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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-12-08; Ad Hoc - Water Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEmNG OF: WATER COMMlSSlON DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: 2:OO p.m. PLACE OF MEmNG: December 8,1993 (Regular Meeting) 5950 El Camino Real CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Henley called the Meeting to order at 2:OO p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Henley, Kubota, Maerkle and Melideo. Absent: Commissioner Louis. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Commissioner Maerkle. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE: There were no requests to address the Commission on a non-agenda item. OLD BUSINESS: 1208-01 CWA PRESENTATION ON 1 0-DAY EMERGENCY STORAGE POLICY. Bob Greaney introduced Paul Johnson, Senior Civil Engineer, Gene Nordgren, Director of Operations and Maintenance and Gary Eaton, Administrative Analyst, from the San Diego County Water Authority, who were present to give a presentation on the 10-day emergency storage policy. Mr. Nordgren stated that this Commission had indicated they wanted to know why there is a 10-day water storage policy and to get more information. He said this is a policy the Water Authority requires for agencies in case they must be off of the aqueduct for ten days. This should not be interpreted as a requirement to build reservoirs, but a combination of actions and agreements that an agency has with other agencies to be able to survive while off of the aqueduct. This could be by conservation or perhaps mitigated by other connections on the aqueduct, or by supplies of their own, such as wells. Mr. Nordgren said that Carlsbad has over ten days of storage with the systems they have. Mr. Nordgren stated that there are several things that could happen to the aqueduct system; these include maintenance to the system or rupture of pipes in the system. When maintenance is required, the shortest period of time the aqueduct would not be in service would be three days. It takes one day to shut the aqueduct down and a day to re-fill the line, which only leaves one day to work on the line. It isn’t feasible to use three days to get one day of work done, and that is why any shutdown of the aqueduct is for approximately ten days to two weeks. December 8, 1993 WATER COMMISSION Page 2 OLD BUSINESS (Continued) Mr. Nordgren presented slides of the rupture in pipe line #4 that occurred October 29, 1993, west of Lake Hodges and south of the Del Dios Highway. He said this would give the Commission some idea of why it takes ten to fourteen days of shut down in order to repair a rupture in the pipe line. The presentation showed the condition of the land and the pipe following the rupture, and the process involved in getting new pipe into the ground and prepared. He stated the Water Authority is going through all 85 miles of concrete pipe to find any weak sections before they can rupture. Mr. Nordgren stated that Carlsbad is connected to pipe line #3, and that line would probably not take as long to repair; possibly seven to ten days. However, this is why the ten-day policy is so important. Mr. Nordgren said that the other agencies in the area would be in more trouble than Carlsbad in the event of a catastrophe. The ten day emergency storage policy is not in the Administrative Code, as it was submitted to the Board as an information item in December of 1991. Commissioner Kubota stated that he understood that it is not necessarily ten days of local storage--but ten days of self-sufficiency or arrangement with neighboring agencies so that collectively there is a ten-day supply available. Paul Johnson explained the aqueduct protection program to protect the aqueduct in the northern part of San Diego County. He said they have to take the line out of service to inspect for hot soils. The locations where breaks have occurred the most were shown, and those locations are in the southern part of the County, due to the corrosive soil. He said that salt in the soil helps create ruptures. Their job is to determine where there is a possibility of a rupture and repair it before that can happen. Mr. Johnson had slides showing how engineers go inside the pipe to inspect for weakness. When they get a Yhud' sound inside the pipe, they then inspect the outside of the pipe to confirm the weak spot. Replacement of a pipe costs $75,000 per 20 foot PCCP section; relining costs $300 per GF, and spot repairs cost $8,000 each. Mr. Johnson stated the aqueduct protection program is there to bring agencies the most reliable transmission system that is possible. He said that the Water Authority needs the help and cooperation of the water agencies to shut down the lines to make repairs. In reply to Commission query about the cost of this project, Mr. Johnson stated that the cost would be $67 million dollars to reline all the pipes and to replace them would cost $6 hundred million dollars. Chairman Henley declared a recess at 3:OO p.m., and the Water Commission re-convened at 3:14 p.m., with four Members present and Commissioner Louis absent. December 8, 1993 WATER COMMISSION Page 3 OLD BUSINESS: (Continued) 1208-02 Recommendation on Linina and Coverina of Maerkle Reservoir Bob Greaney reported that the Commission had requested the Department of Health Services review what was stated in their letter to the Carlsbad Water District. He introduced Ms. Toby Roy, District Engineer, and Steve Williams, Sanitary Engineer, who were present to give the report. Ms. Roy stated that their Department inspected the Maerkle Reservoir a few months ago. This is an open distribution reservoir and the California Water Works Standards require all such reservoirs to be covered. They looked at the Reservoir surface water runoff into the Reservoir, and the Maerkle Reservoir is surface water with runoff into the Reservoir. Ms. Roy stated that if you have an unfiltered surface water source and you use it, you have to notify the public that you are not meeting drinking water standards. There must be public notification and there is mandatory wording to be used. Ms. Roy said there are no