HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - June 17, 1998 (79)AGENDA TITLE: White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility Master Plan and Grant Application
MEETING DATE: June 17, 1998
PREPARED BY: Public Works Director
RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council authorize staff to seek statements of qualifications from
consultants for development of a long-range master plan for treatment of
wastewater at the City's White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility, and
authorize submittal of a grant application to the CALFED Bay -Delta Program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The City's wastewater treatment facility, located west of 1-5, presently
discharges secondary treated effluent to the Delta during winter months
and irrigates adjacent City -owned farmland during summer months.
The facility operates under a 5 -year permit from the State Regional
Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). Our permit has expired and is in the process of being renewed.
Staff has met with representatives of the Board and we are very concerned that our present practices will no
longer be permitted. While the permit process is one of negotiation and possible compromise, the issues will
not go away and will certainly be revisited in the next or a subsequent permit cycle. Thus, staff feels the City
should proceed to develop a long-term solution to the City's wastewater treatment and disposal process. In
addition to determining what methods will meet long-term treatment requirements, the study of possible
solutions should examine alternatives that do not require discharge to the Delta.
In making permit requirements, Board staff relies on the Basin Plan for our area that was adopted by the
State during the term of our last permit. There are two significant statements in the Plan that drive our
recommendation. They are:
• `Beneficial uses do not include all of the reasonable uses of water. For example, disposal of
wastewaters is not included as a beneficial use. This is not to say that disposal of
wastewaters is a prohibited use of waters of the state; it is merely a use which cannot be
satisfied to the detriment of beneficial uses." (See Exhibit A for full text.)
• "The Regional Board encourages the disposal of wastewaters on land where practicable,
and requires applicants for waste discharge requirements and discharge permits to evaluate
land disposal as an alternative." (See Exhibit B.)
The City has an opportunity, under the CALFED Bay -Delta Ecosystem Restoration Program, to possibly
obtain funding for study of using constructed wetlands to meet these requirements. This is the same program
which is funding the Mokelumne River Project being led by Woodbridge Irrigation District with City
participation. The deadline for applications is July 2, 1998, and staff is working with a consultant to submit an
application.
FUNDING: None needed at this time; however, the master plan study is likely to cost $150,000, or more,
and will come from the Wastewater Utility Enterprise Fund. Staff will be making additional
presentations on this issue prior to r esting th funds.
Richard C. Prim , Jr.
Public Works Director
Attachments
cc: Assistant Wastewater Treatment Superintendent - Del Kerlin
APPROVED:
H. Di n Flynn -- City Manager
Cmstrpin.doc 06/09/98
EXHIBIT A
II. PRESENT AND POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL USES
Beneficial uses are critical to water quality
management in California. State law defines
beneficial uses of California's waters that may be
protected against quality degradation to include (and
not be limited to) "...domestic; municipal;
agricultural and industrial supply; power generation;
recreation; esthetic enjoyment; navigation; and
preservation and enhancement of fish, wildlife, and
other aquatic resources or preserves."' Protection
and enhancement of present and potential beneficial
uses are primary goals of water quality planning.
Significant points concerning the concept of
beneficial uses are:
1. All water quality problems can be stated in terms
of whether there is water of sufficient quantity or
quality to protect or enhance beneficial uses.
2. Beneficial uses do not include all of the
reasonable uses of water, For example, disposal
of wastewaters is not included as a beneficial use.
This is not to say that disposal of wastewaters is
a prohibited use of waters of the state; it is
merely a use which cannot be satisfied to the
detriment of beneficial uses. Similarly, the use of
water for the dilution of salts is not a beneficial
use although it may, in some cases, be a
reasonable and desirable use of water,
3. The protection and enhancement of beneficial
uses require that certain quality and quantity
objectives be met for surface and ground waters.
4. Fish, plants, and other wildlife, as well as
humans, use water beneficially.
Existing and potential beneficial uses which
currently apply to surface and ground waters of the
basins are presented in Figures and Tables II -1 and
II -2. NOTE. Water Bodies within the basins that do not have
beneficial uses designated in Tables II -1 and II -2 are assigned
MUN designations in accordance with the provisions of State
Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 88-63 (Appendix
Item 8) which is, by reference, a part of this Basin Plan. These
MUN designations in no way affect the presence or absence of
other beneficial use designations in these water bodies.
Beneficial use designation (and water quality
objectives, see Chapter III) must be reviewed at
least once during each three-year period for the
purpose of modification as appropriate)
The beneficial uses, and abbreviations, listed below
are standard basin plan designations.
Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) - includes
usual uses in community or military water systems
and domestic uses from individual water supply
systems.
Agricultural Supply (AGR) - includes crop,
orchard, and pasture irrigation, stock watering,
support of vegetation for range grazing, and all uses
in support of farming and ranching operations.
Industrial Service Supply (IND) - includes uses
which do not depend primarily on water quality
such as mining, cooling water supply, hydraulic
conveyance, gravel washing, fire protection, and
oil -well repressurization.
