HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-08-14 City CouncilCity of Palo Alto
City Manager’s. Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
DATE:AUGUST 14, 2003 CMR:396:03
SUBJECT:DISCHARGE PERMIT FOR THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL PLANT
This is an information report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
Treated wastewater from the RWQCP is discharged to San Francisco Bay and a new permit
with stringent requirements and discharge limits is issued ever), five years by the Regional
Board, the State agency which regulates wastewater discharges. Similar permits for
Sunnyvale and San Jose will be issued in the same time frame, and the requirements for the
three plants have been negotiated during the past year through the Santa Clara Basin
Watershed Management Initiative, a stakeholder group which includes government agencies,
businesses, and environmental organizations. It is anticipated that the San Francisco Bay
Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) will issue a new 5-year permit for
discharge to San Francisco Bay to Palo Alto’s Regional Water Quality Control Plant
(RWQCP) on August 20, 2003.
DISCUSSION
Four key issues were negotiated:
Mercury Discharge Limits - In an effort to control mercury releases to San Francisco
Bay, the Regional Board staff had proposed very stringent limits which would not
have allowed the full utilization of the design capacity of the RWQCP. An alternative
approach was negotiated which calls for Palo Alto to work with dental offices to
install new mercury-reducing technology.
o Pathogens - New limitations on pathogenic (disease causing) organisms were
negotiated which target human pathogens more precisely, and reduce chlorine usage
by one-half.
3.Cyanide Limits - Compliance with the initially proposed cyanide limits would not
have been possible due to complications with the analytic method for cyanide.
CMR:396:03 Page 1 of 2
Understanding that the test method was not really detecting toxic forms of cyanide, all
parties agreed on limitations which are achievable.
Monlmrlng Costs - Expensive no,x~ to~tlng ,~,~ n~,,,,,~A ,,,~,~, ~,;,~,h~oh ,~,~ ~ooloA
back during the negotiation process. However, an increased frequency requirement
for chronic toxicity testing will cost Palo Alto and its Partners $15,000-$33,000 per
year.
RESOURCE IMPACT
In addition to the monitoring cost increase noted above, is the State’s annual fee increase for
the permit, which is part of the Budget debate occurring in Sacramento. At this time, it
appears that the permit fee could increase from $20,000 to $60,000 per year, a three-fold
increase. The final figure could be even higher.
PREPARED BY:
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
PHILIP BOBEL
Manager, Environmental Compliance Division
GLENN S. ROBERTS
Director of Public Works
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
Assistant City Manager
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