Fiscal Year 2004-2005 In Review Current Wastewater Activities Joint Outfall System - The Districts' sewerage system serves all or a portion of 78 of the 88 cities in the County. The system includes approximately 1,320 miles of trunk sewers that convey wastewater generated within the Districts' service boundaries to 11 wastewater treatment plants strategically located within the County. Seventeen of the Districts are party to a Joint Outfall Agreement, wherein they jointly own, operate, and maintain sewers, pumping plants, treatment plants, and other sewerage works collectively called the Joint Outfall System (JOS). The JOS treatment plants include the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) and six interconnected upstream Water Reclamation Plants (WRPs): Pomona, San Jose Creek, Whittier Narrows, La Caņada, Los Coyotes, and Long Beach. The Districts' largest treatment plant, the JWPCP, treated an average flow of 324 million gallons per day (mgd) during fiscal year 2004-2005. All wastewater received full secondary treatment before being disinfected and discharged to the ocean nearly two miles offshore of White Point, at a depth of approximately 200 feet. All of the JOS WRPs produce reclaimed water that is or can be reused for various activities. The JOS WRPs are located upstream in the sewer system where they intercept primarily domestic and commercial wastewater. Industrial wastewater not compatible with water reuse activities is directed to the JWPCP. Due to its higher salt content, the JWPCP's effluent is not suitable for water reuse. For fiscal year 2004-2005, the upstream plants collectively produced an average of approximately 151 mgd of reclaimed water. The reuse of this water is described under the Future Activities and Wastewater Management Highlights. All wastewater solids produced as a by-product of the liquid waste processing at the JOS WRPs are conveyed through the sewer system and treated at the JWPCP. All solids undergo anaerobic digestion, a natural biological process that reduces solids volume and produces methane gas. The gas by-product is used to fuel plant engines, boilers, pumps, and a combined cycle power plant that produces sufficient power to supply the energy needs of the JWPCP. Excess power is sold to Southern California Edison. The solids (biosolids) remaining after the digestion process are dewatered and transported off-site for use in a variety of recycling operations. The Districts' recycling efforts involve multiple contractors. Two contractors compost the material and distribute the product as a high-quality soil amendment; a third injects the biosolids into a cement kiln to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions; and three other contractors apply the biosolids to agricultural land, one directly, one after solar drying, and one after chemical stabilization. The relatively small amount of biosolids remaining is transported to the Puente Hills Landfill, where they are co-disposed with refuse. The organic portion is biologically converted into methane gas and ultimately into energy through the Puente Hills Energy Recovery from Gas Facility. Diversity in biosolids management improves reliability by ensuring that no single contractor, locality, or practice is primarily responsible for management of the Districts' biosolids. Outlying System - The Lancaster and Palmdale WRPs (Districts No. 14 and No. 20), located in the Antelope Valley, serve the wastewater management needs of these communities. The rapid population growth in these service areas is expected to continue and, based on the expected increase in wastewater flows, the existing treatment capacity is adequate until 2008 for the Lancaster WRP and 2013 for the Palmdale WRP. However, disposal of the treated effluent remains an issue at both plants, since the Antelope Valley is a closed basin with no natural outlets (e.g., rivers, ocean) for effluent disposal. At the Palmdale WRP, effluent management issues center around securing a long-term effluent disposal area and the remediation of groundwater nitrate contamination in limited areas near the effluent disposal site. The Districts have negotiated a lease with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) that allows the Districts to employ agricultural reuse and to dispose of the Palmdale WRP effluent on approximately four square miles of the LAWA's Palmdale Regional Airport property over a 20-year term. This lease, which has been approved by LAWA's Board of Directors and the Los Angeles City Council, also gives the Districts greater control of operations at the effluent disposal site that could affect groundwater quality. In 2002, the Districts initiated an agricultural reuse project that utilizes approximately 4.4 mgd of reclaimed water from the Palmdale WRP to irrigate 1,100 acres of alfalfa and other fodder crops with eight large and two smaller center-pivot sprinkler systems. District No. 20 will continue to aggressively expand agricultural operations to an additional 540 acres and will manage approximately 60% of the recycled water by the agronomic irrigation of crops by the next fiscal year. The remaining 40% of the recycled water will be reused in part on an additional 460 acres of fodder crops, as irrigation rates will exceed crop needs only during the winter season. