Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/22/1990BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA A G E N D A CITY/COUNTY WORKSHOP JUNE 22, 1990 3:30 P.M. - FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 1840 25th STREET VERO BEACH, FLORIDA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Carolyn K. Eggert, Chairman Richard N. Bird, Vice Chairman Margaret C. Bowman Don C. Scurlock, Jr. Gary C. Wheeler CITY COUNCIL James E. Chandler, County Administrator Charles P. Vitunac, County Attorney Jeffrey K. Barton, Clerk to the Board Jay Smith, Mayor John V. Little, City Manager Michael Wodtke, Vice Mayor Molly Beard Lawrence Braisted, City Attorney Kevin Doty Carl Pease Phyllis Neuberger, City Clerk 3:30 PM CITY/COUNTY WORKSHOP ON WATER REUSE ROOK80 F',1.UE SPECIAL MEETING Friday, June 22, 1990 The Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County, Florida, met in Special Session with the Vero Beach City Council at the County Administration Building, 1840 25th Street, Vero Beach, Florida, on Friday, June 22, 1990, at 3:30 o'clock P.M. Present were Carolyn K. Eggert, Chairman; Richard N. Bird, Vice Chairman; Margaret C. Bowman; and Don C. Scurlock, Jr. Absent was Gary C. Wheeler, who was on vacation. Also present were James E. Chandler, County Administrator; Charles P. Vitunac, Attorney to the Board of County Commissioners; OMB Director Joseph Baird; and Barbara Bonnah, Deputy Clerk. Present from the City of Vero Beach were Mayor Jay Smith, Vice Mayor Michael Wodtke, and Councilman Carl Pease. Absent were Councilwoman Molly Beard and Councilman Kevin Doty. Also present were City Manager John Little, City Attorney Lawrence Braisted, Finance Director Thomas Nason, and City Clerk Phyllis Neuberger. Chairman Eggert called the meeting to order, and asked Commissioner Scurlock to begin the discussion on the reuse of water. CITY/COUNTY WORKSHOP ON WATER REUSE Commissioner Scurlock felt that this joint meeting gives us an opportunity to share some ideas about what we are doing and where we are going in terms of future long -range -plan's for water reuse. Within the past year and a half, the County Commission hired Post, Buckley, Schuh, and Jernigan to prepare a reuse study bou CJ0 f'A,u 450 JUN 2 21990 L JUN 2 21990 BOOK 8-0 PAGE451 on a county -wide basis, and knowing that the City has plans to interface to some extent in terms of what City Manager John Little has proposed to the City Council, especially with regard to the barrier island, our overall thought was to share with you today what we are doing and then set the framework for us to work together where we can and where it is beneficial to both parties. The south county area doesn't have a great ability to get rid of effluent due to the lack of golf courses and large developments that would be easy, single user customers. We have purchased a 150 -acre sod farm where we plan to reuse the effluent from the west wastewater treatment plant, but ultimately we will have to dispose of 6 million gallons a day (mgd), and the County hopes to be able to work with the City to make an efficient use of the effluent. We know the City has plans for expanding its endeavor in the R.O. area, and looking at some of the numbers that we have been given, a high percentage of the City's portable water is being used for -irrigation purposes. If we could work together to replace the need to expand the R.O. at approximately $1.50 a gallon, it would be beneficial to the City's customers and beneficial to the County in terms of disposal of effluent. As you know, the Governor recently signed a bill that says no more river discharge, but the City has moved to get the discharge out of the river in any event. What he would like to do today is go over the County's plan as to where we are and then, hopefully, make some provisions where we can work together over the long haul. At this point, Commissioner Scurlock asked Utilities Director Terry Pinto to explain where the County is at this point in time. Director Pinto explained that the County has moved toward the recycling era of solid waste, sludge, and now effluent from our wastewater treatment plants. The County's goal is to build sub -regional facilities, particularly for wastewater. Eventually, 2 we hope to have 5 sub -regional plants to cover the entire county, but there are still some small treatment plants in existence. Referring to a map, he pointed out all of the small wastewater treatment plants that the County was trying to deal with when he came here 8 years ago. The north county wastewater treatment plant being built at Hobart will replace 16 of those small treatment plants, and there will not be any treatment plants left along the river in the county and there won't be any direct discharge