Wastewater Management Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes - April 15, 2004
Committee Members Present:
John Carlson
Bill Carnes
Brad DeSpain
Steve Halverson
Mark Stratton
Vernon Watwood
Ann Marie Wolf
Kathleen Chavez
Committee Members Absent:
Armando Membrila
Wastewater Management Department Staff Members Present:
Ed Curley
Paul Bennett
Roderick Gary
Suzy Hunt
Steve Munsell
Prakash Rao
John Sherlock
Jerry Stratton
Other County Staff Present:
Harlan Agnew, County Attorney’s Office (CAO)
Paul Loucks, CAO
I. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Mark Stratton called
the meeting of the Wastewater Management Advisory Committee (WMAC)
to order at 7:53 AM.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Committee approved
the meeting minutes of the March 18, 2004 WMAC meeting.
At this point in the meeting, Mr. Stratton introduced Supervisor
Day’s new representative to the Committee, Steve Halverson.
Mr. Stratton presented Mr. Wood with a commemorative plaque and
thanked him for his years of service to the WMAC.
III. STAFF REPORT: Jerry Stratton reported on
the following items:
• Connection and User Fee Rate Increases Approved.
On April 13, 2004, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved a six
percent increase in Connection Fees and a four percent increase
in User Fees. The new fees are effective July 1, 2004.
• Operational Audit. Mr. Karl Kohlhoff
is completing his operational audit of the Department. He will
submit his final report by June 30, 2004 to the BOS.
• Proposed Sewer Revenue Bonds. Paul Bennett
told Committee members that WWM and other County staff are providing
information/giving presentations on the May 18, 2004 Bond Issues
as they are requested by various community organizations.
• New Federal Prison in Tucson. Pima County
has entered into an agreement for construction of a sewer system
to serve the new Tucson federal prison with the Federal Bureau
of Prisons (FBOP). On April 9, 2004, the Department received an
initial payment of $3.2 million for this construction project
from the FBOP.
Capital Development Division (CDD) Activities.
Ed Curley provided an update on the following CDD activities:
• Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA).
Staff prepared/submitted updated loan applications for WIFA’s
2004 funding cycle for three projects, which include: the Santa
Cruz Interceptor – Prince to Franklin; Tanque Verde Interceptor
– Craycroft to Tucson Country Club; and the Marana Wastewater
Treatment Facility Expansion project.
• Marana Colonia Redevelopment/Honea Heights
Colonia Activities. Staff continues to meet with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Rural Development,
and the Town of Marana regarding funding for this project to
provide sewer service for the Honea Heights Colonia. Pima County
has approved the designs and specifications for the off-site
sewer conveyance system.
• FBOP Existing Tucson Prison Facility.
The Department’s current contract with the FBOP for the
existing FBOP Tucson Prison Facility, located at Wilmot Road,
expires in October 2004. WWM is negotiating a new sewer service
contract with FBOP representatives.
• Arid West Water Quality Research Project (AWWQRP).
Mr. Curley reviewed AWWQRP activities. The Research Project
now has a joint project with the Water Environment Federation,
which is moving forward.
At the request of the Arizona Fulbright Association, AWWQRP staff
will provide a tour and presentation for visiting Fulbright students
and scholars in March 2005. The presentation will be on the relationship
between the Santa Cruz River and overall wastewater management.
• Capital Improvement Projects (CIP).
Jerry Stratton reported on the following CIP projects:
° Randolph Park Water Reclamation Facility (WRF).
The WRF is scheduled for completion in spring of 2004. For the
three months from January 2004 through March 2004, the Facility
produced a little over 29,000 million gallons of effluent.
° Avra Valley Treatment Plant. The consultant,
Kennedy Jenks, submitted a pre-final facility component adequacy
report on the Avra Valley Facility on March 29, 2004. The report
concludes that the Facility could be re-rated for a capacity
of 1.5 mgd. If successful, this would provide an additional
300,000 gallons per day (gpd) of treated effluent.
• Field Operations Division Contracts
° Sanitary Sewer Inspection and Inventory Project
(SSIP). WWM intends to start this project backup with
a single crew, hopefully within the next few weeks.
° In addition, Jerry Stratton noted that vegetation with
extensive root systems (e.g., Palo Verde trees) is often planted
in traffic circles that also contain manholes, and have caused
damage to some sewers. WWM would prefer other kinds of vegetation
be planted (e.g., cactus) in the circles. Mr. Carlson asked
who gets notified about plants in traffic circles. Mr. Stratton
responded that the County’s Utilities Coordination Section
reviews utility plans for improvements (e.g., traffic circles
and speed bumps). Mr. Carlson suggested that WWM provide information
about vegetation preferences in the form of a bulletin to engineering
firms.