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a Cleanup and Abatement Order (CAO) in November 2003 to District No. 20 and to LAWA that requires determination of the extent of nitrate contamination in the groundwater and implementation of actions to reduce the nitrate levels to an acceptable level. In response, District No. 20 has completed extensive studies that show the nitrate contamination to be of limited extent and nitrate concentrations to be slightly above drinking water standards in the upper 50 feet of the groundwater aquifer in some areas. In addition, the District completed a Containment and Remediation Plan that assessed groundwater extraction along with increased agricultural reuse to reduce nitrate levels in the upper portion of the aquifer in some locations to below the maximum levels of 10 mg/LN (milligrams per liter of nitrogen) allowed in drinking water. District No. 20 released a Draft Palmdale WRP 2025 Facilities Plan and Environmental Impact Report in April 2005 to address the need for additional levels of treatment and new effluent disposal options. The Board of Directors of District No. 20 in October 2005 approved the Final Palmdale 2025 Facilities Plan and Environmental Impact Report. The District is also working with LAWA to resolve each entity's proportionate responsibility for the cost of the groundwater remediation work. In order to fund the total of approximately $14 million of work required by the CAO, District No. 20 issued revenue bonds in June 2005. In the interim, so as not to allow this legal dispute to delay addressing the regulatory board's CAO, the District has financed and initiated the total required work and is pursuing resolution to LAWA's response on a separate track. At the Lancaster WRP, effluent management issues are related to management of the increasing effluent flows that are projected for the next 20 years and the regulatory requirements associated with them. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a Cease and Desist Order in November 2004 to District No. 14 ordering the elimination of effluent-induced overflows to Rosamond Dry Lake. The District is contesting the required implementation schedule but, in order to meet the effluent management challenges for the Lancaster WRP, the District developed the 2020 Facilities Plan and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which were adopted by the Board of Directors in May 2004. The EIR was challenged, but the trial court ruled in favor of the District.
In accordance with the Facilities Plan, District No. 14 will upgrade the plant to a tertiary treatment facility, construct six new storage reservoirs, and develop new uses for the recycled water. The District is planning to provide recycled water for agricultural and municipal reuse and potential groundwater recharge. The District is currently designing the plant's treatment facilities and storage reservoirs, and is preparing recently acquired land for agricultural reuse. The District is also working with the City of Lancaster and Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 40 on the development of a program for the use of recycled water for municipal projects. In October 2005, District No. 14 issued $182.9 million of revenue bonds to help fund the approved project. Bond financing is particularly important because the State Revolving Fund loan program does not fund land acquisitions.
The Valencia and Saugus WRPs are interconnected and together form the Santa Clarita Valley Joint Sewerage System. At the Valencia WRP, construction of additional treatment capacity facilities is nearing completion to serve the increased population in the city of Santa Clarita and surrounding areas and to enhance effluent quality. Construction of nitrification/denitrification facilities at the Valencia and Saugus WRPs began in the winter of 2002-2003 and were completed by fall 2004 at both facilities. Future Activities and Wastewater Management Highlights Sulfide Corrosion Reduction Program - Sewerage systems in many parts of the United States have shown an accelerated rate of sulfide corrosion in concrete sewer pipes. Investigations revealed that the phenomenon is primarily due to a federal mandate that resulted in the reduction of heavy metals from industry entering the sewers. Removal of these metals accelerated corrosion because heavy metals chemically bond with sulfide, rendering it harmless to the concrete pipes. Last year, the Districts spent approximately $7.2 million on chemicals and contracts to reduce the rate of sulfide production and increase the life of impacted facilities. The Districts' field staff continues to apply chemicals directly to sewer crowns to counteract the acid resulting from sulfide generation. In addition, major sewer relief and rehabilitation contracts are ongoing and scheduled for the next several years. During this past fiscal year, the Districts awarded 12 such projects, with a total bid amount of more than $50.2 million. Full Service Laboratories - The Districts maintain two large, full-service laboratories and eight small laboratories. Together, these facilities provide analytical services to support treatment plant operations, landfill operations, regulatory permit requirements, industrial pretreatment and control programs, and engineering research efforts. The California State Department of Health Services certifies the laboratories and the South Coast Air Quality Management District to perform required testing of air, groundwater, wastewater, hazardous waste, soil, and sediment. In order to meet ever-increasing growth, as well as new requirements for electronic data reporting, the Districts have retained a consultant to assist with the selection, installation, and configuration of a new Laboratory Information Management System, which should be selected by mid-2006. The Districts' laboratories perform more than 425,000 individual tests annually, including chemical, biological, toxicological, and microbiological assays of a wide spectrum of sample types.