into the river by any private or public system. The west wastewater treatment plant is already in operation; the Gifford wastewater treatment plant, an FHA project, is now in operation; and to service the south county area, we will either build a wastewater treatment plant or purchase the existing General Development Utilities' plant. What we have to do now is plan what to do with the effluent when the plants are built. In the central and northern portion of the county we have golf courses which can use the effluent, but the big unknown is the south county area. So, we are looking to reduce the building of water plant capacity, and we are even looking at supplementing our effluent with some other type of raw water for irrigation purposes, whether it be out of the canals or out of shallow wells. At the costs involved in wastewater treatment, it seems a. shame to have to treat water to irrigate. There is a great irrigation need in this county just for landscaping because people wish to protect that investment in their property. So, what we have named "Project Green Thumb" is to see how we can reuse every last drop of effluent by distributing it out over the county and the City. We certainly do not want to put any into the river and we do not want to go into a deep well situation. Although the deep well method is probably the most cost effective way of getting rid of effluent, he didn't feel that is something that Indian River County wants to do regardless of the savings. He stressed that everyone in the entire county will benefit by J N 2 21990 3 BooK 0 i,,{1,E 4 5 _I JUN 2 2 1990 8900 0 F',1 G E 4 ,,- the efficient use of effluent. The County anticipates a line going to the City's treatment plant, and if that happens we hope for a line across the bridge to link all the systems for a total combined system to supply irrigation water for everyone. Ultimately, we will be creating about 4.5 million gallons of effluent in the south county plant, and we can easily send 2 mgd or even the entire amount to the barrier island if we lessened the amount going farther west. Director Pinto stressed that we are moving as quickly as we can with this project, but there is always the question of funding and rate structures. He briefly went over the methodology for rate structures that he would be recommending to the County Commission. Commissioner Scurlock asked where we are at with regard to what the City is willing to accept at this time, and Director Pinto replied that he was not positive. Mayor Smith stated that it was 2 mgd, and Mr. Little emphasized that a letter was written to the County stating that. Director Pinto felt the problem was that the letter only said that the City may be able to do something. Mayor Smith stated that he would clarify that right now. The I*etter said that the City will accept two million gallons per day from the County. The City is already oversizing the line and hangers to accompany a larger line over the 17th Street Bridge. Eventually, they would have had to do that anyway in order to pick up the capacity of their plant when it reaches capacity. They are not thinking of charging the County for the oversizing of that line or for overstressing the blocks to carry the line. The letter also says that at some future date when they come up to full capacity of 5 mgd out of their plant, they may have to put in some additional pumps in the beach area in order to handle the County's 2 mgd, and it is at that point they think the County would have to pick up the cost for those pumps. Mayor 4 Smith stated that whatever arrangements the County can work out, their planning now is to accept two million gallons per day from the County at no cost, but the County will have to get it to them. They will continue to take it almost in perpetuity, but will expect the County to share in the costs to help distribute it at a later date Mayor Smith asked about the allocation to the three golf courses on the barrier island, and Mr. Curren of Boyle Engineering advised that the Moorings uses one quarter of a million, Riomar uses one-half million, and John's Island one million. Mr. Little estimated that the power plant itself may use as much as 500,000 gallons of effluent a day, and effluent will be used on the landscaping on the power plant, annex, and the post office. In addition, they will pipe effluent down the median of Indian River Boulevard, at least within the City limits, and down to the Merrill Barber Bridge access road. Where they are trucking in water now, they will use effluent and that will probably take 1-mgd; the balance then will be going to the barrier island. Mr. Little explained that they have looked at a number of scenarios, but they probably will be recommending a sub -aqueous crossing at the Barber