Catfish Creek proposalCITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
January 12, 2000
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Catfish Creek Coalition Proposed Best Management Practices
On November 2, 1999, the Catfish Creek Coalition made a presentation to the
Environmental Stewardship Advisory Commission on their recommendation for
proposed best management practices for sanitary sewer maintenance. This was in
response to the five sewer discharges near Catfish Creek over a course of five months.
Staff generally concurs with the 8 recommendations of the Coalition, except that
televising of the sewer line is not feasible because of the difficult terrain along the
sewer line.
Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan, Operations and Maintenance Manager
Don Vogt and Assistant Water Pollution Control Plant Manager Jonathan Brown are
recommending acceptance of the staff's maintenance and repair practices.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mi~chael C. Van Milliken
MCVM/dd
Attachment
CC:
Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Tim Moerman, Assistant City Manager
Mike Buelow
Regina Thibeau
Mary Rose Corrigan, Public Health Specialist
Don Vogt, Operations and Maintenance Manager
Jonathan Brown, Assistant WPCP Manager
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
December 10, 1999
TO: Michael C. Van Milliner,~ City Manager
FROM: Mary Rose Corrigan Ith Specialist,
Don Vogt, Operations & Maintenance Manager
Jonathan Brown, Assistant Water Pollution Control Plant Manager, Chemist
SUBJECT: Catfish Creek Coalition Proposed Best Management Practices
BACKGROUND
On November 2, 1999, the Catfish Creek Coalition made a presentation to the
Environmental Stewardship Advisory Commission on their recommendation for proposed
best management practices for sanitary sewer maintenance. This recommendation is in
response to the numerous sanitary sewer problems occurring this year near Catfish Creek.
There was a total of five high volume discharges over a course of five months.
DISCUSSION
Staff proposes the following responses to the Coalition's recommended maintenance and
repair practices:
Proposed Maintenance Practices:
Surveillance of the sewer lines and natural areas, including the walking of the
Catfish Creek tributaries twice a year, and a scheduled periodic televising of
vulnerable areas.
Staff resoonse:
Staff concurs to walking the Catfish Creek tributaries and sewer lines at least once per
year. Operations & Maintenance staff could possibly do this, but may need assistance from
Engineering Division staff.
Televising the sewer lines would be difficult for two reasons: 1) access for the two vehicles
necessary for televising is not possible in many areas unless roads are built and private
property owners permit these vehicles on their property, and; 2) in order to televise a line
with a large volume of flow, the flow would have to be diverted, which at some locations is
not possible. The only place to divert.the flow would be into Catfish Creek, which would
be counterproductive.
Water sampling of the creek along interceptor sewer lines on a monthly basis to
determine levels of BCD, suspended solids, and fecal coliform.
Staff resoonse
Staff proposes doing testing along the creek and some of its tributaries 2-3 times per
month, to establish a baseline. After an adequate baseline of data has been established,
testing would be ongoing on a monthly basis, utilizing existing staff. It is anticipated
sampling will occur at 6 - 8 different sites. Staff also proposes to substitute total organic
carbon (TOC) for BCD after establishing a TOC/BOD correlation. Additional tests would be
done to determine the most effective methods to determine the water quality of the creek.
Determine schedule for GIS mapping of storm drain and sanitary sewer
infrastructure.
Staff reseonse
The GIS overlay and mapping process is ongoing. City Engineering Division staff indicates
it will be at least another six months before the sanitary sewers will be mapped.
Identify easements and access points for heavy equipment in the eventuality of
sewer repair or replacement.
Staff response
While Operations and Maintenance Department staff are cognizant of many easements and
access points, it is anticipated that the 6IS system will facilitate a major review of the
area's needs/options.
Proposed Reoair Practices:
Employ storm water management measures during the repair and reconstruction of
sewers, for example, silt fencing, re-seeding, stream bank stabilization.
Staff response
Staff feels that this has been the practice during this year's sewer breaks, and will continue
to be standard procedure.
Repair damages to habitat resulting from discharge and its repair, for example,
removal of debris and solid matter, replacement of trees and vegetation.
Staff response
Again, staff feels that this is current and future practice, wherever possible and permitted.
Determine if replacement materials should be used, for example, ductile iron pipes in
lieu of clay pipes.
Staff resDonse
Staff reports clay pipes are already being replaced with ductile iron during sewer repairs in
remote areas. Aisc, new sewers installed in remote areas are constructed exclusively with
ductile iron pipes.
When a leak is in proximity to a creek, water sampling should be conducted to
measure levels of fecal coliform, BOD, suspended solids. Necessity of public
notification should be determined, including posting of signs in the area of discharge
as well as media notification.
Staff response
Staff has developed a process where either through visual inspection, or through laboratory
monitoring of the creek when breaks or leaks occur in the sewer, additional laboratory
testing will be done. If unsafe levels of contamination are present, the areas will be
identified and roped off, along with notification of the public occurring through signage
and/or media releases.
COUNCIL ACTION
Approve the staff recommended maintenance and repair practices for sanitary sewer lines
in response to the Catfish Creek Coalition proposal.
MRC/cj
December 9, 1999
Honorable Mayor Terry M. Duggan and
City Council Members
City Hall
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque IA 52001
Dear Mr. Mayor and Council Members:
At our November and December, 1999 meetings, the Environmental Stewardship Advisory
Commission heard and reviewed recommendations from the Catfish Creek Coalition
regarding proposed best management practices for sanitary sewers in the Catfish Creek
area (see attached.) City staff members, Mary Rose Corrigan, Don Vogt, and Jonathan
Brown, also reviewed the recommendations.
