HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 07/24/2008Fort Collins Utilities Water Board Minutes
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Water Board Chairperson
City Council Liaison
Doug Yadon, 484-3611
David Roy, 217-5506
Water Board Vice Chairperson
Staff Liaison
Gina Janett, 493-4677
Robin Pierce, 221-6702
Roll Call
Board Present
Chairperson Doug Yadon, Vice Chairperson Gina Janett, Steve Balderson, John Bartholow,
Mike Connor, Johannes Gessler and Phil Phelan
Board Absent
Eileen Dornfest, David Pillard, Reagan Waskom and Gary Wockner
Staff Present
Brian Janonis, Kevin Gertig, Dennis Bode, Carrie Daggett and Robin Pierce
Guests
None
Meeting Convened
Chairperson Doug Yadon called the meeting to order at 5:22 p.m.
Citizen Participation
None
Minutes of June 19, 2008 Special Meeting
Board Member John Bartholow moved to approve the minutes from the June 19, 2008 meeting
with corrections. Board Member Mike Connor seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
Corrections to the draft minutes were made to reflect:
Page 3 — flume to plume;
Page 3 — expanded discussion of Dr. Elmund's TCE plume topic; and
Page 4 — affluent to effluent
Minutes of June 26, 2008 Regular Meeting
Board Member Steve Balderson moved to approve the minutes from the June 26, 2008 meeting
with corrections. Vice Chairperson Gina Janett seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
Corrections to the NISP motions appearing on pages 7-11 were made to remove iterations of
previous motions with each new motion and add "multiple motions are anticipated."
NISP Schedule
Water Resources and Treatment Operations Manager Kevin Gertig briefed the Board on the
Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) timeline and process. Staff completed analysis of the
Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS), and the report is currently going through critical and
legal review processes. General themes remain the same and detail has been added to support the
staff view since last presented to the Board. Natural Resources is reviewing and responding to
certain aspects of the analysis, such as geomorphology and impacts to the Poudre River. The
report will be ready to submit with the Agenda Item Summary for the 9/2 Council meeting where
Council is expected to provide approval and direction to staff. The agenda materials will be
available for review on the City Clerk's web site beginning Friday, 8/29.
Quagga Mussels Report
Mr. Gertig reported quagga mussels have been found in our source water and monitoring is being
performed. However, there is no evidence to indicate migration to Horsetooth Reservoir has
occurred yet, but due to the significant transfer of water between our source waters, it is very
likely the mussels will arrive. The mussels were first found in January 2000 in Lake Mead
National Recreation Area. Populations have subsequently been found throughout Lake Mead's
Boulder Basin and also in areas of the lower Colorado River basin (Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu
and Copper Basin Reservoir in California.) These lakes supply irrigation and drinking water to
southern Nevada, southern California and Arizona. This species has also been found in the
Nevada State Fish Hatchery at Lake Mead.
Mr. Gettig explained the two types of mussels, zebra mussels and quagga mussels. The size of
the quagga mussel ranges from microscopic to about 2 inches in length. Life span is typically 5
years, and the mussels can spawn all year under favorable conditions. Peak spawning typically
occurs in spring and fall, and a few individual mussels can produce millions of eggs and sperm,
so it takes very few of these organisms to create a major water supply issue. The mussels are free
floating and are carried along with downstream flow. They attach quickly, but can also detach
and reattach to a new habitat very quickly. The mussels are filter feeders, and remove food and
nutrients from any ecosystem in the water very efficiently, leaving nothing for native aquatic
species, thus possessing the potential for collapsing entire food webs. This species clogs pipes,
ruins boat motors and damages water recreational equipment. If the mussels attach to our intake
in Horsetooth Reservoir, diving to the depth necessary to scrape them off would be challenging
for a variety of reasons.
