05-01-86 S&W Comm MinutesMay 1, 1986 SEWER AND WATER COMMITTEE 3:30 P.M.
• Chairman Nystul and C. Ruiz (arrived late because of Public Works/Finance
Committee) in attendance. Mayor Kennedy, DPW HAmmer, WaterandSewer Superintendent
Hyde, Chief Operator Olsen, Paul Stokes and George Murgal of Stably Engineers,
and Roger Hopkins of the Daily Inter Lake also present.
MRS. LEONARD - 7TH AVENUE WEST - There is a sewer problem here. They
have been in the house 8 years and pumped the septic rarely - but have pumped
it six times in the last three weeks. W/S Supt. Hyde will research this and
advise.
PROBLEMS AT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT - Heat System - As-builts are
needed before this problem can be solved. They have been requested from Morgan
and Oswood and it was decided to demand them again. Stahly agreed to get
tough with Electric Motors in an effort to get as-builts, and when they are
obtained they could then be taken to an electrical engineer for help.
Ballasts - these should be coming from Consolidated. Electric Motors
resubmitted the order. This is a warranty item and if Electric Motors orders
them they void the warranty. Intermountain Electric from Spokane is responsible.
It was decided that since the City has already given 10-day notice to M &
0 they should go ahead and replace these and settle through the bonding process.
Rags in Pumps - Chief Operator Olsen reported that 2 cubic yards of rags
are removed from the screems ahead of the pumps per day. He stated that it
• appears that the pumps were not designed to be sludge pumps because they cannot
handle the sludge. Paul Stokes said the factory certifies that they are designed
for sludge. W/S Supt. Hyde asked what recourse the City had and Mr. Stokes
responded warranty. W/S Supt. Hyde pointed out that the engineers specified
what pumps and Mr. Stokes responded that if the City comes after them they
will in turn go after the manufacturer, and asked about timing. C. Nystul
said to look at it now.
Sludge Hauling - Chief Operator Olsen reported on the sludge hauling .
and the borrowing of a nurse truck and using the relay system. Thsi worked
very well. Tutviet is using his land for growing at the present and they
are now using Dyer's land. The storage should be near empty by fall.
DISCHARGE PERMIT - W/S Supt. Hyde summarized the staff meeting. Three
points of disposal are available: Ashley Creek (which we are now utilizing),
Flathead River, and land application. Six variations on those three points
of disposal have been suggested: Ashley Creek - 1) Remove phosphorus to
meet present permit level, nitrify ammonia, 2) Remove phosphorus to .12,
nitrify ammonia. Both are the same process but different degrees of ammonia
removal. Flathead River - 1) Pump system: force main to the river, pipe
at shallow depth, 2) Gravity flow to river: higher installation cost but
no pumps. Year round land treatment: Store during the off season and inject
during the summer. This is the most costly because of storage facilities
and land acquisition. The last variation would be to discharge into Ashley
Creek only part of the year.
• Paul Stokes suggested that we might eliminate the alternative to discharge
into Ashley Creek year round because the EPA doesn't like that one at all.
He indicated that Scott had promised to look at it with an open mind, but
EPA wants the City to pipe to. the Flathead River.' The choice to the City
SEWER AND WATER COMMITTEE
IsMay 1, 1986
Page 2
is whether to fight the EPA or the natives.
W/S Supt. Hyde had been in touch with Steve Pilcher and his basic question
was whether the City was going to cooperate. C. Nystul said that politically
there was no choice on phosphorus removal, but the level and method were
open to debate. It was agreed that the Stahly study should be used to determine
the selection of the disposal site and then the City should look in depth
at the alternatives available for the site chosen. It was also pointed out
that this study only covers alum addition for phosphorus removal. Steve
Pilcher also made it clear that in light of the grant this must be a "useful
study" - something positive must come from it to show that the City is moving
ahead. C. Nystul suggested narrowing the choices down to two (Ashley Creek
or Flathead River) because land application is a short term solution (20
years). Then it could be left up to WQB to make the choice from the two
alternatives.
There was some discussion of possible ways to push WQB on the Woodland
SID problem.
C. Ruiz asked if there was a way to artificially increase the flow in
Ashley Creek. There would be a need to get WQB to acknowledge that the City
has a specified amount of water flow. Water rights and the process of getting
• the whole stream adjudicated and the amount of time it would take were discussed.
W/S Supt. Hyde said they were attempting, with the Fish and Game, to take
some less drastic moves and use peer pressure on farmers using irrigation
downstream with well publicized needs and water rights to help in the flow
problem.
DPW Hammer pointed out that the WQB is looking for the quickest solution
with no regard for the taxpayers dollars. Whatever can be done to clean
up Ashley Creek will be the most environmentally sound and most feasible,
but the timing is a problem with the EPA.
C. Nystul said the timing was right to share the M.I.T. consultants
report with Stably Engineering. A copy was sent following the meeting. The
comment was also made that if Columbia Falls and Whitefish dump into the
Flathead River then Kalispell should be able to do it also.
Chief Operator Olsen was asked for his opinion on the study and said
he preferred the irrigation system because it was simplified, and if not
that then discharge into the Flathead River.
It was decided that the plan of action at present will be to 1) Send
a marked -up copy of the report to WQB, 2) Put some pressure on WQB concerning
the Woodland SID, and 3) Write a letter with the preliminary draft asking
WQB to look at the study and give preliminary comments so that the City can
make a decision.
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