Industrial Process Supply (PROC) - includes
process water supply and all uses related to the
manufacturing of products.
Ground Water Recharge (GWR) - includes natural
or artificial recharge for future extraction for
beneficial uses and to maintain salt balance or halt
saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers.
Freshwater Replenishment (FRSH) - provides a
source of fresh water for replenishment of inland
lakes and streams of varying salinities.
Navigation (NAV) - includes commercial and naval
shipping.
Hydroelectric Power Generation (POW) - is that
supply used for hydropower generation.
Water- Contact Recreation (REC 1) - includes all
recreational uses involving actual body contact with
water, such as swimming, wading, waterskiing,
surfing, sport fishing, uses in therapeutic spas, and
other uses where ingestion of water is reasonably
possible.
Nonwater-Contact Recreation (REC 2) - covers
recreational uses which involve the presence of water
but do not require contact with water, such as
picnicking, sunbathing, hiking, beachcombing,
camping, pleasure boating, tidepool and marine life
study, hunting and aesthetic enjoyment in
conjunction with the above activities as well as
sightseeing.
Warm Freshwater Habitat (WARM) - provides a
warm water habitat to sustain aquatic resources
associated with a warm water environment.
Cold Freshwater Habitat (COLD) - provides a cold
water habitat to sustain aquatic resources associated
with a cold water environment.
Wildlife Habitat (WILD) - provides a water supply
and vegetative habitat for the maintenance of
wildlife.
Preservation of Rare and Endangered Species
(RARE) -provides an aquatic habitat necessary, at
least in part, for the survival of certain species
established as being rare and endangered species.
Fish Migration (MIGR) - provides a migration route
and temporary aquatic environment for anadromous
or other fish species.
Fish Spawning (SPWN) - provides a high-quality
aquatic habitat especially suitable for fish spawning.
II -2
issue WDRs for State timber operations.'N
However, CDF and the Regional and State Boards
must still ensure that the operations incorporate
BMPs and comply with applicable water quality
standards. Appendix F of the MAA also calls for
the preparation of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOI) for the Regional Boards,
the State Board, and the CDFFP to prescribe
interagency procedures for implementing BMPs.
The MAA is Appendix Item 11.
3. Department of Conservation Agreement
In March 1988, the State Board amended a
February 1982 MOA with the State Department
of Conservation, Division of Oil and Gas
(CDOG), to regulate oil, gas, and geothermal
fields' discharges. The agreement requires CDOG
to notify the Regional Boards of all new
operators, all pollution problems associated with
operators, and proposed discharges. CDOG and
Regional Boards must also work together, within
certain time -lines, to review and prepare
discharge permits. It is Appendix Item 12.
Control Action Considerations of the
Central Valley Regional Water
Quality Control Board
Policies and Plans
1. Urban Runoff Policy
a. Subregional municipal and industrial plans are
required to assess the impact of urban runoff
on receiving water quality and consider
abatement measures if a problem exists.
b. Effluent limitations for storm water runoff
are to be included in NPDES permits where it
results in water quality problems.
;•2. Disposal of Wastewater on Land Policy
The Regional Board encourages the disposal of
wastewaters on land where practicable, and
requires applicants for waste discharge
requirements and discharge permits to evaluate
land disposal as an alternative. Where studies
show that year-round land disposal is not
practicable, the Regional Board will require
IV -8
EXHIBIT B
dischargers to evaluate dry season land disposal
as an alternative.
3. Controllable Factors Policy
Controllable water quality factors art not
allowed to cause further degradation of water
quality in instances where other factors have
already resulted in exceedence of the water
quality objectives. Controllable water quality
factors are those actions, conditions, or
circumstances resulting from human activities
that may influence the quality of the waters of
the State, that are subject to the authority of the
State Board or Regional Board, and that may be
reasonably controlled.
4. The Water Quality Limited Segment Policy
Additional treatment beyond minimum federal
requirements will be imposed on dischargers to
Water Quality Limited Segments. Dischargers
will be assigned or allocated a maximum
allowable load of critical pollutants so that water
quality objectives can be met in the segment.
San Joaquin River Agricultural Subsurface
Drainage Policy
a. The control of toxic trace elements in
agriculture subsurface drainage, especially
selenium, is the first priority.
b. Of the two major options for disposal of salts
produced by agricultural irrigation, export
out of the basin has less potential for
environmental impacts and, therefore, is the
favored option. The San Joaquin River may
continue to be used to remove salts from the
basin so long as water quality objectives are
met.
c. The valleywide drain to carry the salts
generated by agricultural irrigation out of the
valley remains the best technical solution to
the water quality problems of the San
Joaquin River and Tulare Lake Basin.
The Regional Board, at this time, feels that a
valleywide drain will be the only feasible,
long-range solution for achieving a salt
balance in the Central Valley. The Regional