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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09 O.C. SANI. DIST. 07-15-02AGENDA REPORT NO. 09 07-15-02 MEETING DATE: JULY 15, 2002 850-90 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SUPPORT OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT FATS, OILS AND GREASE CONTROL STUDY SUMMARY The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) Board of Directors have committed to conduct a Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Control Study as the first phase in complying with the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Santa Ana Region's (SARWQCB) General Waste Discharge Requirements. The Waste Discharge Requirements mandate that Orange County cities and wastewater treatment agencies within OCSD develop and implement a Fats, Oils and Grease Control Program to help reduce the number of sanitary sewer overflows in Orange County. Phase I of the study will evaluate current control technologies, practices and programs. Phase II will establish the technical, administrative, and model ordinance building blocks that each city and wastewater agency will be able to use to develop their individual program. Participating in the first phase is not a commitment to participate in Phase I1. The County of Orange and the Sanitation District have each agreed to contribute $90,000 towards the first phase of the study, and are requesting that each Orange County city contribute $3,000. Although the City of Tustin does not own, operate or maintain any sewers and is not subject to the SARWQCB's General Waste Discharge Requirements, the City is a contributor of fats, oils and grease to the sewer system and any program that is ultimately implemented will have a significant impact on the community. As a responsible and respected member of the Orange County Sanitation District, it is appropriate for the City to participate in Phase I. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council authorize the expenditure of $3,000 from the Public Works Departments FY 02/03 Operating Budget for participation in Phase I of the OCSD FOG Study. FISCAL IMPACT Appropriate funds have been budgeted in the Public Works FY 02~03 Operating Budget, Account Number 01-401-6018, Professional and Consulting Services. BACKGROUND Beach closures in Orange County have become a major issue of concern. One reason for the closures is water contamination from sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). From January 2000 through August 2001, there were approximately 250 SSOs, of which almost 75% were from collection systems owned by cities and local wastewater agencies. During this same period, there were 31 beach closures due to SSOs, of which 17 were from systems owned by.the cities and wastewater agencies. Support of the Orange County Sanitation District's Fats, Oils and Grease Control Study July 15, 2002 Page 2 In 1997, the OCSD began conducting annual surveys of the cities and agencies about the operation and maintenance of the local sewers. The data identified the cause of the majority of the reported SSOs as grease accumulation in the small to medium sewer lines. These lines are part of the collection systems owned and operated by the cities and agencies. The exceptions to this are the collection systems in the unincorporated areas, Tustin and the Irvine business center, which are under the District's jurisdiction. The 2000-2001 Orange County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) investigated SSOs and published its findings in April 2001 in a report entitled, Sewage Spills, Beach Closures- Trouble in Paradise. The Grand Jury surveyed the 35 wastewater agencies with jurisdiction in Orange County and identified sewer pipes clogged with grease from restaurants and high-density residential areas (e.g. apartment complexes) as the main cause of sewer overflows. Fats, oils and grease (FOG) of animal and vegetable origin are present in or as common food items, such as meats, cooking oil, lard, and butter. The major sources of large volumes of FOG to the sewer are commercial food processing facilities (e.g. restaurants, fast food outlets, and markets) and high-density residential areas (e.g. apartment complexes). The FOG is discharged to the sewer during clean-up from food preparation, ware washing, and the floor and equipment cleaning. As the wastewater flows through the sewers, it cools and the FOG deposits and accumulates in the pipes and pump stations, forming blockages that eventually result in backups and SSOs. The frequency of blockages is unpredictable because the rate of deposit and accumulation depends on many factors, such as the frequency and volume of FOG discharges and the flow rate, slope of lines, accumulated matter, and Iow points in the sewer. DISCUSSION In Orange County, this issue is a high priority because of the numerous beach closures, SSOs and the findings of the Grand Jury. In addition, the Orange County agencies and cities are facing a short deadline to address the problem of FOG-related SSOs from the RWQCB. The RWQCB is requiring Orange County agencies and cities (as co-permittees) to develop and implement a plan to monitor and control SSOs. As part of the plan, permittees must develop a plan to implement a "Fats, Oils and Grease Control Program", and begin implementing the program by September 30, 2004. In its findings RWQCB has found that many of the SSOs are preventable if proper proactive source control measures and routine O&M on the sewer systems are performed. Upon completion of the study, agencies and cities will have a set of objective validated options from which to choose. Each city and agency can select from among the validated options to develop a FOG control program and ordinance that best meets the need of its own area. Support of the Orange County Sanitation District's Fats, Oils and Grease Control Study July 15, 2002 Page 3 If the study were carried out individually by cities and agencies, they would have to each develop their own resources and budgets. It is estimated that, to perform the same study, the cost to individual cities would be $100,000 or more, resulting in $3 to 4 million total cost to the county. A common, comprehensive study would result in an average cost of $300,000 to the region, representing significant cost savings. Although Tustin does not own, operate, or maintain any sewer system, the City is a contributor of FOG to the system and any program that is ultimately implemented will have a significant effect on our citizens. As a responsible and respected member of the OCSD, it is appropriate for the City to participate in Phase I of the FOG study. Tim D. Serlet Director of Public Works/City Engineer S:\City Council Items\02 City Council Items\FOG Study.doc