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MEMORANDUM TO : MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM : MICHAEL E. MALONE, CITY MANAGER W & S RECOMMENDATIONS OF COUNCILMAN PLATA, SUBJECT : RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO DATE : MAY 14, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO: Eliminate $40,000.00 budgeted for equipment to remove sludge when conventional methods have worked for years. On pages four and five of the minutes of the S~e¢ial City Council Meeting of September 19, ~002, begi-nmn~ with the fourth Daraara~h (attached hereto as Exhibit I),Coun¢ilman Plata questioned the proposed-expenditure of 5;40,000.00 in line item 10-0414-82-00-Other, sludge removal. Mr. Campbell explained that water treatment plant sludge is collected into two old settlement basins from wh~it was tile Maxey Water Treatment Plant. He smd that we cannot I~et the sludge out of these basins fast enough anti that funds from this line item were budgeted to ~nstall automatic sludge handlinl~ equipment in the bottom of these two basins. The purpose is to scraDe the sludge and keep it mixetFnD-solt can be sprayed on the field. We are recycling, approximately 800,000 gallons of water Der day tlfat otherwise would be pumped to the creek anffwould have to be rep_laced by Dumping hdditidnal water from Pat Mayse la'kc at additional cost. The recycling o~ this wafer saves approximately $66,$00.00 per year. We make beneficial use of this sludge by spraying it on a field atljacent to the plant. There is a new mandate that we refer to as the backwash recycle rule. The rule has been implemented on January 1~' and its purpose is to prevent the ¢ontaminafion of our ari.n,.king yat?? vi tv i ¢cYadu a backwash water with too high a concentration of Giardia and Cryptospormmm, ootn oa serious health problems to some people. There are rules that limtt disposing of sludge by sending it down the creek. We have a permit to apply the sludge to the land adioining the plant which is an efficient and cost effective means of disposal. We have never had an effective way fo keep the sludge in suspension in the basin that we are pumping to the spray field from, so that the solids settle into the bottom of the basin. As these solids~uilil up in the basin, the contaminants are concentrated and there is more chance of spillage over into our water treatment process as we draw the recycle water off the tod to return to the process to save money. The new mandate is more strict about the quality of the recycle water that we are reusing and the funds budgeted are to be used this summer to aitdress this problem. Mr. Campbell i~rudently budgeted $40,000.00 to cover the contingency of purchasing commercial sludge hahdlin~eouiDment designed for this purpose. Again, illustrating the conservative use of resources, Mr.'~C~imi~bell began experimentmo with a cheaper alternative this Dust fall. He ha~l reviously bouaht for salvage value some surplus floating mixer/aerators from John Kraft Sesa¢o ~o .mpan); in P£ris which we have been usina in these basins for severalyears without achieving the desired effect needed to meet this new mantlate. Mr. Campbell has designed some modifications to these floatin~ mixer/aerators and has had a l~rototype fabricated. We have been testina the modified mixer/aeratOrs and believe that the modified version will achieve the desired results. It apl}ears that to fully implement the modifications, less than half of the budgeted $40,000.00 will be needled. The "conventional methods (thaP have worked for ,~ears" referred to by Councilman Plata will .no longer suffice due to the new rule ~l~at has been implemented. An expenditure is necessary to meet the new rule tn effect to avoid a situation where we would be fined and to protect the health ol'tlte citizens · . ................. ~ ~un¢ilmanPlata'snrolectedsavingsof$40,O00.O0 cannot b~ reasonably ~ichieved and meet the rule in an adequate and respon?me manner. it appears that staff will save as much as $20,000.00 or more through their renovation. MEM/mm Attachments: Exhibit L Pictures - Exhibits II and III $-14-0~-Memo-Mayor anti Council-Plata Recommendation Two