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Home My WebLink About0545.093October 21, 1993 THE HONORABLE CITY COL'NCIL Palo Alto, California Regional Water Quali~y Control Plant Wastewater Reclamation Pre design/Environmental Impact Report Members of the Counci.l: Report in Brief This report recommends that COuncil authorize staff to direct CH2M Hill to complete the second part of the Pre-design/EIR study for the Regional Water Qual ity Control Plant (RWQCP) and accept the Recla~ation Master Plan and Financial Analysis of the Water Reclamation Program as complete. Funds for part two of the Wastewater Reclamation P.ce-Design!EIR have been encumbered in the Wastewater Treatment FY 93-94 operating budget. Background In February 1993, Council authorized staff to proceed with the first part of the Reclaw~tion Pre-Design/ErR project (CMR:153:93). Council stipulated that staff present the findings of the various reclan-.aticn studies for rev-iew prior to completing t.he second part of the project (full EIR). Relat-ed St.udies The studies related to the Reclamation program are: • Reclamation Master Plan • Part 1 of the Pre-Design/EIR study 110 Financial Analysis of the Water Reclamation Program • Water Integrated Resource plan The Master Plan was completed in April 1992, and was oresented to Counci l in a 6t.aff z-eport dated July 30, 1392 (CMR:3S8:92). The Master Plan developed the preliminary basis that shaped the reclamation program. CMR:S45:93 -1- • , 3 ·-:;. . ,>-- ...... Part 1 of the Pl.-e-Design/EIR study was completed in AUgl:.st of this year. Part 1 of the study was submitted in a report to council on September 2, 1993 ICMR:.!!.68:93). Part 1 of the study included the initial technical and environmental screening on the Reclamation program~ and no apparent fatal flaw I ... as reported. Further evalua tion of the program and a f~ll EIR are included in the second part of the study. The Financial Analysis of the Water Recla~ation Program was also completed in Au.gust of this year and submitted to Council on September 2, 1993 (CMR:464:93). The financial report presented various options for funding the reclaimed water projects, and the rate impacts for the water and wastewater utilities. A draft copy of the Water Integrated Resource Plan was submitted to Council on September 16, 1993 ICMR:486:93). The plan wa.'3 initiated by the Palo Alto Utilities Department to address the long-term resource planning issues and identify water resource alternatives. Fal"'tors Driving the a.eg=uest to Proceed with Part. 2 of the Pre DeSign/ErR A study session was held on October 4, 1993 for Council and the Util ities Advisory Commission to discu.i>& the overall reclamation program. The need for the reclamat.ion program is driven mainly by the RWQCP permit requirements from the Regional Water QLl.ality control Board (the Board). The permit require~ents were discussed in the July 15, 1.993 staff report (CMR:393:93l. The first deadline in the permit Cease and Desist Order is the July 22, 1996 deadline for meeting the mass limit for copper discharge. In the past, the Board has not been sympathetic to treatment plant.s that did not show diligent efforts in attempting to comply .... ·i th the permit requirements. While the City is appealing the Board's require ments l the permit and the Cease and Desist Order are in effect . ..1... Compl iance · ... ith Reg'..:llati.ons The RWQCP's mission is to ensure maximum feasible compliance with regulations to protect the San FI-ancisco Bay and the environment. The Board has indicated they believe the mass limit is achievable. Staff needs to exert effort to pursue all feasible options that may lead to compliance. 