IV. Committee Reports
A.Citizen’s Water Advisory Committee (CWAC) Update. Vernon
Watwood provided the CWAC report. Due to personal obligations,
Mr. Watwood is tenuring his resignation as CWAC’s representative
to the WMAC.
Mr. Carlson said that he saw a panel discussion on drought conditions
and the growing water scarcity in Arizona on Tucson’s PBS
television channel. The panel included David Modeer, Director
of Tucson Water, and some professors from the University of Arizona.
In addition, he noted that the Tucson Chamber of Commerce is reviving
its committee on drought. Mark Stratton said that this issue is
getting statewide attention, and added that the Arizona Department
of Water Resources is meeting on May 18, 2004 to discuss Colorado
River water shortages as well as the drought.
V. DISCUSSION
A. Old Items/Updates
- 2003-04 Financial Plan Update. Ms. Chavez
reported the BOS adopted a six percent increase in Connection
Fees and a four percent increase in User Fees on April 13, 2004.
The new rates are effective July 1, 2004. She said the BOS approval
of the new rates combined with their approval of the Amendment
3 to the 1997 Bond Implementation Plan the Department can move
forward with critical sewer rehabilitation projects. In addition,
WWM will proceed with requests for WIFA loans. Ms. Chavez is
meeting with WIFA the week of April 19, 2004 to discuss the
Department’s request for approximately $18 million of
loans to fund CIP projects. If approved, WWM would have $5 million
remaining of its 1997 Bond Authorization.
- 2004 Bond Authorization Status. The BOS adopted
the 2004 Bond Implementation Plan on April 13, 2004. The Plan
identifies the projects and time schedule that funding will
be spent. As requests are received for presentations/information
on the 2004 Bond Issue, WWM and other County staff are speaking
at meetings of community organizations. Mr. Stratton asked whether
any organizations have endorsed the 2004 Bond Authorization.
Ms. Chavez noted that the bond information pamphlet mailed to
voters included comments supporting passage of Wastewater’s
revenue bonds, and none opposing them. Mr. DeSpain said the
Town of Marana passed a resolution in support of the 2004 Bond
Issue and recommends that other organizations follow its suit.
- Operational Audit Status Report. Ms. Chavez
said at the BOS request, Mr. Kohlhoff’s initial contract
was amended so he could perform an analysis of the Department’s
allocation of Connection and User Fee revenues. Discussion followed.
Mr. Stratton asked whether Mr. Kohlhoff analyzed WWM’s
anticipated costs resulting from changes in regulatory requirements
(e.g., EPA’s CMOM Program). Mr. Chavez responded that
Mr. Kohlhoff expressed support for the Department’s implementation
of an asset management program in his presentation/report to
the BOS. Under CMOM, the County will be required to implement
an asset management program to comply with EPA’s SSO requirements.
Ms. Chavez added that WWM has purchased the necessary computer
software to establish the financial reporting requirements of
the asset management program. Ms. Chavez suggested that the
Committee invite Mr. Kohlhoff to the June 2004 WMAC meeting
to review his final report to the BOS.
- Comprehensive Management Audit Status. Ms.
Chavez said the County Administrator’s Office would be
working with the Procurement Department to select an outsider
auditor for the more comprehensive outside audit of the Department.
Mr. Carlson expressed concern about the six percent Connection
and four percent User Fee increases, and asked Ms. Chavez whether
there was any indication the Board might approve additional
rate increases after completion of the outside audit. Ms. Chavez
felt the Supervisors’ approval of the current rate increases
expressed their support of the Department’s programs.
Ms. Chavez noted that one of Mr. Kohlhoff’s observations,
when discussing the Operational Audit before the BOS, was that
instead of looking backward and where money was spent, the County
needs to look forward by implementing asset management, and
planning ahead for repair/rehabilitation and new capacity/expansion
of the County’s sewerage system.
B. New Items
- Biosolids Management Program. John Sherlock,
Program Manager for the Department’s Industrial Wastewater
Control Group, provided Committee members with a report on the
Department’s Biosolids Program. In addition, he discussed
findings from his investigation of two incidents related to
biosolids applications by the contractor for the County’s
Biosolids Program, Avra Gro. The first incident occurred on
February 20, 2004 on Field Lim-2, and the second one on March
25, 2004 on field JK-20. Mr. Sherlock said he worked with Mr.
DeSpain and the Town of Marana, as well as John Kai and Rob
Ferman of Avra Gro, and identified some areas of improvement,
including flagging setbacks. Discussion followed.
Mr. Stratton asked Mr. Kai whether he had evaluated the efficiency
and ease of application/various techniques for applying biosolids
to agricultural fields. Mr. Kai responded he had evaluated injection,
cake sludge, and liquid sludge surface applications. He said
he found the cleanest, most efficient method is subsurface injection.