State regulations for filtration avoidance. The Federal regulations have criteria for filtration avoidance and the State of California is adopting those to have regulations the same as the Federal regulations. The EPA has the authority to grant avoidance if the agency is not using the open reservoir. She said there are three choices; line and cover the reservoir; filter the water coming out of it, or try for filtration avoidance. To get a filtration avoidance, six months of raw water data is necessary, and that will take at least six months for a report to be made. That will be evaluated and a recommendation made. She said she was concerned about the runoff into the Reservoir from around the area, as well as the ducks and other animals that could contaminate it. Ms. Roy explained the process necessary to meet the criteria for avoidance and stated that this Reservoir could not meet that criteria. Mr. Greaney stated that the Reservoir is not being used at this time. Commissioner Maerkle stated that the pump station is a waste of money right now. Ms. Roy said that if the reservoir is used, they must comply with all requirements during 11 of the previous 12 months, and if you have failed twice in a year, you automatically have to install filtration or cover the reservoir within 18 months. Commissioner Kubota stated there had been a diversion channel around the reservoir that effectively contained all of the dirt runoff. Ms. Roy said there was still more dirt runoff around the reservoir, and if any water around the reservoir runs into it, it is considered runoff. She added that there are more regulations coming in the near future for surface water, and cities and agencies getting avoidances now may not have it in the future. The EPA requirements are becoming more stringent. In reply to Commission comment about other reservoirs in the area not being covered, Ms. Toby said that there are quite a few that are not covered and the Department has looked at all of them. The Maerkle Reservoir is the only one with runoff coming into the Reservoir. December 8, 1993 WATER COMMISSION Page 4 OLD BUSINESS: (Continued) Commissioner Kubota inquired whether it is feasible for the Commission to evaluate the costs involved in lining and covering this Reservoir. He said that Mr. Powell, of John Powell & Associates, when making a presentation to this Commission on the designing of the cover for the reservoir, said some of the criteria the Health Department want you to prove to secure 'filtration avoidance' may be impossible and that the cost to comply with what the State would require could be significant. Ms. Roy answered that the criteria is there for the Commission and the decision is up to the District. If the reservoir is covered, then the problem is solved. Commissioner Maerkle said that originally there was no runoff into this reservoir. Ms. Roy said that there is runoff there now. Mr. Greaney said staff is seeking a recommendation on the continuation of the project. Commissioner Melideo stated she was not certain why the Commission wants an exemption. She said the lining and covering should be done and done properly. Commissioner Kubota said this matter has been debated considerably since 1991 , and he compared it to taking an old home and remodeling it as opposed to building a new one. There is the issue of how much storage the District needs, and the guidelines for the ten days of water storage actually means ten days of self-sufficiency and does not translate to actual storage. He said why not build a ten-day storage reservoir. There has not been one evaluation yet for taking the property the District owns and building a new reservoir. This reservoir would have to be out of service while it was being lined and covered. Commissioner Maerkle said that the District bought 56 acres at the site of this reservoir for another reservoir to be built there. Commissioner Melideo said that she objected to the request for an exemption and felt that the District should proceed with the project. Commissioner Maerkle suggested that the Commission take no action until Commissioner Louis returns. ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Maerkle, the Water Commission continued this item until Commissioner Louis returns to allow a full Commission to make a decision on the lining and covering of the Maerkle Reservoir. AYES NOES: Henley, Kubota and Maerkle Melideo December 8, 1993 WATER COMMISSION Page 5 Commissioner Maerkle left the meeting at 3:44 p.m. MANAGER'S REPORT: MWD Financial Structure Study Bob Greaney reported that this is the same item as discussed at the last meeting and was up for adoption in December by Metropolitan. The Water Authority is not necessarily opposed to the report, but opposed revisions at this time, since all the details have not been worked out. Metropolitan Water District feels the report should be adopted now and the details worked out later. They want to recuperate the fixed costs of ongoing capital programs, whether in the future or for upgrading of existing lines. Metropolitan is looking at the possibiltty of instituting a ready-to-serve charge in lieu of the standby charge. Presently there is a $5 charge per parcel on the tax bill and Metropolitan is looking at abandoning that particular revenue source and changing to a ready-to-serve charge. Another change is a capacity acquisition charge similar to the connection charge. Mr. Greaney said he has a problem with two charges. Report on General Manaaer's Meetinq at San Dieao County Water Authority Bob Greaney reported on the meeting held yesterday at the Water Authority. There was a discussion relating to the revisions to the 1994 Strategic Plan, with the revisions, changes and updates being reviewed. NDCT MEmNG DATE: The next meeting of the Water Commission will be on Wednesday, January 12, 1994, at 2:OO p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Minutes of November 10 and November 24, 1994, were continued due to the lack of a quorum present at this meeting of Commissioners present at those meetings. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion, the Meeting of December 8, 1993, was adjourned at 3:s p.m. Minutes Cle';k