Bridge and taking the main line down through Riverside Park and Memorial Island Park and then down Iris or one of those streets to AIA. It probably will be a 24" line rather than a 20" line. He didn't feel that would change the acceptance of the 2 million gallons that they have told the County they could accept. Director Pinto felt that if,the City makes a crossing at the bridge, it should be sized to the anticipated maximum flow. He noted that while south county's plant capacity is figured at 4.5 million gallons per day, that wouldn't be reached for 15 years. Mr. Little pointed out that the problem in oversizing the lines is the front money. There is no problem in the City taking .1 800 �% FGE c3 J r JUS! 2 21990 BOOK 8.0 PAGE 455 2 mgd, but the thing we need to talk about today is that the County would have to deliver it to them already treated for use on residential.lawns and maintain their own wet weather discharge point. The City does not want to take that risk;they don't think they have enough room, nor do they want to spend the front money in their treatment plant to undertake the treatment of all of that. The County would have to bring the treated effluent to the intersection of Indian River Boulevard and 17th Street. Director Pinto emphasized that all the County is looking for is to bring the final product to the.City .for them and to know how much the City will be able to handle so we know how we will build our system. Carl Pease asked about the use of effluent on the vast area of citrus west of 43rd Avenue, and Commissioner Scurlock felt that any realistic, long-range arrangement with the AG people isn't going to happen because they are concerned with their market, as far -as the physiological aspect of it is concerned. Mr. Little discussed at some length the lines that the City plans to install on the beach and about the possibility of running effluent lines to private residences in the future. He agreed with Mr. Pinto's thinking that whatever the cost of deep well injection would have been, just the cost of deep well injection would have been levied against the wastewater customers that are generating the effluent. The treatment cost to get the effluent ready to put on residential lawns for unrestrictive use and the transmission and distribution costs to get it somewhere and delivered to the customer will be part of the effluent rate structure. That is pretty much what they will recommend to the City Council. Mr. Little reiterated that if the County brings 2 mgd treated effluent to 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard, the City will not require any upfront capital from the County, at least at this point in time. _ 6 I Commissioner Scurlock said he was just suggesting that if there is anything we could do to save dollars in the long run, and if that requires some sort of financial participation by the County, let's look at it. He felt that our recommendation would be that we are willing to participate. Mr. Little felt that at some point in time when and if they need the second sub -aqueous crossing, and if their plant effluent was being used up and it was strictly for the County effluent purposes, then the County could front the capital for that. Director Pi"Tito advised that the first million gallons of effluent would be produced by the south county plant probably in one year's time and the second million by 1995. Mr. Curren of Boyle Engineering, the City's consultant, stated that they do not recommend accepting the two million gallons per day from the County in the long term, and based on the numbers the County is projecting, and even looking at the highest projects for demand, they don't feel the City would ever be able to take the full 4.5 mgd from the County. Discussion ensued about the possibility of John's Island taking more than 1 mgd in the future, and Director Pinto repeated that all we need to know now is how much the City can take so we can base our construction on that. Mr. Little again stated that the City will accept 2 mgd of treated effluent at no cost, if the County brings it to the intersection of Indien River Boulevard and 17th Street. John Morrison stated that their primary position is to reuse water instead of going to deep well injection, and Mr. Little stated that if everyone cooperated in the city and the county, and if people watered every other day on different sides of the street, they could get twice as much water through the same sized pipes that are there. Commissioner Scurlock thanked everyone for coming. He felt this was an excellent meeting in that we got some things clarified. 7 BOOK 0� FAU 5 , JUN 2 21990 BOOK 80 F,� 5 7 There being no further business, the Chairman adjourned the meeting at 4:50 o'clock P.M. ATTEST: Clerk 8 Ch firman