Mr. Kai extended an open invitation to the Committee members
to tour the Biosolids Application Program.
- Biosolids Research Program. Dr. Ian Pepper
presented an update on the Biosolids Research Program at the
University of Arizona; with emphasis on the results of an ongoing
research study related to pathogen reduction in biosolids in
response to stress units.
The Department’s current research contract with the University
of Arizona provides for the evaluation of both the potential
benefits and hazards of biosolid utilization on mine tailings
and agricultural land. Research is conducted through the University
of Arizona’s National Science Foundation Water Quality
Center (an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center Association)
with the National Science Foundation. The County, through WWM,
has been a member of the Center since its inception in 2000.
A major advantage of membership is access to other scientific
studies in the field of water quality, wastewater treatment,
and biosolids.
Dr. Pepper noted that the U of A is holding its Water Quality
meeting on May 10, 2004 and invited WMAC members to contact
him or WWM staff, Prakash Rao, if interested in attending the
meeting and learning more about the Center’s various research
programs. Discussion followed.
Mr. DeSpain asked whether the Center’s research tracks
anything that survives in the soil or water table. Dr. Pepper
responded the Center has performed survival studies of both
pathogenic bacteria and viruses in soil. Mr. DeSpain inquired
whether the Center had studied the survival of pathogens in
tail water that comes off land-applied fields. Dr. Pepper responded
this area had not been studied, but would be a good subject
for future research.
At this point in the meeting, Ms. Chavez asked those present
who were involved with the County’s Biosolids Program
to introduce themselves. Adam Bliven identified himself as working
for Engineering & Environmental Consultants and stated he
was not involved with the Program. The following County staff
identified themselves: Harlan Agnew, Deputy County Attorney;
Paul Loucks, Deputy County Attorney; Dave Parker, Risk Management;
John Sherlock, Manager, WWM’s Industrial Wastewater Control
Group; Steve Munsell, WWM; and Prakash Rao, WWM. Others who
identified themselves, included: John Kai, President of Avra
Gro, the contractor for the County’s Biosolids Management
Program; and Rob Fehrmann, Director of Avra Gro. Greg Hess of
Pima Association of Governments (PAG) also introduced himself.
- Facility Plan Update. Mr. Curley informed
Committee members that staff began this project to update the
Department’s 20-year Facility Plan in the fall of 2002.
Completion of the Project is expected by December of 2004. The
Facility Plan focuses on the County’s metropolitan sewerage
facilities, which include: the Ina Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility; Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility; Randolph Park
Water Reclamation Facility; and the tributary conveyance system
and trunk sewers.
Mr. Curley introduced Steve Munsell, who presented an overview
of the Facility Plan’s Conveyance System Model. Mr. Munsell
noted the purpose of the model is to integrate PAG census data
projections for the next 20 years into the capacity data for
the County’s sewer system, in order to project the influence
of growth on the sewerage system in different parts of the County.
It is not an engineering design model (which would be much more
extensive in its detail and examination of the system.) WWM’s
Engineering Division will use this model when they begin development
of their more comprehensive model. Paul Bennett observed that
this Facility Plan tool is a broad-brush, macro model.
- State/Federal Legislative Update. Mr. Curley
referred Committee members to materials on the status of current
federal and state legislation, which they received in their
meeting packets. At the state level, WWM is concerned about
HB2190, which would amend Water Quality Fees, and proposes doubling
the annual fees the Department pays for Aquifer Protection Permits
to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. ADEQ is
also discussing requiring assessment of fees for AZPDES permits.
At this point in the meeting, Mr. Carlson asked Ms. Chavez about
the status of a proposal for increasing the size of the Committee’s
membership, which was submitted by the County Administrator,
Mr. Huckelberry, for Board of Supervisors consideration. Ms.
Chavez responded no information has been received on this item.
Discussion followed.
WMAC members had previously recommended the BOS consider increasing
the Committee’s membership from eight to nine members
to reduce the potential for tie votes or inability to achieve
a quorum. Ms. Chavez indicated Mr. Huckleberry is recommending
an increase to a possible 13 members.
VI. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: 2004 Bond Authorization
Update; Nominating Committee Appointment; WMAC Committee Appointment
Update; Randolph Park WRF Tour; FY 2004-05 Budget Update.
Mr. Watwood suggested that prior to the Randolph Park WRF tour,
members receive copies of Jon Schladweiler’s Executive Summary
of the Randolph Park Design Report.
VII. CALL TO THE AUDIENCE: There being no response,
Mr. Stratton adjourned the meeting.
VIII. ADJOURNMENT. The meeting adjourned at 9:45
AM. |