The Environmental Stewardship Advisory Commission concurs with the staff responses to
the proposed recommendations. However, the Commission would like to emphasize that a
greater priority should be placed on completing the GIS overlay and mapping process for
sanitary sewers and easements. Until this is done, staff does not have the ability to access
this information in a timely manner. If a sewer leak occurs, it is important that it can be
addressed expediently. The GIS system can facilitate a more timely and efficient response
for repairs to leaking sewers.
We respectfully request that the Mayor and City Council advise the City Manager to
incorporate these recommended maintenance and repair practices for management of the
City sanitary sewer system.
Respectfully,
Michael Buelow, Chair
Environmental Stewardship Advisory Commission
CCC ..~-,/ P.O. Box 1147, Dubuque, IA 52004.-1147
"We Care About Catfish Creek"
Recommendation to Environmental Stewardship Advisory Commission
City of Dubuque-Sanitary Sewer Discharges in Catfish Creek
Submitted by
CATFISH CREEK CO.a,I,ITION
November, 1999
The following recommendation is respectfully submitted to the Environmental
Stewardship Advisory Commission for their consideration and recommendation to the Mayor and
City Council of Dubuque. The Catfish.Creek Coalition has outlined in correspondence to the
Mayor and City Council our concern about the preponderance of ruptured or by-passed city
sanitary sewers in and along the Catfish Creek watershed.
Since our correspondence to the Mayor and City Council, the Operations MainIenance
Depa~ anent has informed us Of an another discharge on the North Fork near the juncture of JFK
Rd. and Highway 20. Water samp~ng done at this site indicated elevated levels of fecal coliform.
Under the direction of city staff, the area around the discharge has been roped-off and warning
signs are being prepared, although fecal coliform levels have diminished over a period of days.
We are requesting the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Commission assist the
Coalition and City Departments in monitoring the impacts of the discharges on the environment,
to determine best management practices relative to the maintenance and repair of the sewer
system in natural areas, and to determine any threat to public health and safety resulting ~om
sewer discharges. We request the Commission incorporate the assessment of ruptured sanitary
sewer lines into the environmental status indicators of Dubuque.
Finally, we are recommending the Commission endorse the following best management
practices and ask the City Council to allocate sufficient resources for their implementation. These
recommendations are in keeping with the Dubuque Comprehensive Plan "to provide, maintain,
and improve ~ cost-effective, functional, and self-supporting sewer and water pollution control
system", and "to create a sustainable environment that successfully balances urban growth and
development with preservation of the natural resources."
(more)
PROPOSED BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Maintenance Practices:
· Surveillance of the sewer lines in natural areas, including the walk/ng of the
Catfish Creek tributaries twice a year and a schedule of periodic televising in
vulnerable areas.
· Water sampling of creek along Interceptor Sewer line on a monthly basis to
determine levels of BOD, suspended solids and fecal coliform.
· Determine schedule for GIS mapping of storm drain and sanitary sewer
infrastnlctttre.
· Identify easements and access pointq for heavy equipment in the eventuality..
of sewer repair or replacement.
R_.~p_ai r Practices:
· Employ storm water management measures dining the repair and
reconstruction of sewers, for example, silt fencing, re-seeding, stream bank
stabilization.
_. Repair damages to habitat resulting from discharge and its repair, for
example, removal of debris and solid matter, replacement of trees and
vegetation.
· Determine ifrenlacement materia[q should be used, for example ductile iron
pipes/n lieu of clay pipes.
· When a leak is in proximity to the creek, water sampling should be conducted
to measure levels of fecal coliform, BOD, suspended solids. Necessity of
l_mblic notification should be determined including posting of signs in the area
of discharge as well as media notification.
These practices have been identified in consultation with city staff and local
environmental management agencies. We are grateful for the collaboration of city
staff and other partners in addressing this issue. We anticipate on-going
public/private collaboration through the implementation ofbest management
practices that will fortify the health of our natu~ resources and preserve the overall
quality of life in our community.
CATFISH CREEK COALITION
Mission Statement and Objectives
MIgSION
The Catfish Creek Coalition is an association of property owners, educators, business
people, environmental resource managers, and conservation-minded citizens who are
engaged in effective action for the preservation, restoration and protection of the Catfish
Creek watershed. Our purpose is to promote public understanding of the linkage between
the watershed and the main stem of the Mississippi River and to inspire people to act
responsibly as stewards of our natural resources. Our efforts engage a county-wide
membership around four goals: to educate, to advocate, to celebrate and to network.
OBJECTIVES
· Identify/Preserve/Restore Catfish Creek Habitat and Portions of Stream.
Public Education Regarding Urban/Residential Land Use-Best Management
Practices (BMPs).
Monitor and Advocate for BMPs in Commercial/Industrial Land
Development.
· Monitor and Advocate for BMPs on Agricultural Land.
· Celebrate the Beauty and Cultural Heritage of Catfish Creek.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Regina M. Thibeau, President
Tom Boland, Vice President
Beth Lych, 2"a Vice President
Rich Heathcote, Treasurer
paul Schultz, Secretary
1ohn Bennett
Chirs Paar
Larkin Powell