HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-05-08 City Council (7)City of Palo Alto
C ty Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
DATE:
TITLE:
MAY 8, 2000 CMR:204i00
SUBMITTAL OF CLEAN BAY PLAN 2000: THE POLLUTION
PREVENTION PLAN FOR THEREGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL PLANT AND THE CITY OF PALO ALTO’S STORM
DRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
This is an information report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
The City of Palo Alto operates the Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP), a
wastewater treatment plant for the communities of East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos
Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Stanford University. Stormwater runoff in Palo
Alto flows untreated to the San Francisco Bay (Bay). Wastewater and stormwater
discharges are both regulated via National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permits issued by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
(Regional Board). Given the strict permit requirements, Palo Alto must explore all
feasible methods of reducing its metals and toxic organic pollutant discharges to the Bay.
The City of Palo Alto identified four reasons for prioritizing pollutants in the wastewater
and stormwater:
Federal Clean Water Act w Section 303(d) requires states to identify waters where the
effluent limitations required under the NPDES or any other enforceable limits have been
implemented and adopted water quality standards are still not attained. The states must
also rank these impaired water bodies by priority, taking into account the severity of the
pollution and the uses to be made of the waters. The U.S. EPA r(vised and approved the
303(d) list for the Bay and associated urban creeks in May 1999.
Sludge Management Limits--There are metal concentration limits for the land disposal
of incinerated sludge ash.
Air Emissions--The pollutant is a significant contributor to the air emissions health risk
from the RWQCP or is an air pollutant recognized by the U.S. EPA as impairing a local
creek or the Bay.
CMR:204:00 Page 1 of 3
Toxicity Test Results--The pollutant is identified as a source of toxicity in RWQCP
effluent or in storm water runoff.
Pollutant
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Dioxins
Mercury
Nickel
Organophosphate
pesticides
PCBs
Zinc
Reason for Selection
Air emission health risk
Air emission health risk
Federal Clean Water Act;
effluent limitation; sludge
management limits
Federal Clean Water Act; air
emissions
Federal Clean Water Act; air
emissions
Federal Clean Water Act;
Federal Clean Water Act;
Wastewater
Priority
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Stormwater
Priority
X
X
X
X
x
Federal Clean Water Act; X X
Effluent limitation; toxicity test X
results
DISCUSSION ~
On March 31, 2000, the City Of Paio Alto submitted "Clean Bay Plan 2000," describing
pollutant priorities, sources of those pollutants, and the pollution prevention plan for the
coming year. For a complete copy of "Clean Bay Plan 2000," see www.city.palo-
alto.ca.us/cleanbay or request a bound copy from staff. A summary of the document
follows.
In 2000, the pollution prevention priorities for the RWQCP and the Palo Alto stormwater
program will be:
Reducing mercury discharges to the sewer system and storm drain system
Reducing dioxin discharges to the sewer and storm drain system
Reducing diazinon and other organophosphate pesticide releases to the storm drain
system
Reducing copper discharges to the sewer and storm drain system.
These four pollutants are the focus of the "Clean Bay Plan 2000." In addition, the City of
Palo Alto will continue to implement programs that address all pollutants of concern.
Program highlights for the year 2000 are as follows:
CMR:204:00 Page 2 of 3
Adoption of a Mercury and Dioxin Elimination Policy by the Palo Alto City Council
Expand a "Cars Pollute Water Too" campaign
Educate residents about woodsmoke pollution, including the associated dioxin
releases
Collaborate with the Mid-Peninsula Dental Society to educate local dentists about
proper management of mercury and amalgam wastes and to begin discussing
pretreatment options
Expand the Integrated Pest Management program, which educates the public about
alternatives to pesticides at the point-of-purchase in local hardware stores and
nurseries
Continue mercury thermometer and thermostat drop-off programs; review options to
promote fluorescent light recycling
Continue to discourage use of copper materials for architectural purposes while
completing a study to determine the relative magnitude of this source
Escalate enforcement of new 0.25 mg/L copper industrial discharge limit for large
cooling water systems and low strength process wastes.
PREPARED BY: Stephanie Hughes, Manager, Source Control Programs
DEPARTMENT HEAD: ~
GLENN S. ROBERTS
Director of Public Works
"~’~MILY HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:204:00 Page 3 of 3