HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7146 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7146
September 2, 1986
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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'13 RESTAURANT HIGH STRENGTH SEWAGE STRENGTH SURCHARGE PROGRAM
The cost of wastewater treatment at the Village Creek Plant has increased
dramatically in recent years due to rising operation and maintenance expenses
combined with the need for expansions and capital improvements. To recover
treatment cost , the Water Department establishes sewer use charges for
residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Traditionally the charges for commercial customers were based on volume rates
and did not directly recognize the concentration (strength) of the wastewater.
But since higher strength waste is more expensive to treat, an equitable sewer
charge should take into account wastewater strength as well as volume .
Industrial customers have been charged based on strength as well as volume for
17 years.
In recent months , several area cities (e.g., Arlington, Dallas) have begun to
charge restaurant facilities for the discharge of high-strength wastewater into
their respective wastewater collection and treatment systems. In line with this
trend, the Fort Worth Water Department conducted a study of restaurant
wastewater quality to determine whether the need existed for a similar
restaurant "surcharge" program within Fort Worth.
Monitoring conducted during the past two years demonstrates that restaurants, as
a class of commercial customers, contribute highly concentrated wastewaters to
the city' s sewer system. A comparison of sewage strength from restaurants to
that of residences indicates the much higher concentration of restaurant
wastewater:
TYPE OF RESTAURANT
Fast Food Full-Service Residence
BOD5* 746 mg/l*** 1,232 mg/l 210 mg/l
TSS** 416 mg/l 972 mg/l 240 mg/l
*BOD5 is the biochemical oxygen demand, a measure of the organic pollutant
concentration
**TSS is the total suspended solids, a measure of the quantity of sludge to be
removed.
***Milligrams per liter
Since the completion of the sampling and testing process, the Water Department
has been assembling the data base and programming changes necessary to implement
an expanded industrial waste program that includes restaurants. over 600
restaurants in the city will be affected; annual testing of a representative
sample will produce average BOD and TSS loadings to be used for monthly billing
to each restaurant for high strength wastewater.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS Na. 7146 - p.2
MFa„*f September 2, 1986
�bF coRr,�� To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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�TEx�y. Subject:
'•73 RESTAURANT HIGH STRENGTH SEWAGE STRENGTH SURCHARGE PROGRAM
A separate high-strength charge would be assessed each month for all
restaurants, based on an average wastewater strength determined by random
sampling of approximately 10 percent of the affected restaurants.
Examples of how monthly water and sewer charges will change for two restaurant
types are shown below. Figures are based on the average volumes for the
restaurant categories.
Fast-Food Restaurants
BEFORE HIGH-STRENGTH FEE IMPLEMENTATION: $47.65 volume
(ASSUMING SEWAGE VOLUME OF 7,460 CU. FT. 4.30 service charge.
BASED ON AVERAGE WATER CONSUMPTION OF FAST $51.95 TOTAL
FOOD RESTAURANTS)
AFTER HIGH-STRENGTH FEE IMPLEMENTATION: $47.65 volume
4.30 service charge
20.65 biochemical oxygen demand
3.60 total suspended solids
$76.20 TOTAL
Full-Service Restaurants
BEFORE HIGH-STRENGTH FEE IMPLEMENTATION: $76.70 volume
(ASSUMING SEWAGE VOLUME OF 12,000 CU. FT. 4.30 service charge
BASED ON AVERAGE WATER CONSUMPTION OF $81.00 TOTAL
FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS)
AFTER HIGH-STRENGTH FEE IMPLEMENTATION: $76.70 volume
4.30 service charge
63.50 biochemical oxygen demand
45.50 total suspended solids
$190.00 TOTAL
Restaurants affected by this program will be classified into several groups,
each with an associated TSS and BOD loading factor:
I. Stand-alone restaurants now billed directly
A. Fast-food
B. Non-fast food
!” II. Captive restaurants not now billed directly, but rather as part of the
bill to another water customer (e.g. , a strip shopping center, a mall,
etc.)
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS — !
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7146 - p.3
September 2, 1986
wTo the Mayor and Members of the City Council
t-0i,
Subject:
RESTAURANT HIGH STRENGTH SEWAGE STRENGTH SURCHARGE PROGRAM
It is anticipated that billing under this program will start no later than
October 1, 1986. Projected revenues from the surcharge are estimated at between
$300,000 and $500,000 in FY 1987, and were included in the year's estimate of
total revenues. Staff is available to answer any questions you may have
concerning this program.
No ordinance changes are required to implement this proposed program and if the
City Council has no objections the staff will proceed with the initiation of
this surcharge program.
Douglas HarmanLA K/"�)
City Manager
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ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS