An Informal Informational Meeting ("Shirtsleeve" Session) of the Lodi City Council was held Tuesday, August 27, 2002 commencing at 7:05 a.m.

Present: Council Members – Hitchcock (arrived at 7:10 a.m.), Howard, Land, Nakanishi, and Mayor Pennino

Absent: Council Members – None

Also Present: Deputy City Manager Keeter, City Attorney Hays, and City Clerk Blackston

City Clerk Blackston reviewed the weekly calendar (filed).

C-1 "White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility Improvements Update"

Public Works Director Prima recalled that it had been over a year and a half since staff had spoken to Council in detail about the wastewater facility. He introduced staff that were present and representatives of West Yost & Associates.

With the aid of overheads (filed), Bruce West, Principal with West Yost & Associates, described the current facility. He explained that during the irrigation season, throughout the spring and summer, the plant effluent is used on site for irrigation on City-owned property. During the remainder of the year there is discharge of all or part of the effluent into Dredger Cut. West Yost & Associates was retained in 1999 to perform wastewater master planning and regulatory assistance with the City, and in late 1999 it had completed draft findings. An update on the preliminary findings and recommendations from the master plan were discussed at six public advisory committee meetings and three City Council meetings. The master plan was finalized and published in January 2001. One of the recommendations was to look for an alternate outfall location. The current point of discharge is infeasible to meet the discharge limits that are already imposed, and those likely to be imposed in the future. Additional recommendations were to look at alternate methods of disposing wastewater and that percolation disposal be considered as a viable option. A pilot study has been completed that provided information on how the ground and soil types around Lodi assimilate wastewater. West Yost began pre-design of improvements to the wastewater plant late last year. It was found that a membrane bioreactor treatment process was not financially feasible.

Mr. West reported that in February 2000 Lodi was issued a new permit by the Regional Board that required filtration and a number of other requirements for the current point of discharge. Among the requirements is maintaining dissolved oxygen in the receiving waters of five milligrams per liter, which is virtually impossible at the City’s current point of discharge. In May 2000 the State implementation plan was adopted with landmark regulatory changes that required dischargers throughout the state to not only meet the conventional treatment standards of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and suspended solids, but also to begin complying with very low standards for certain trace toxics.

In reply to questions posed by Council Member Land, Mr. West explained that even without wastewater being discharged into Dredger Cut, the dissolved oxygen in the receiving water drops below the limit of five parts per million. In essence, this means that the City cannot discharge there or it would be in automatic violation. Dissolved oxygen in the water is a measure of the quality of the receiving water. Organic constituents in the water demand oxygen. If the water is polluted there is a good chance that the dissolved oxygen will be depressed. The dissolved oxygen limits that are being imposed on receiving waters are primarily a measure to monitor and control discharges. The State does not want the City to discharge additional organics that would drive the dissolved oxygen even lower.

Mr. West reported that in April 2001 the Department of Health Services promulgated new guidelines on recharge of wastewater into groundwater aquifers. It is believed that those requirements will likely be applied to percolation disposal. Projects that intentionally recharge groundwater with wastewater effluent stand a high potential of needing advanced treatment, and likely still will not be able to meet regulatory requirements in the long term.

The City of Stockton received its new permit in early 2002, which Mr. West stated was significant to Lodi in terms of treatment on dilution. He explained that Lodi will likely not be able to meet the requirements of future permits without dilution credits in the receiving water. West Yost will be proposing that the City move the point of discharge into Bishop Cut. Mr. West reported that the State implementation plan establishes statewide standards for toxics and trace constituents in wastewater. The toxic constituent of concern is trihalomethane, which is an artifact of chlorine. It is being regulated for discharge into the Delta. This may drive the project to do away with chlorination at the plant and to implement ultraviolet disinfection, which is a more capital intensive process. The need for data will increase and trigger unprecedented treatment levels that will be required over time. The maximum schedule for compliance that the regulators can grant is five years.

Referencing the master plan, Mr. West stated that it had planned for facilities through an average flow of 8.5 million gallons per day, and assuming a 1.5% growth rate, this is projected to occur in Lodi by 2020. He stated that the master plan included the following recommendations/options:

Ø Some improvements to the headworks facility
Ø Expansion to the aeration systems
Ø A new secondary clarifier
Ø Upgrades to the chlorination system
Ø A new digester

Mr. West reported that the cost of facilities to upgrade the secondary processes at the plant was estimated at $16 million. Subsequent to the completion of the master plan, additional data at the plant indicate that loadings have increased from 20% to 35%. This will affect some of the costs and recommendations, particularly those related to the aeration process.

In answer to Council Member Howard, Mr. West confirmed that the increase in loadings began in 2000 and data indicates that the increase has been sustained since that time. This information is derived from sampling locations at the plant. He noted that the location of where the samples are being collected has changed; however, he did not believe this had any effect on the increase in loadings.

Mr. West reported that the City’s current outfall location of Dredger Cut is a stagnant water body with little dilution. The dissolved oxygen in Dredger Cut is typically less than five milligrams per liter and consequently is not a place where the City should continue to discharge effluent. He stated that it is unlikely that effluent limits could be reliably met at Dredger Cut even with improved tertiary treatment. Mr. West stated that three alternatives were selected at the conclusion of the master plan:

1. Percolation disposal with winter only discharge. This alternative would try to maximize the dilution available by discharging to the surface water only when flows are relatively high in the Delta and would percolate dispose most of it in the summer months on land.

2. A percolation only disposal option would require 400 acres of percolation basins. This would eliminate discharge to surface water, but would increase the possibility of contaminate flow into the groundwater.

3. a) Discharge to Bishop Cut with advanced treatment; b) wetlands; and c) a new outfall location where more dilution could be achieved.

Mayor Pro Tempore Hitchcock suggested that this topic be reviewed in detail at a regular City Council meeting with a clear notice that rates will be discussed.

In reply to Ms. Hitchcock, Mr. Prima explained that treated effluent, biosolids, and industrial waste is currently being discharged to land. If the proposed sports complex project is approved, only tertiary treated domestic effluent could be applied to that land.

Mayor Pennino asked Mr. Prima to provide Council with another copy of the report he produced regarding the history of flows, BODs, and suspended solids, as well as a projection through the year 2020 or 2025 and how it ties into the City’s growth. He believed that planning should be done without consideration of the proposed ProStyle Sports Complex, because a formal application has not yet been received on the project. He stated that consideration should be made pertaining to Eight Mile Road and the impact it will have on the City’s facility. He suggested that a partnership be pursued to help fund the expansion project, such as with Flag City. He asked whether all alternatives have been considered, including privatization.

Mr. Prima reported that over the course of the master plan staff considered many alternatives and are considering the possibility of doing a design build for tertiary filters.

Council Member Howard expressed concern about partnering with the County. She believed it to be critical that the plant stay a part of the City of Lodi, and not over the years be used and eventually engulfed by the County. She emphasized the importance of securing the rights to the wastewater treatment plant.

Council Member Nakanishi did not believe it was necessary to consider privatization at this time.

None.

No action was taken by the City Council. The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 a.m.

ATTEST:

Susan J. Blackston
City Clerk