Sanitation Districts' Sewer System - The extent of the sewer system maintained by the Districts continues to expand with ongoing construction of relief and replacement sewers and with occasional annexation of sewers maintained by member cities into the Districts' system. During fiscal year 2004-2005, approximately 7.6 miles of new sewers were constructed , bringing the total in-service mileage in the Districts' system to 1,266 miles. In July 2004, the Districts annexed an additional 5.8 miles of sewers from the City of Pasadena.
The Districts are in the process of upgrading the telemetry and control systems at each of the 53 pump stations operated and maintained by the Districts. All pump station electrical upgrades are scheduled to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2006-2007. Over the next 10 years, the Districts have plans to structurally repair approximately 53 miles of sewer, provide hydraulic relief for approximately 52 miles of sewer, and construct approximately 5 miles of redundant force mains for the pump stations. In January 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule intended to clarify and expand permit requirements under the Clean Water Act to further protect public health and the environment from impacts associated with sanitary sewer overflows. The proposed rule, which has not been adopted, is generally referred to as the Capacity Assurance, Management, Operation, and Maintenance Program (CMOM) regulation. The proposed CMOM regulation would require development and implementation of programs intended to meet the performance standard of eliminating sanitary sewer overflows; provide overflow emergency response plans, system evaluations, and capacity assurance plans; conduct program audits; and implement public communication efforts. The Districts, through their proactive operations, maintenance, planning, and infrastructure upgrade efforts, are already in substantial compliance with the proposed CMOM requirements and have been so for many years. However, in fiscal year 2003-2004, the Districts received a Finding of Violation and Order for Compliance (Administrative Order) from the EPA requiring the Districts to reduce the number of sewage spills from its collection system, even though the number of spills per 100 miles of Districts collection system is among the lowest in the nation. The Administrative Order in effect requires the Districts to achieve full compliance with the administrative requirements of the proposed CMOM regulation, which will require the commitment of significant resources. In fiscal year 2004-2005, the Districts completed the program development and submittal requirements of the Administrative Order. To comply with the order, the Districts enumerated more than 70 planned projects with a total cost exceeding $240 million that are anticipated to be constructed over the next 10 years.
Former Fletcher Oil Refinery Property - The Districts have purchased a former oil refinery at the northwest corner of Main Street and Lomita Boulevard abutting the JWPCP. Due to past environmental contamination of the property, the acquisition was made through a third-party contractor who is performing environmental remediation of the property. After completion, the property will be turned over to the Districts, and the contractor will provide an environmental insurance policy to protect the Districts for 10 years. The Districts plan to utilize the property as a site for future JWPCP treatment facilities. The City of Carson approved an amendment to its General Plan and changed the land-use designation for the property in a manner that would preclude its use for wastewater treatment facilities. The Districts filed a lawsuit against the City of Carson for its failure to adequately address the environmental impacts of this amendment.