Once the mussels become established in a lake, routine maintenance is necessary, and perpetual
management costs dramatically increase particularly for industrial raw water customers, power
stations, hydro stations and water supply agencies. Favorable conditions for the mussels to thrive
include low salinity levels (less than 5 mg parts per trillion), high calcium levels (greater than 25
mg per liter) and pH in the high range (7.4-9.5). Quagga mussels prefer hard surfaces, can live at
low oxygen levels and prefer low velocities less than 2 meters per second. Concrete structures in
the Colorado -Big Thompson water system provide all the calcium mussels need. There is no
natural predator of the quagga mussel at this time, and most predators cannot keep up with the
explosive reproduction capabilities of these mussels. Freezing has been shown to subsequently
retard growth, but a complete freeze must occur, whereas our source waters flow throughout the
year.
As the mussels decompose, the gelatinous -type sheath comprised of organic compounds cause
other issues like taste and odor. Then, materials in the shell turn into soluble format and must be
dealt with at the water treatment plant. It is not known yet if there is a direct association to
formation of Total Organic Content (TOC). From a drinking water credibility standpoint, nothing
degrades consumer confidence quicker than taste and odor.
The mussels originated from Eurasia from the area of the Black and Caspian Seas and travel
across the ocean in the bilges of boats. When bilge pumps are activated and put into the Great
Lakes, the mussels infiltrate our water sources in the United States. The Division of Wildlife
(DOW) is educating and sharing decontamination procedures with boaters. DOW is also training
observers to inspect boats for the mussels.
Water Resources staff have established communication with Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District (NCWCD) and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The State has dedicated
$6,000,000 in the budget for this issue. Staff hopes to gain access to a boat slip at Horsetooth
Reservoir through a contact, which may give us good indication of any spread taking place. Bi-
weekly monitoring is occurring in both our watershed and Horsetooth Reservoir. Most studies
indicate this will be an ongoing issue. Once there is more information, Dr. Elmund or Dr. Billica
will present an update to the Board.
Strategic Issues: "Utility for the 21s` Century" Update
Utilities Executive Director Brian Janonis presented on the Utility for the 21" Century
sustainability project. The group is working to identify and plan for sustainability challenges and
opportunities facing Utilities.
Challenges include:
• Global climate change;
• Resource scarcity;
• Significant increases in the cost of equipment, materials and supplies;
• Aging infrastructure;
• Skilled work force issues;
• Conversion from growth to maintenance utility;
• Government regulations;
• Asset management and master planning; and
• Customer expectations.
Global climate change:
Climate change affects both our supply and customer demand, changes run-off patterns,
increases drought severity, and causes more severe storms.
Resource scarcity:
Today's utilities are more constrained for resources than at any point in the past and are
impacted by both global and local issues, such as climate change. An example was cited from
Australia where per capita water use is strictly monitored and enforced. Desalination and water
treatment facilities are being built out in the ocean and wind generators are being used to power
them.
Cost increases:
Price increases for fuel, chemical supplies, materials and heavy construction costs are impacting
Utilities. Construction materials and equipment are difficult to obtain and in some cases are
being targeted for theft, including recent thefts of copper from our distribution system.
Chemicals are in short supply at our treatment facilities or are subject to astronomical price
increases, i.e. sulphuric acid increased 300% in a short time frame. The price of natural gas
doubled from $4 per BTU to $8 per BTU in one year's time. Utilities will ask Council for a
supplemental appropriation on the fuel budget and are also looking at creative ways to save on
fuel. IT staff are developing route selection programs for crews, and our electric line workers
changed to 4 ten hour shifts per week. Our warehouse is closed one day a week, which saves on
cooling or heating needs depending on the season.
Aging infrastructure:
Aspects of our infrastructure are aging and due (or overdue) for replacement and upgrades,
including some which represent huge replacement challenges, i.e. Mulberry Water Reclamation
Facility, the Poudre Pipeline and the underground electric system.
Skilled workforce:
The skilled employee pool is shrinking, and utilities around the country are facing real work
force issues with aging workers retiring, enrollment in engineering programs decreasing, and
lack of certification programs for operators. Recruiting new electric line workers is becoming
incredibly competitive. There are records indicating more majors graduating from sports
management programs than engineering and sciences programs.
Growth to maintenance utility:
The potential for new growth in Fort Collins is diminishing, placing the expense of upgrades and
expansion on the existing customer base.
