HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 10/31/2017 - Memorandum From Carol Webb Re: State Of Colorado Honors Fort Collins Utilities Water Resources And Treatment Operations Service Unit With Environmental Leadership AwardsUtilities
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700 Wood Street
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6700
970.221.6619 – fax
V/TDD 711
utilities@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/utilities
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: October 19, 2017
TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
FROM: Carol Webb, Water Resources and Treatment Operations Manager
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kevin R. Gertig, Utilities Executive Director
RE: State of Colorado Honors Fort Collins Utilities’ Water Resources and Treatment
Operations Service Unit with Environmental Leadership Awards
Bottom Line
The State of Colorado recognized three City departments with Environmental Leadership
Program awards on October 4: Water Resources and Treatment Operations Service Unit in Fort
Collins Utilities, Streets Department, and Environmental Services Department. The awards
recognize continual environmental improvement that goes beyond compliance with state and
federal regulations. Drake Water Reclamation Facility, Water Treatment Facility, and Streets
Department won Gold awards, Mulberry Water Reclamation Facility won a Silver award, and
Environmental Services Department won a Bronze award.
Summary
Below are details on honors awarded to Water Resources and Treatment Operations.
Gold Leaders are companies with a fully operational, facility-specific Environmental
Management System that meet beyond-compliance requirements and have no serious violations
in three years. Individual projects winning the Gold level, the top honor by the state, include:
Drake Water Reclamation Facility, which is responsible for the treatment of wastewater and
biosolids recycling. The facility achieved the Silver level for a National Biosolids Partnership in
2015-2016 and has been listed as an environmental leader since 2013. Achievements include:
Updated landscaping using native drought-resistant plants to reduce watering
Recycling diversion rate of 51 percent
Year-to-date fuel reduction of 10 percent from 2015 to 2016
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“The Environmental Leadership Program provides the City with a mechanism to ensure
regulatory compliance, reduce pollution, and continually improve our process,” said Jason
Graham, Water Reclamation and Biosolids Division Manager. “I’m proud of our group and their
commitment to environmental stewardship.”
Water Treatment Facility, which provides high-quality drinking water with a capacity of 87
million gallons/day. The facility has been listed as an environmental leader since 2013.
Achievements include:
Reached milestone of reducing purchased electrical power by 30 percent over 2005
baseline
Avoided generating 97 tons of greenhouse gases through use of renewable energy (solar),
which offsets 84 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from fuel usage in vehicles
Diverted 13,236 pounds of scrap metal from the landfill
Replaced one old fuel-inefficient vehicle with a plug-in electric and a second with a
hybrid vehicle
“The Environmental Leadership Program is an important part of the Water Production Division's
commitment to regulatory compliance and reducing our environmental impact” said Mark
Kempton, Water Production Division Manager. “The Program aligns well with our staff's
environmental goals, and helps us on our journey of continual improvement.”
Silver Partners are companies seeking Gold Level membership but don’t yet have a fully
implemented Environmental Management System (EMS), and haven’t had any serious violations
for one year. They have committed to develop an EMS with milestones that must be met each
year.
The Silver level was awarded to Mulberry Water Reclamation Facility, which is a six million
gallon/day wastewater treatment plant that utilizes biological nutrient removal to treat domestic,
commercial and industrial wastewater and return it to the environment. Achievements include:
Being a chemical-free plant (no chlorine treatment). Odor control is achieved with air,
wood media and carbon filters made from coconut husks.
Saving on electricity use by adjusting air usage in the treatment process.
Other honors received by City departments:
Gold award for the Streets Department, which maintains a 557-centerline-miles street
network that includes a recycling/crushing facility that processes and recycles concrete
and asphalt for re-use on public and private projects. Achievements include: 16.5 percent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2005, and diverted 237 million pounds of
asphalt, concrete, and soil from the landfill by processing for reuse.
Bronze award for Environmental Services Department, part of the Sustainability Services
Area, for its Fugitive Dust Ordinance. Achievements include: trained contractors best
management practices for fugitive dust; conducted the first presentation on best
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management practices for fugitive dust to local university students; required additional
best management practices beyond state compliance; resolved 50 dust complaints through
training and outreach from 2016 to 2017.
CC: Jason Graham, Water Reclamation and Biosolids Division Manager
Mark Kempton, Water Production Division Manager
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Director
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