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Home My WebLink About1983-02-15; City Council; 7290; Request to modify SANDAG Policy-. CI', OF CARLSBAD - AGEND.- BILL \B# 729 0 TITLE: REQUEST TO MODIFY SANDAG POLICY RE: APPROVAL OF WATER RECLAMATION PLANTS IIITG. 2/15/83 IEPT. UTL DEPT. HD.F CITY MOR.--, CITY AlNm I I RECOMMENDED ACTION: Confirm Association of Water Reclamation Agencies of North County (AWRA) action of January 6, 1983 by minute motion. ITEM EXPLANATION: The SANDAG policy concerning approval for wastewater reclamation plants is "--the applicant should be encouraged to show the Board of Directors that a reasonable portion of the wastewater will be reclaimed and reused in a manner that will displace the need for approximately equal volumes of imported potable water." not recognize other productive uses of reclaimed water other imported water. AWRA considers that the stated policy is too restrictive in that it does than displacing Other productive uses could include: 1. Displacement of local water supplies 2. Displacement of agricultural water (now described as 3. Groundwater recharge 4. Wildlife enhancement and habitat modification 5. Aquaculture or fish farming "interruptable" by the Metropolican Water District) The SANDAG policy appears to view reclamation plants only in the context of sewer treatment plants and, therefore, cost benefits measured only in comparison with the larger regional sewer treatment plants. will, in effect, cause cost benefit analyses to be based on the beneficial use and will recognize that reclaimed water is the only new source of water in San Diego and reclamation should be encouraged. The requested policy change EXHIBITS : 1. Letter to SANDAG from the President of AWRA dated January 13, 1983. 2. SANDAG Agenda Report No. R-122 entitled "Consistancy of Proposals for Small Wastewater Reclamation Plants with Board of Directors Policy". I ASSOCIATION OF WATER RECLAMATION AGENCIES NORTH COUNTY 788 San Marcos Boulevard San Marcos , Cal i forni a 92069 January 13, 1983 San Diego Association of Governments 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 524 San Diego, CA 92107 Subject: SANDAG Policy on Reclaimed Mater Use Resol ution 81 -1 27 Upon motion duly matie, seconded, and carried; the action of the members of the Association of Water Reclamation Agencies - North County, at their meeting January 6, 1983, requested an amendment to SANDAG's Policy, as set forth in their Resolution No. 81-127, to modify the policy to encourage reclaimed water use for any productive purpose, not just to replace imported Dotable water. Enclosed is a copy of the Association of Water Reclamation Agencies - North County Bylaws stating the objectives of this Asscciation in achieving the most effective and beneficial use of reclaimed water. Sincerely, &c-no Yb + A& Loretta Ha71 PresideRt LH:dw Encl d San Diego Association of Governments . .. November 15, 1982 AGENDA REPORT NO.: -1 . CONSISTENCY OF PROPOSALS FOR SMALL WASTEWATER RECLAMATION PLANTS WITH BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY i. During the past year, the San Diego Association' of Governments (SANDAG) has received notices of several proposed projects which include small "reclamation plants," each of which is to be built by a developer to serve a particular development. Because these reclamation plants are not among the 28 alternatives evaluated and suggested for implementation in the Areawide Quality mansgement Plw. (adopted by SANDAG in 1978), they tend to permit additional population growth where little was expected, as reported in the Series 5 Regional Growth Forecasts. The problems of land use project approvals with such treatrnent plants was discused by the Board of Directors in July 1981 when the Areawide Plan-W ater Resources Element, Wastewater System Nee& was revised. SANDAG has expressed its concern about small "reclamation" plants in comments on a number of EIR's for sewage treatment plant expansions and land development proposals relying upon future reclamation projects. Some projects including rechmatio!i plants have been approved; none of the plants has yet been built. It is my RECOMMENDATION that the Board of Directors should restate its position of July 1981 that prior to approval of any reclaniation plant proposed to be consistent with the Areawide Water Quality Management Plan, the applicant should be encouraged to show the Board of Directors that a reasonable portion of the wastewater will be reclaimed and reused in a manner that will displace the need for approgmately equal volumes of *imported potable water. (The Board's resolution of July 3981 is attached too this report.) The Board of Directors' position should be forwarded to every member agency, to evcry sewage treatment district, to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, and to the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the State Water Resources Control Board. Discussion ' The proposed plans and the developments known to be approved, as well as those in process of review, are listed below: .1 . _. . , . . . .. .. - -. . .. . - 6 .. c .- .. .. .. , ,.. ADOPTING THE REGTONAL WATER RESOURCES ELEMENT - WASTEWATER SYSTEM NEEDS OF THE AREAWIDE WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN WHEREAS, the Pan Diep Association of Governments is designated under Section 208 of Public taw 92-500 as the Areawide Water Quality Management Planning Agency €or the San Diego-Riverside plrrnning area; and WHEREAS, the Water Resources Element was approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as 8n element of the update of the Areswide Water Quality blanagemcnt Plm; and WHEREAS, SANDAG hes prepared the Water Resources Element -Wastewater System Needs for adoption; and WHEREAS, numerous reclemation fncilities have been proposed in order to reuse the reclaimed wastewater and thereby reduce the need for imported water; and WKEREAS, the cost of operatioil and mGintensnce of reclamation facilities is high in comparison with the costs at the coastal treatment plants; NOW THEREFORE *T . BE IT RESOLVED thnt the Boerd of Directors adopts the Areawide Water Quality Management Plan, Water Resources Element -Wasteweter System Needs. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED thet prior to approval of nny reclamation plant, proposed to be consistent with this Areawide Plan, the applicant should be encouraged to show the Boprd of Directors thRt a reasonable portion of the wastewater will be recl~med and reused in a manner that will displace the'need for approximately equal volumes of imported potablc water. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of July, 1981. . 0 .. . . / CHAIRMAN *. f Development Hame Rancho Cielo High Meadow Ranch Rancho San Miguel -- . W rrstewater Reclam at ion Plant Size 260,000 gpd 65,000 brpd 180,000 gpd .-. Approval Land Use Date Agency - 12/9/81 San Diego Co. 12/27/73 San Diego Co. I San Dieao Co. Honey Springs Ranch 110,000 @d 5/5/82 San Diego Co. Chula Vista Eastlake (Salt Creek Area) Unltno w n - Warner Hot Springs 250,000 ghd - (not included in phase 1 of the Eastlake development) San Diego Co. Small inland plants are not as efficient as larger treatment plants with ocean outfalls; the cost of plant operation and maintenance me high and should be disclosed to' prospective purchasers of homes in the served developments. Indeed, the typical costs should be made a part of the EIR project description because the EIR's often state that the effluent from the proposed wastewater reclamation plant will be used to irrigate landscaping, with reduced water cost requirements implied. Actually, the amount of effluent which would be available from the largest of the small reclamation plants listed above would be sufficient to irrigate less than 100 acres of landscaping, although the acreage of the development ranges from 250 acres to several thousand acres. In no case would the effluent be sufficient to irrigate the entire project area. Construction of such wastewater reclamation plants to serve developments far removed from the urban area is not in keeping with SANDAG's regiond developrnent policies. These policies recommend development in or adjacent to existing urban areas, and state that new suburban development should only occur as part of economically balanced corn m uniti G. RICHARD J. HUFF- Executive Director . . _.. .. . .-