Negotiations are underway with the City of Carson to develop a settlement that would prevent extensive litigation and allow ultimate use of the property to provide wastewater treatment facilities for protection of public health and safety and the environment. Ammonia Nitrogen Reduction Program - Regulatory requirements from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board required seven of the WRPs to reduce effluent ammonia levels by June 2003. Based on these requirements, research on biological nitrogen removal was initiated at the Whittier Narrows WRP in 1996. An alternative method of biological nitrogen removal was partially implemented at several other Districts' WRPs in 2000 through 2003 to gain operational experience. Using information gained from these research and operational efforts, the Districts completed design of the necessary nitrification/denitrification (NDN) facilities and began construction in late 2002. Construction of NDN improvements at the San Jose Creek, Pomona, Saugus, and Valencia WRPs was virtually complete at the end of the fiscal year. Design of similar upgrades at the Los Coyotes and Long Beach WRPs is scheduled to begin in early 2006 and be complete in late 2007.
To address previously mentioned effluent management improvements at the Palmdale WRP, the Districts constructed additional disinfection facilities, which were completed in October 2005. The disinfected recycled water will provide additional reuse opportunities for District No. 20. To address its effluent management needs, District No. 14 is undertaking the following tasks: construction of effluent dechlorination and pH adjustment facilities; construction of a pipeline to convey recycled water to the District's Eastern Agricultural Site; design of four storage reservoirs; and design of the new tertiary treatment facility.
Membrane Biological Reactors - Low-pressure membranes have emerged from a technological novelty to broad acceptance by water and wastewater utilities in the past few years. Membranes have been integrated into the biological treatment process forming the membrane biological reactor (MBR) process. The MBR process has the potential for producing high-quality effluent that not only meets stringent discharge limits, but also is suitable for reclamation and reuse. To fully evaluate the performance of the MBR process and its potential applications at the Districts' WRPs, the Districts began, in August 2002, testing two pilot-scale MBR systems provided by leading membrane manufacturers at the Whittier Narrows WRP. The results from this research indicated that the MBR systems are capable of producing high-quality effluent with consistent removals of organic matter, solids, nutrients, and trace contaminants in the wastewater. Additional testing of a 1 mgd MBR system will be initiated in 2006 at the Lancaster WRP. Disinfection with ultraviolet systems from two manufacturers will also be included in the tests. Alternative Wastewater Disinfection Research - The Districts' WRPs currently use chloramines for disinfection because the potential for chloramines to generate carcinogenic byproducts is low. However, recent studies indicate that chloramines are precursors of the emerging contaminant N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Although the California Department of Health Services has not set a health-based drinking water standard on NDMA, the Districts have begun research on alternative disinfection technologies that minimize the formation of NDMA in reclaimed effluent. Ultraviolet irradiation (UV) was selected for evaluation because of its disinfection effectiveness and its ability to partially destroy NDMA. An extensive research project was conducted at the Whittier Narrows WRP during fiscal year 2004-2005 to test the performance of a pilot-scale UV system. Results obtained from the testing were analyzed and provided a basis for design of a full-scale UV disinfection system at the Whittier Narrows WRP and at other plants with similar design, operation, and water quality. Construction of the Whittier Narrows UV disinfection system is scheduled to be complete in 2007. In addition to this research, the Districts have embarked on hydrogeologic studies within the Montebello Forebay Groundwater Recharge project, which utilizes recycled water from the San Jose Creek, Pomona, and Whittier Narrows WRPs for recharge, to assess the fate and transport in surface water and groundwater of NDMA as well as other trace constituents present in the Districts' discharges. The Montebello Forebay Attenuation and Dilution Study is expected to be completed in the spring of 2007 and will provide attenuation and dilution factors that can be used by the Regional Board to establish or revise effluent limits that are reasonable and protective of groundwater quality. Odor Control - Odor control is an important aspect of the operation of the Districts' wastewater treatment facilities. To curtail costs related to odor control and improve odor capture and treatment, the Districts have conducted extensive research and have developed two biological odor treatment technologies. The first is known as biotrickling filter technology. It uses a porous rock media to support the growth of microorganisms. This "biofilm" is developed on the media and removes odorous compounds in the air stream. Odorous air is passed through the media, while nutrients