2. Compliance Options The Board has indicated they believe the mass l1.mit can. be met through a combined effort or source control, plant optimiza tion, and reclamation. Staff believes that source control and -2 - / plant optimization alone will not be sufficient to meet the mass limit, and that Bome reclamation will be required. However. the reduction potential of source o.)ntrol and plant optimization have not been accurately identified at this time. Figure 1 (Attachment 1) was prepared to ahow the conceptual preliminary estimated amounts of mass reduction which may be achieved from the combined ~ctivities of the three options. Staff is currentl)' working on refining these estimates and plans to complete the refinement in the latter part of 1394. In the July is, 1993 staff report (CMR:393:93J. staff recom ~~nded proceeding with the following compliance strategies: • Source control; • Plant optimization; • Pursue reclamation; • Appeal. 3. Timeline for the Compliance Strategies Figure "2 {Attachment 2} shews the tirneline for t.he compliance strategies. The activities-under the reclamation progz.'am a.re very time-consuming. The timeline reflects aX'!. aggressive, but achievable. scbedule for the activities under the reclamation program. In order net to elimina.te recla.ma.tion from. t:.h!: compliance strategies, the full ErR for the reclamation program must proceed i~~edia~ely. If the permit appeal does not pl;ovide relief for the RWQCP, the timely completion of the EIR will allow the staff to attempt to meet th~ compliance date. In view of the above; it is therefore prudent to proceed with part 2 of che Pre-Design/EIR. Pdrt 2 qf P_re-D!i!sign/ETB Under Part 2 of the pre-Design/EIR project, the consultant will prepare a program level EIR and a focused ErR for project A, the delivery and storage system to Stanford. The information from this full ErR will be used on all the projects under the reclamation program. Since all the projects identified in the Master Plan a~e very similar in nature, the issues surrounding each of the projects and the mitigation mea,SU-I'es are essentially comparable ...... it.h fe-..... exceptions. Upon completion of the full EIR~ it is anticipated that an initial study and a negative declaration will be all that ~re required for the remaining projects, unless major changes are made to the projects. CMR,545,93 - 3 - R@cgmJnendat.iops Staff recommends that Council: 1. Authorize staff to direct CH2M Hill to proc~ed with Parl 2 of the Pre-Design/EIR for the remaining project cost of $100, 000. 2:. Accept the Reclamatior4 Master Plan and the Financial .A.."1alyai 9 of the Water Reclamation Program as complete. Respectfully submitted, ~~ .. DAISY STARK Plant Engineer. Water Quality Control Plant WILLIAM MIKS 7X-]R~lant GLENN S. ROBERTS Director of Public Works BERNARD M. STROJNY Assistant City Manager Attacr..ments: Figure 1 Figure 2 Related CHRs: CMR:393:93 CMR:J58:.92 CMR,46a,93 CMR ,464,93 CMR:486:93 -4 - · ; } COPPER LOADING (lbIy,) , c_"' J ...... ..,..,,, __ "'_. :::) ."'""\ '~ Strategy to Meet ..... ojected Copper Loading Requirement Maximum Reclamation Required Tatal PrajlrCtad 1200 r-.---... --.-~--..... I 1000 r--:--,c--...-- 800 600 400 200 o 1993 COPPER lc».CING 1994 1995 19% 1997 Strategy to Meet Projected Copper Loading Requirement Minimum Reclamation Required Obiyr} , Total Projected 1200 ,... -------.--. ---.... -/ -.. -.... ------.. - 1000 ~.-----_.. .. -::; 800 500 400 200 o 1993 1994 1995 HGlJJtE I 1996 1997 1998 1998 I n; ._. ";jgEi,(,, <: .: ~}';>, . 1, , ~ I},;t),"t: 'i Ir-._.. \ "'""~il "." f "i,':">~" "".r ,-""",~-. -fc>f"'i"-'i'i~"'l'·",..,., ____ ~_._- Timeline for Source Control and Reclamation Programs in Relation to Permit Status and Appeal TASK NAME 1993 1994 1995 1_ I , Permit Statue ---. ---. M .... Loading Compllenc:e Oala i July2fJ,19II6A .... . .. .. - ---.--. I· , . AppaaIProce•• . ~-,.-~ , -.. ---"-- Sourcec:on~1 P-:ogrllm .-_._--r' --. n "_ ----.-... _-----------._--- I Copper Removal Study .. ..... I· Wa.ta MlnlmlzlltlonProjee' I I ... Council Adoption of BMP ... , .' Reclamation Program I .. Full EIR ---. ... I' -----------... -~-----_ .. ,-----., - o.algn and "-rmlttlng I --...... ----. ....... =: .. Con.true. -..., .. --. -,,-----------.. -'" l-._-----, --~~------.. --~ --. -------_.----_.----- Plant Optimization I ,. . .. . ----.... --~. _._--_ .. . Plannlng/lmplemenlallon . "1----------- Implamantatlon Completion ... L-.... .. u I ) ! I \ i _ Critical Palh _ Slack mUBE 2 '.~' . __ -,,,J ,'. -----...-'- __ ,,''l-'" ... r'"-",,,,"'\ e. ~,." '.11' ,.~"",-.