HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC AG PKT 2002-06-10 #JCity of Seal Beach
Agenda Report
Date: June 10, 2002
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: John B. Bahorskil�
City Manager
Subject: Letter of Support for Orange County Sanitation District's Fats, Oils and
Grease Control Sandy
SUMMARY OF REOUEST:
Orange County Supervisor Cynthia Coad has requested that cities send a letter of support
for a study to address fats, oils and grease control. Each city in Orange County, the
County of Orange and Orange County Sanitation District have been requested to support
this study. Cities in North County are mandated to study this problem and take corrective
action in order to comply with new permit requirements.
BACKGROUND:
Staff has received a request to support a study by the Orange County Sanitation District
to develop programs to control fats, oils and grease that enter the sanitary sewer system.
Grease is a significant contributor to sewer blockages and overflows that lead to water
quality problems and beach closures. This study would be conducted in two phases with
the first phase completed by June 2003. One of the most important results from phase one
is a model ordinance that can be incorporated into the City Municipal Code to help
enforce and control the discharge of grease into the sanitary sewer system.
The County and Orange County Sanitation District are funding one -third of the cost and
the cities in Orange County are being requested to contribute the remaining amount. The
total cost of phase one is $268,000 and the projected share per city is $3,000. At this time
staff is not requesting Council appropriate funding for this project, but rather provide an
indication that Seal Beach is interested in the study being conducted. When cost
information and agreements are developed, staff will return with those documents so that
Council can make a decision on whether or not to participate.
Agenda Item
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact at this time.
Staff is requesting City Council authorize the Mayor to sign a letter of support for this
study.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Correspondence from Supervisor Coad
B. Draft letter of Support for the Fats, Oils and Grease Study
May 14, 2002
Mr. John B. Bahotski
City of Seal Beach
211 8th St.
Seal Beach, CA 90740
CYNTHIA It. COADt ED.D.
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
SUPERVISOR. FOURTH DISTRICT
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOPEfl V190R5
ORANGE COUNTY HALL OF ADMINISTRATION
10 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA. SANTA ANA.OALIFORNIA 02 10 1
PHONE. (714)8343440 FA%: 11141.34-2045
Website. http / /wvrv.oc.ca.ggv /supes /fourth
Subject Request for support of Orange County Sanitation District's Fats, Oil
and Grease Control Study
Dear Mr. Bahorski:
On April 24, 2002, the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) Board of Directors
committed to lead the effort to conduct a Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) Control Study. The
study is intended to directly respond to the California Regional Water Quality Control
Board Santa Ana Region's (SARWQCB) Order No. 01 -99 General Waste Discharge
Requirements (WDR) which was adopted on April 26, 2002. The WDR lists OCSD as a
co- permittee and requires Orange County cities and wastewater treatment agencies in
OCSD to: monitor and control Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO's); complete their own
FOG Control Program; and prepare a plan for Grease Disposal Alternatives by December
2004. Although this WDR is not binding on the Orange County cities and wastewater
agencies that are outside of the Santa Ana Region, their need to control SSO's and to
determine solutions to SSO's is no less important.
In order to enable the development of a FOG Control Program that is practical, equitable and
implementable, OCSD and the County of Orange me asking each Orange County city to join
them in conducting a countywide comprehensive study to evaluate FOG control technologies,
management practices, and programs to establish the technical, administrative, and ordinance
building blocks for a FOG control program that each Orange County city and wastewater
agency will be able to use to develop FOG Control Programs suited to their particular needs.
The consultant that has been chosen to conduct the study is Environmental Engineering &
Contracting, Inc. (EEC) of Santa Ana, California. The scope of work for the study was
developed based on the requirements of the WDR and multiple discussions and presentations
by EEC with OCSD, the County of Orange, SARWQCB, and the cities and wastewater
agencies in the Santa Ana region. The study aims to accurately evaluate the benefits of grease
control solutions and their associated costs and potential negative secondary effects, if any.
The FOG Control Study will consist of two phases.