and water are recirculated through the media to keep the biofilm moist and active. Full-scale biotrickling filters are now being operated as part of the JWPCP primary treatment central odor control system, allowing small-scale systems at numerous plant locations to be taken out of service. Construction of additional biotrickling filters to treat 160,000 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air from the JWPCP primary sedimentation tanks and primary effluent channels will begin in the near future as part of the skimmings odor control project. The second type of biotechnology developed from the Districts' research efforts for odor control is known as biofiltration. This process uses a mixture of moist wood chips and compost to support the growth of microorganisms that remove a variety of odorous and organic compounds. Biofilters require only periodic liquid addition to keep the media moist. Two large-scale biofilter systems capable of treating 200,000 cfm of air have been constructed at the JWPCP. The systems are successfully controlling virtually all odors associated with JWPCP biosolids handling and processing. In addition, the Districts helped design a large biofilter system that is being constructed at the Inland Empire Regional Composting Facility discussed below. This biofilter was designed to treat up to 800,000 cfm of air collected from this enclosed facility. Biosolids Disposal - Two new biosolids projects are under development. First, the Districts have purchased approximately 4,000 acres of farmland in Kings County as part of an overall 14,500-acre transaction. This project will provide for composting of biosolids and agricultural reuse of the finished compost. The composting process will utilize biosolids mixed with various bulking agents, derived from green waste from Los Angeles County and the San Joaquin Valley, and agricultural waste from sources in and near Kings County. The operation will ultimately be permitted to process up to 500,000 tons per year of Districts biosolids and 200,000 tons per year of Los Angeles County green waste, plus other waste generated near the project site. An EIR has been prepared and approved by the Kings County Board of Supervisors and a Conditional Use Permit has been issued. The landowner is in the process of acquiring all necessary permits for the composting facility, as a condition to the close of escrow on the remaining property, and the estimated date to have completed the permit acquisitions is June 2006. The compost facility is planned to be constructed in stages, with the initial 20% of capacity scheduled to come on line in the second half of 2007. Second, in partnership with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, the Districts formed a Joint Powers Authority and purchased a former warehouse property located in San Bernardino County that has been permitted as a 450,000-square-foot enclosed biosolids composting facility. Construction began in August 2004 and is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2006. The project is expected to process approximately 75,000 tons per year of Districts biosolids. Reclaimed Water Distribution System - In addition to the Puente Hills/ Rose Hills and Spadra reclaimed water distribution systems (which supplied 574 and 153 million gallons, respectively, during fiscal year 2004-2005), which are owned and operated by the Districts, a number of contracting agencies purchase reclaimed water from the Districts' tertiary treatment plants for delivery to end users through their own distribution systems. These agencies include the Central Basin Municipal Water District's Century and Rio Hondo systems (a combined 1 billion gallons delivered in fiscal year 2004-2005), the Walnut Valley Water District (314 million gallons), the Rowland Water District (20 million gallons), the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (15 million gallons), and the Cities of Pomona (1.6 billion gallons), Long Beach (1.5 billion gallons), Cerritos (559 million gallons), Industry (295 million gallons), Lakewood (115 million gallons), and Bellflower (15 million gallons).
A number of additional distribution systems are currently under development or construction. In September 2005, the Water Replenishment District of Southern California was issued a permit for its complete Alamitos Barrier Advanced Treatment Plant, a facility that will provide advanced treatment to approximately 1.1 billion gallons a year of reclaimed water from the Districts' Long Beach WRP for injection into the Alamitos Seawater Intrusion Barrier. The Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District has begun construction of a pump station and pipeline system that will deliver approximately 860 million gallons a year from the Districts' Whittier Narrows WRP to the adjacent Whittier Narrows Recreation Area; and other nearby sites. The City of Industry is designing an expansion of its distribution system to deliver an additional 2.5 billion gallons a year to sites within that city, as well as in neighboring West Covina, Rowland Heights, and Walnut. The Central Basin Municipal Water District is extending its Century distribution system to serve an additional 500 million gallons a year to the City of Vernon. The extension is currently in design, with construction expected to be completed by 2008. |
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