Upgrading Present Plant

By Sesto F. "Lou" Lucchi

Upgrading treatment is best achieved by using the Parkson Dynasand Filter, and discharging Title 22 water of the Clean Water Act on land or in storage basins.

As a Board Director I would continue to serve and resolve current issues in a cost effective and environmentally sound fashion including expanding the current water recycle program which I helped establish, and did participate in the dedication of the MMWD recycling plant with former Assemblyman Bill Filanti.

I favor land disposal over Bay disposal and will work on design that will minimize both construction and operational costs.

Present Plant: While the present plant has some old components, they all work well. Recent additions include sludge storage ponds, deep bed filters that can handle 8-10 million gpd of winter peak flows, a fixed film reactor to control ammonia, and sodium bio-sulfite to neutralize chlorine and protect marine life. Our projections show we have a capacity for about 10 years of normal growth.

Key Issues: An immediate decision is needed on an equalization pond that will capture storm flows exceeding 10 million gpd to avoid bypass. The cost of a 4 million gallon pond will run a little over a million dollars.

The next issue is filters to treat 10-14 million gpd. The Parkson Dynasand Filter would cost about $3 million and microfilters run about $15 million.

The third issue is land or bay disposal. With bay disposal we would need microfilters whereas with land disposal we only need the Parkson filter. On land we can continue with MMWD, expand our spraying on our 200 acres, arrange some spraying with our friends at St. Vincents where we already have arrangements for them to use our effluent, dispose of it at Hamilton AFB, or on the 1600 acres at Bel Marin Keys 5 through the State Costal Conservancy.

We are also investigating joining with Novato to pump Title 22 water to the Sonoma Salt Marsh rehabilitation project. Both Senators Finestein and Boxer support this project and are working on federal grants. The Regional Board as well supports the project.

Recycling with MMWD: Our present contract ends in the year 2005 at which time they want to start charging us to take our effluent in the range of $1,500 per acre foot. We will need to have our land disposal programs finalized by then to best determine the most economical program or programs.

Metals: Treatment of nickel and zinc must be upgraded by October 15, 2003 to meet our final limits. Nickel enters the system at about 6.2 parts per billion so we can meet the final limits of 7.1. Nickel seems to be about 60% soluble and our filters will not remove that portion.

Zinc enters at about 225 and the limit of 58 will be most difficult to meet. We are meeting with MMWD to see if a partial substitute for zinc orthophosphate can be found. Adding some sodium hydroxide could solve the problem. Zinc in our influent seems to be about 20% soluble.

Copper and Mercury final limits are effective October 15,
2005. Mercury enters at .24 with a limit of .012. While this is a reduction of 20 times we can meet this limit since mercury is mostly non-soluble. Copper on the other hand enters at 31 with a final limit of 4.9 requiring a six fold reduction which is more difficult to attain since copper is about 15% soluble and mercury is about 3 or 4 percent soluble.

Discharge Limits: The more restrictive discharge limits have only been established in the recent past leaving little time for the District the evaluate these requirement and to construct a suitable strategy. The more restrictive effluent limits were established October 21, 1998 and then came Senate Bill 709, effective January 1, 2000, and which requires manadory fines for NPDES permit violations. The Regional Board no longer has discretion even should they feel that the violation did not endanger the receiving waters of the bay.

Salt Water Intrusion: Most salt water enters the system in Santa Venetia. We have already upgraded 7,700 feet of mains and should complete the project in the year 2002 with a $1.5 million budget. We have already reduced salinity from about 2,500 ppm to about 800 ppm or about 70%. This level of salinity is acceptable to MMWD for recycling our effluent.

Marin Sanitary Service: I served on the Marin Waste Management Advisory Committee with County Administator Tom Campanilla. This committee was instrumental in the formation of the current JPA for solid waste recycling and for which service I received commmendation from the Board of Supervisors. That program has resulted in 70% of our solid waste being recycled. Part of that program is the "Green Can" program which I helped initiate in our District. Whenever the Marin Sanitary Service appears before us I am generally assigned to do an in depth analysis of their rate proposal.

Closing: I tried to present in a sort of summary form some of the key issues facing the Board as well so some cost effective and environmentally sound solutions.

The job of Director is no longer a simple rubber stamp "yes or no" process but requires a continual study of ever changing state and federal regulations and the best economical means of compliance. Without such dedication to problem resolution the District could soon find itself with a series of violations and heavy fines. I dedicate myself to minimizing these adverse effects.