HomeMy Public PortalAboutBox 505 REK #1 PLWSD PRESERVE CAPACITY @ WW TREATMENT PLANTPAY.ETTE LAKES RECREATIONAL WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT
201 Jacob Street • McCall, Idaho 83638
office 208-634-41 1 1 • fax 208-634 613
email: plrwsd@citlink.net
October 28, 2004
Mayor and Council
J
City of McCall
216 E. Park
McCall, ID 83638
Payette Lakes Water and Sewer District Takes Steps to Preserve Its Capacity at The
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Capacity in the wastewater plant, winter storage and J-Ditch land application system
has become so critical the Payette Lakes Water and Sewer District Board (the District)
must take immediate steps to preserve the capacity to which it is legally entitled, and to
insure its ability to exercise existing commitments and support growth within the
District, as well as its ability to accommodate growth in areas adjacent to the District. As
a result, the District finds it necessary to provide the City Council of McCa11 (City) with
notice of the need for the City to take immediate action regarding discharge of its waste
water to the treatment plant and storage ponds.
Background:
1. It has been well documented that the City has experienced extreme Inflow and
Infiltration (I & I) in the spring runoff months since 1975. In each of the past two
years, these excess inflows have added a minimum of 40 million gallons annually to
the waste water treatment and storage system --an amount equal to the effluent from
450 full-time residences; an amount equivalent to the District's entire yearly
discharge.
2. City inflows during spring runoff use 80% of its monthly allocation of the
treatment plant's two million gallons -per -day capacity.
3. A recent study summarized in a September 16, 2004 Letter from JUB Engineers
indicates that J-Ditch storage and land application capacities in the sewer system
limit future growth in the entire system to 10-20 new hookups per year. The City
used 113% of its capacity in the J-Ditch system this year. (Chart attached)
5. These capacity issues are not due to the District's operation. On average, the
District uses only 15% of its allocation at the treatment plant, and 42% of its
allocation of the j-Ditch storage and land application facility.
6. During high flow months the City uses 80% of its capacity at the treatment plant;
the District uses 30% of its capacity. The city's high flows occur during spring
runoff, the District's occur during peak summer season.
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History:
1. The District believes it is essential for the District's Board and the City Council to
work together to solve capacity problems.
2. The Cooperative Agreements in place between the entities since 1977 required the
City to fix its I & I problems in its system. This commitment has not been kept by the
City.
3. Since 1998 the District has repeatedly raised concerns about winter storage
capacity in letters to the City Council. We have yet to receive a response from the
Council.
Conclusions:
1. Without immediate attention, limited winter storage capacity and severely
limited land application issues restrict the number of new hookups available to 10-
20 per year.
2. The number of new hookups available is not sufficient to meet demand for
hookups from existing commitments in the District and growth in adjacent
areas --unless the District uses the full amount of its contractually allocated capacity
in the storage ponds and J-ditch distribution system.
3. The valley is dealing with unprecedented growth. The City no longer has any
sewer treatment capacity to accommodate this growth.
Required Action:
1. The City of McCall must address its I & I and capacity issues immediately.
2. The City of McCall must assure its annual flows do not exceed its share of
capacity as specified in the 1987 Fifth Amendment to the Cooperative Agreement.
3. To avoid harming the growth and development in the McCall area, the District
will pursue its inclusion policy, and will evaluate requests from property owners
within the District based on its allocated 1/3 share of total sewer system capacity.
4. Since anticipated growth in and adjacent to the District could easily consume all
allowable hookups for the entire sewer system, the District will operate on the
assumption that its hookups will only be limited by its share of the capacities in the
treatment plant, storage ponds and J-ditch.
The District hopes this statement of capacity problems and policy implications will
encourage the City of McCall to take actions that will help the City avoid a hookup
moratorium, the recision of existing hookup permits, or the need to release effluent into
the Payette River. The District's intent in this action is to make clear that it has
remaining capacity, and it will protect its right to use that capacity. This is consistent
with the position the District has taken for many years. The Board reiterates that
although it currently does not have capacity or land application limitations, it is willing
to work in a cooperative effort with the City to find a long-term solution. We stand
ready to assist in immediate efforts to reduce the City's I & I should the City Council be
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willing to act upon this issue.
Sincerely,
-b
Jerry evig
Chairperson, Board of Directors
Payette Lakes Recreational Water and Sewer District
cc: Payette Lakes Recreational Water and Sewer District Board of Directors
Lindley Kirkpatrick, City Manager
JUB Engineers
William Killen, P.A.
The Star News
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J-Ditch chart
J-Ditch Land Application Utilization Analysis
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