HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7454 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. T454
April 1T, 1990
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
R
r4EXN
0 Subject:
SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS REVISIONS
The as Water Commission (TWC) will review and propose modifications to the
Surface Water Quality Standards (SWQS) this year as part of a triennial review
process. The City of Fort worth staff is concerned with this process since the
Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant discharges treated wastewater into
Segment 0805 of the Trinity River, and the SWQS dictate what may be discharged
to the river. Fort Worth already has stringent discharge standards which must
be consistently met; 7 mg/l BOD, 5/2 mg/l ammonia nitrogen. Since several major
wastewater treatment facilities in the metroplex discharge to the same river
segment, a compact consisting of Fort Worth, Dallas, Trinity River Authority and
North Texas Municipal Utility District, was formed several years ago to jointly
participate in matters related to SWQS.
PROBLEMS:
A recently completed Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) performed by the TWC
recommends modifications to the SWQS which include upgrading the use of Segment
0805 from limited to high aquatic life habitat. The recommendation is based on
minimal current dissolved oxygen (DO) data and several assumptions. The
proposed "high" use would require that a 5 mg/1 DO be maintained in the river
segment rather than the current 3 mg/1 DO standard. The compact meembers believe
that current DO data does not justify a high acquatic life habitat use at this
time because:
• data used to justify the higher Do was not obtained. at the critical low
flow of the river, as required,
• hydraulic modeling indicates a 5 mg/l Do could not be maintained, even
with more stringent treatment standards (2 mg/l BOD, 1 mg/1 ammonia
nitrogen),
• the TWC did not adequately account for nonpoint sources of water
pollution, as required by federal regulations,
0 a required cost-effectiveness evaluation was not performed (preliminary
estimates of cost for the village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to
consistently meet a 2 mg/1 BOD, 1 mg/1 ammonia nitrogen limit are 65
million dollars, plus full use of the remaining space at the current
plant site) , and
a discharge limitation of 2 mg/l BOD, 1 mg/1 ammonia nitrogen would be
the most stringent in the country for a major treatment plant.
Another reason for concern with the proposed higher uses and tightened discharge
standards, unless justified by sound technical data, is that uses and standards
may not ever be downgraded once they are attained or raised, per the
-ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7454
R T I gi, April 17, 1990
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
0
(e4x J Subject:
to 7 1 SURFACE MUER QUALITY STANDARDS REVISIONS
antidegradation and anti-backsliding requirements of the federal Clean Water
Act.
PROPOSED STUDIES:
The carpact members believe that all dischargers to the river segment should be
treated equally, and all upgrades to the SWQS should be technically justified
and taken in appropriate steps. Accordingly, the following action is proposed:
request the TWC to delay proposed changes to the SWQS for Segment 0805,
perform studies to justify uses and subsequent standards, and
reccmuend feasible standards.
A program to accomplish the above action items includes hiring experts to refine
and justify the hydraulic model for the river and to perform a cost/feasibility
study for treatment to meet various levels of standards. The results of the
studies would be submitted to the TWC for use in justifying feasible and
attainable SWQS.
SCHEDULE:
An initial schedule obtained from the TWC for SWQS modifications is as follows:
May, 1990 Propose SWQS revisions
July Public Hearing
October Adopt revised SWQS
• proposed schedule for the ccapact members program is as follows:
a April, 1990 Hire experts for studies
0 April Refine and justify model
July Determine treatment cost/feasibility
Summer Collect new river data
Early Fall Recalibrate model
Late Fall Recommend feasible standards to the TWC
• resolution which identifies problem with proposed SWQS revisions, recommends
studies by the conypact to determine solutions and identifies sources of funding
is included in today's Council agenda for consideration.
1�
--DAVID IVORY, CIT)��GER
9 00001",
-ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
A Resolution
PARTICIPATION IN UPPER TRINITY RIVER COMPACT STUDY RELATED TO REVISIONS TO THE
STATE SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
WHEREAS, the Texas Water Commission is conducting their triennial review of
Texas stream standards; and,
WHEREAS, Fort Worth's Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant discharges to
Texas designated river segment 0805 of the Trinity River; and,
WHEREAS, the Texas Water Commis*sion has completed a Use Attainability Analysis
on segment 0805 which calls for raising the dissolved oxygen criteria from 3ppm
to 5ppm; and,
WHEREAS, raising the dissolved oxygen criteria could result in much higher
levels of treatment required by Fort Worth's wastewater plant, and the cost of
making these improvements could significantly impact the City of Fort Worth;
and,
WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth has participated with the City of Dallas,
Trinity River Authority and North Texas Municipal Utility . District in numerous
cooperative efforts since 1975 as a member of the Upper Trinity Basin Water
Quality Compact (Compact Agreement); and,
WHEREAS, M&C No. C-9501 approved by council on February 11, 1986 authorized the
City of Fort Worth to enter into an agreement to renew creation of the Compact
for a. term of ten years and such agreement was signed by all parties and became
effective on March 1, 1986; and,
WHEREAS, the Compact Agreement allows for carrying out cooperative programs
related to water quality; and,
WHEREAS, the Compact managers met on February 15, 1990 and unanimously agreed
that expert assistance in preparing for the summer 1990 public hearing on
proposed surface water quality standards was desired; and,
WHEREAS, the total cost for such assistance will not exceed $80,000.00 with the
breakdown of cost between the members of the Compact as follows:
City of Fort Worth (not to exceed) $20,000.00
City of Dallas (not to exceed) $20,000.00
Trinity River Authority (not to exceed) $20,000.00
North Texas Municipal Water District (not to exceed) $20,000.00
Total (not to exceed) $80,000.00
0
CITY OF ]FORT WOR=
PARTICIPATION IN UPPER TRINITY RIVER COMPACT STUDY RELATED TO REVISIONS To THE
STATE SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
WHEREAS, obtaining assistance through a cost sharing program provides the most
economical method for Fort Worth to obtain the required assistance, Now,
Therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH:
Section 1. That the Director of the Water Department or his representative, is
authorized as a member of the Compact, in accordance with the Compact Agreement
to enter into discussions with mutually agreeable consulting firms for
assistance in reviewing the Trinity River Use Attainability Analysis and
developing a Compact position on appropriate water quality standards for Trinity
River Segment 0805.
Section 2. That upon completion of discussions, the Trinity River Authority
(TRA) is designated as the administrative entity to enter into contract(s) and
to handle funds and administer the consultant contract(s) entered into on behalf
of the Compact. This designation is conditioned upon TRA's forwarding the
contract(s) to all parties for approval .
Section 3. That the Director of Finance be and is hereby authorized to issue a
check in the sum of $20,000 to the Trinity River Authority to be paid into an
00PL escrow account set up by TRA which, along with a like contribution from the
other 3 members of the Compact, will be used to reimburse TRA for costs incurred
on behalf of the Compact.
Section 4. That the Director of Finance be and is hereby authorized to encumber
and allocate the sum of $20,000.00 from the Water and Sewer Operating Fund No.
45, Sewer Administration, Account No. 70-10-00. The expenditure in the amount
of $20,000.00 will be made out of Index Code 390518.
Section 5. That a new work program to accomplish the purposes of this
resolution shall be approved by the Compact members and attached to the existing
contract as ATTACHMENT B.
Section 6. That this resolution shall take effect immediately from and after
its passage in accordance with the Charter of the City of Fort Worth and it is
accordingly so. resolved.
0
CrrY OF FORT WO