan Background - The RWQCP uses chlorine, a conventional but controversial chemical, to disinfect its treated water prior to discharge to the Bay. Elimination ! minimization of chlorine use is a core element of several long-term goals of the RWQCP Driver - Safety and potential regulatory requirement Goals - Get acceptance and support of a Work Plan to properly evaluate a manageable number of technologies that would lead to the ultimate selection of a disinfection technology to replace the existing chlorination process in the RWQCP Approach - This project would re-engage the stakeholders in a decision/prioritization process to screen the world of options, build consensus, and select a manageable number of disinfection alternatives for detail evaluation