Government regulations:
The government has increased the focus on carbon and global warming, and is responding to
environmental concerns with new regulations. New regulations will have an impact on Utilities'
operations. For example, the Drake and Mulberry water reclamation plants will have new
regulations for nutrient requirements, specifically ammonium nitrogen. For the first time,
sustainability of both water and energy is seen as a national priority and part of homeland
security concerns.
Asset management and master planning:
Utilities is hiring an asset manager for the first time to work on a comprehensive asset inventory
and develop master plans for life expectancy and future capital replacement costs. We have a
thorough asset inventory of our underground electric system and use it to track updates and
project life expectancy, but we lack the same information for our water and wastewater systems.
Currently, funds are set aside via a reserves policy to replace infrastructure as it fails.
Customer expectations:
In a 2007 survey, our customers expect Utilities to be more "green" than we currently are and
provide more choices in type of power (green power). They also want more convenience through
on-line options. Utilities will undertake a $28 million project to implement smart grid and meter
technology in the next 3-7 years. Council has given direction to reduce our carbon footprint, and
other policy changes are driving Utilities to change. Smart metering will save hundreds of trips
in and out of the service center by providing the ability to manage turn-ons and turn-offs from
the service center. Meter readers will receive retraining for other positions. The community is
very engaged in the green movement, and there are many potential opportunities to decrease our
carbon footprint while providing benefit to our customers. Developers are also working on
several exciting sustainability projects in the community.
Vice Chairperson Janett asked if Utilities is considering plans to change from using water as the
medium for waste. Mr. Janonis has not seen this proposed, but has seen dual systems for raw and
potable water in use in some cities. Mr. Janonis noted redevelopment efforts for downtown may
0
offer new ideas. The Governor's Energy Office awarded Fort Collins Utilities a grant for a solar
rebate program, and the Energy Star program for homes will help developers build homes to our
new high level of energy and water use standards, and at some point, a program will be in place
to update existing homes.
Board Member Bartholow requested a 1-2 page progress report from time to time on our
progress with meeting the Sustainability Core Team purpose statement, "Inspiring community
leadership by reducing environmental impact while benefiting customers, the economy and
society."
Vice Chairperson Janett appreciates the focus on future planning, and it reflects great leadership
on the part of Utilities and their leaders. These changes will present new challenges to
employees. Chairperson Yadon noted the Board would appreciate the opportunity for early
participation and would like to work with staff as the plan is created, particularly on the asset
management focus.
Board Retreat
Chairperson Yadon asked the Board members for their interest in a Board retreat to examine
impact and effectiveness of the Board and consider any adjustments in direction. A retreat would
be considered a public meeting. Board Member Gessler would support a retreat with a specific
agenda and objectives statement. Board Member Connor sees potential value and noted a
significant majority of the Board would need to be present in order to make it worthwhile.
Chairperson Yadon and Vice Chairperson Janett will begin to develop some topics to share with
the Board via e-mail before proceeding with scheduling a retreat.
Board Committees
Chairperson Yadon asked if the Board is satisfied with the method for developing and
announcing committee meetings. The Board discussed ways to make the meetings more
meaningful including recurring meetings, committee work plans and access to staff expertise.
Board Member Bartholow noted there were no committees four years ago and suggested an
examination of whether the committee structure is working, whether it is accomplishing the work
plan elements, and whether it is a good use of time (board members and staff). The committee
meetings are valued for their educational benefit.
Staff Reports
Water Resources Manager Dennis Bode presented highlights from the Treated Water Report
through June. Some data issues have been corrected. Water usage through June was low
compared to past years, despite the hot, dry weather in July.
Other Business
None
Future Agenda Items
Vice Chairperson Janett asked to revisit the 2007 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
from the June 26 meeting. Due to the large agenda in June, the Board did not have the
opportunity to hear Mr. Gertig present the report. This will be placed on the August 28 agenda.
The 2009 Annual Work Plan is due November 30. This will be placed on the September 25
agenda.
Adiournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:11pm.
Submitted by Robin Pierce, Executive Administrative Assistant
Fort Collins Utilities
Approved by the Board on fd- a 2008
Signeed.
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Robin Pierce Date
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