PHASE 1
Phase 1 will be a national research study to evaluate Best Management Practices (BMP's), Best
Available Affordable Technologies (BAAT's), and grease control programs and ordinances
throughout the United States. Emphasis will be placed on issues and conditions in Orange
County. Phase 1 will identify validated and non - validated BMP's and BAAT's and their
cost /benefit based on their documented results. Examples of validated BMP's /BAAT's may
include grease traps and interceptors and routine cleaning of sewer lines. Examples of non-
validated BMP's /BAAT's may include biological treatment products and new grease
separation devices. Phase 1 will consist of several deliverables including Grease Control and
FOG Ordinance building blocks that can be used as a "toolbox." for Orange County cities and
agencies to develop their own effective and practical FOG Control Programs. Additionally,
Phase 1 will evaluate grease disposal alternatives used throughout the United States as well as
a study protocol for field- testing non - validated BMP's and BAAT's and will provide a work
plan for field- testing a select group of non - validated BMP's and BAAT's in Phase 2.
Phase 1 has a maximum cost of $268,000 and is projected to be completed by June 2003.
PHASE 2
Phase 2 is a field -based effort to test and measure the performance of various new or
undocumented technologies that report success in controlling grease. Phase 2 will include
field- testing of non - validated BMP's and BAAT's that are judged in Phase 1 to be lacking in
sufficient objective data to be considered valid and /or cost effective. Phase 2 will involve
multiple pilot test applications for the chosen non - validated BMPs /BAATs. For example,
some biological technologies claim to be successful when applied at the source (e.g. restaurant
kitchens) or directly in the collection system. Therefore, the same biological technology may
be pilot tested at a restaurant, in the collection system, or in combination. These tests are not
intended in be vendor specific, but BMP /BART specific.
Phase 2 is projected to be completed 12 -18 months after the completion of Phase 1. The
intent of Phase 2 is to supply Orange County cities and agencies with a comprehensive,
functional and cost effective approach to grease control supported by scientific field - testing
leading to a realistic plan for long -teem reduction of SSO's associated with grease buildup and
blockages. At dtis time, there is no cost estimate for Phase 2 since it is not yet known how
many BMP's and BAAT's will need to be field- tested.
We would like to invite each Orange County city to contribute helpful data to the Study. EEC
will soon be sending requests for information (BFI's) to each Orange County city and agency,
and will be arranging to meet with cities that may have information that can benefit the study.
Your timely response to these BFI's and your willingness to share your information will help
ensure that the Study is comprehensive and meets our local needs.
In addition, we would like to invite each city to join with OCSD and the County in sharing
the cost of the first Phase of the Study. OCSD and the County have each agreed to fund one-
third (1/3) of the first Phase ($90,000.00 each) and would like the cities to fund one - third.
This would mean that each city would contribute $3,000.00. Furthermore, joining in the first
Phase is not a commitment to join in Phase II. Once Phase II's needs are determined, we will
again be discussing with each of you, the results of Phase I and the process, cost, and funding
for Phase II.
If you have any questions, please contact Mike Wellborn at the County Executive Offices at
(714) 834 -7037.
Sincerely,
this P. Coad, Chair No = Z E<ke de
Board of Supervisors Chair, Board of Directors
Orange County Sanitation District
u: Members, Board of Supervisors
Michael Schumacher, CEO
William Mahoney, Asst CEO
Blake Anderson, General Manager, OCSD
June 11. 2002
Supervisor Cynthia Coad
Chair of the Board of Supervisors
10 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, California 92701
Dear Chairman Coad
The Seal Beach City Council has reviewed your letter seeking support for a study to
control fats, oils and grease, and has decided to support the efforts by the County and
Sanitation District in this study. This study is essential to complying with the new permit
requirements adopted by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board on April
26,2002.
Grease, oil and fats are frequently the cause of sewer overflows that close Orange County
beaches. Efforts made to eliminate beach closures will have a positive economic impact
on the County and Seal Beach as well. According to information in the California Beach
Restoration Study, beaches in California generate over $15 billion annually in tax
revenue. Efforts to eliminate beach closures should be aggressively undertaken in order
to protect the economic vitality of coastal communities. Visitors to California beaches
spent over $61 billion in 2001; when compared to the cost of this study, there is a positive
return on investment.
Seal Beach is anxious to review the formal agreement and final costs so that a decision
can be made on funding this study. If you have any questions or need additional
information from the City, please contact City Manager John Bahorski at (562) 431 -2527.
Sincerely
c1rt,) w. L,Aftsrv,
John Larson
Mayor