4 14 08 Water Pollution Control Plant Facility Planning Memos2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Work Session -April 14, 2008
Water Pollution Control Plant Facility Planning
DATE: April 10, 2008
A Work Session is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2008, to discuss the Water Pollution
Control Plant Facility Planning process.
No decision is expected from the City Council at this session. There will be a public
hearing on the plan options with a recommendation from the City Manager within the
next 60 days.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Jonathan Brown, Water Pollution Control Plant Manager
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2007
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager ~~
FROM: Jonathan R. Brown, WPCP Manager
SUBJECT: WPCP Facility Planning Work Session
DATE: April 10, 2008
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to provide background information on the progress of the
Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) facility planning process for the council work
session on April 14, 2008.
DISCUSSION
The City of Dubuque operates a wastewater treatment plant providing secondary
treatment for residential, commercial, and industrial wastewaters. The treatment
facilities are complex, energy intensive and involve high replacement costs as units
reach the end of their useful lives. The original facilities were designed and built over
forty years ago and updated in 1994. The need to replace plant components and the
desire to reduce plant operating costs prompted the City to prepare a Facility Plan to
identify the best alternatives for sludge handling, biological wastewater treatment,
alternative disinfection methods, and to review other plant needs.
The direction of the City of Dubuque's WPCP has been established as a high priority by
the City Council. A process of facility planning was approved and RFP's for the Water
Pollution Control Facility Plan were submitted to council on February 5, 2007.
Consultant selection to prepare the Facility Plan was approved by City Council in May
2007 and Strand Associates of Madison WI was contracted to proceed with planning.
The objectives of the Facility Plan are:
A. Provide an assessment of the current condition of the WPCP.
1. Assessment of remaining life of current incinerators.
2. Assessment of the current condition of the activated sludge
aeration basins.
3. In addition to the items above an overall assessment of the
current condition of the WPCP.
B. Determine alternatives for sludge disposal including at a minimum.
1. Anaerobic Digestion with land application
2. Anaerobic Digestion with composting
3. Thermal destruction using Fluid Bed Reactor(s)
4. Any other disposal option or combination deemed feasible
by the engineer.
5. Environmental impact assessment for sludge disposal
options to include at a minimum; heavy. metals (esp. mercury), toxic
organics and a greenhouse gas production analysis.
C. An analysis of the continued use of Oxygen Activated Sludge for
secondary treatment, possible alternatives for secondary treatment
and the associated risks and benefits.
D. Provide options and associated costs for disinfection.
1. Continued gas chlorination
2. Onsite chlorine generation
3. Hypochlorite use for disinfection
4. UV disinfection
5. Ozone disinfection
E. Fulfill the requirements of the State of Iowa Revolving fund program
for the Facility Plan and funding plant upgrades.
F. Prepare a prioritized list of plant upgrades for possible phasing of
plant construction. The list should include anticipated costs
associated for capital improvement budgeting purposes.
G. Help facilitate citizen input through a series of public meetings.
H. Provide an analysis of the probability of nutrient removal
requirements for the WPCP, when and if these will occur and
possible treatment options to achieve these removals if required
As part of the planning process three public meetings have been held to inform citizens
of the process and to provide an opportunity for public input. In addition to the public
meetings an informational luncheon was held on April 4th for the largest users of the
WPCP to keep them informed of the process and potential impact plant upgrades may
have on the rate structure.
The WPCP Facility Plan will be completed in April 2008 and presented to the City
Council along with a recommendation from the City Manager, for a public hearing. Prior
to presentation to the City Council and the public hearing a work session will be held
April 14, 2008. Upon selection of appropriate technologies by the City Council and the
approach to phasing the project, an RFP will be developed by June 2008 for the
selection of design engineers. Design engineers will be selected by August 2008. If a
single phase approach for design and construction is selected design would begin in
September 2008 and completed by June 2009. If a two phase approach is selected
phase I design would be completed June 2009. Phase II design would begin November
2011 and be completed May 2012.
There are two timelines for construction depending upon the approach to the phasing of
the project. If a single phase is selected construction would begin September 2009 and
be completed by the fall of 2012. A two phase project would begin in September 2009
and be completed by the fall of 2014.
The work session scheduled for April14th will provide an opportunity to discuss the
various approaches to the treatment of wastewater for the City of Dubuque and the
associated risks and benefits from both an economic and environmental basis.
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