Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.a.4) General Manager Announcements6. a. q) Board Meeting of November 6, 2014 Written Announcements: ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES a) Annual Notices Mailed to Reimbursement Account Holders The District provides a reimbursement program so that costs of mainline sewer extensions can be shared among property owners. Each year, in accordance with District Code, annual notices are mailed to the holders of reimbursement accounts (installers). This year, the annual notices were mailed on October 3, 2014. Installers were reminded of the need to keep the District informed of any change of address. Installers were asked to update their information and return the notice to the District in the prepaid envelopes provided. Having current address information will enable the District to notify installers when reimbursement fees are collected on their behalf. Installers were also informed of the expiration dates of their accounts. Staff will continue to make reasonable efforts to locate installers. b) LAFCO Approves District Annexation 185 Sphere of Influence Change At its October 8, 2014 meeting, Contra Costa Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved a Central San Sphere of Influence amendment related to District Annexation (DA) 185 in unincorporated Lafayette. The pending DA 185 — Danville and Lafayette, DA 186 - Magee Ranch (Danville) and DA 187 — Podva Property (Danville) will be heard by LAFCO over the next few months. c) Neighborhood Meeting to be Held for Possible Alamo Contractual Assessment District (CAD) On Wednesday, November 12, 2014, staff will conduct a neighborhood meeting for a possible Contractual Assessment District (CAD) on the North Jackson Way, Jackson Way and South Jackson Way in Alamo. The meeting will be held at the Rancho Romero Elementary School Multi- Purpose Room, 180 Hemme Avenue, Alamo, from 6:30 -8:30 p.m. CONTRACTS UPDATE d) Recap of Contracts Signed by General Manager During Third Quarter 2014 The Board has asked to receive quarterly reports of the professional consulting agreements entered into by staff that fall within the increased staff authority limits that Written Announcements November 6, 2014 Page 2 of 3 became effective December 15, 2011. On that date, the limit on staff authority for professional consulting services agreements was raised by the Board from $50,000 to $100,000. This is a report of all professional agreements entered into by staff which fall within the new staff authority limits (over $50,000 and less than $100,000) and amendments that cause agreements to fall within this dollar range. Listed below are all such agreements /amendments entered into during the third quarter of 2014 (9/1/14 — 9/30/14): Date Agreement No. Amendment YiN Company Name Description Total 9/4/14 039358 Y Data Added $13,295 / $77,295 Instinct Concord Landscape Project Outreach / 7299DC 9/9/14 041830 Y Towill, Inc. Added $50,000 / $98,000 Surveying Assistance All other contracts that are not considered "professional services," such as maintenance services, equipment, chemicals, and supplies, do not require Board approval regardless of dollar amount. The Board approves the annual budget which includes the expenses that come from these contracts, so these contracts are not included in this report as they have historically been within staff authority. INTERAGENCY EVENT e) BAYWORK Workshop on Wheels a Big Success BAYWORK, a consortium of water and wastewater agencies that specializes in conducting research, workshops, and various product and workforce development activities related to the industry, held a bus tour on October 15, 2014 called "Workshop on Wheels." The tour included on -site visits of five local water and wastewater agencies: Central San, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the City of Pittsburg, Mt. View Sanitary District, and Delta Diablo Sanitary District. Traveling from site to site by bus, more than 50 employees of local water and wastewater agencies participated, including seven Central San employees. Central San provided presentations on the District's efforts related to the public outreach campaign "Wipes Clog Pipes" as well as the Zeolite - Anammox Pilot Plant Study that is currently underway. Other agencies presented topics ranging from resource recovery, technological trends related to SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), high efficiency UV (ultraviolet) disinfection systems, to utilizing wastewater to create wetlands, and more. The event was a big success and BAYWORK has plans to facilitate additional events in the coming months. Written Announcements November 6, 2014 Page 3 of 3 PENSION AUDIT f) CCCERA Report on District Audit Expected in November In September 2014, Contra Costa County Employees' Retirement Association (CCCERA), as mandated by the Public Employers Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), began conducting an audit of District records to ensure that the employee and compensation data utilized to calculate retiree pension benefits is accurate and verifiable. The on -site review component of the audit was completed on October 10, 2014. CCCERA will issue a preliminary report of their findings on or around November 17, 2014. Staff will keep the Board apprised of the ongoing audit. PUBLIC HEALTH g) EBOLA Virus Update and Information Relative to the District The survivability of the Ebola virus in water /wastewater is being researched by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Association of Clean Water Agencies ( NACWA), California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), among others. While there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola identified in California, it is important that District employees and the public stay abreast of safety practices, particularly as it concerns the handling of wastewater. Attached is the latest member alert from CASA. Additional information from NACWA is expected in the near future. Staff will continue to keep the Board and employees apprised as new information becomes available. Attached Supporting Document., 1. Member Alert from CASA CASA Member Alert 1J7a1er /iai- Ci1/1 %(>>•/11d The Ebola Virus and How to Manage Wastewater from Patients CASA Members: CASA has been working to provide members with the most up to date and credible information on the fate of the Ebola virus and the most effective means to manage wastewater generated by patients. Fortunately, we are not yet in an epidemic or critical mode so there is time to ensure we get it right. Concern is both for the safety of your workforce as well as the ultimate impact from the recycling or discharge of our products, effluent and biosolids. We know this is a top concern and priority for wastewater agencies across the nation and that is has been difficult to obtain reliable and current information. Unfortunately, there have been differing messages sent and received from numerous sources. We try to clarify what is known for you at this point, and will provide updated information as it becomes available: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has developed new guidance, which they hope to release by the end of next week. Much credit is due to the Water Environment Federation, the Water Environment Research Foundation, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and others for engaging early on this issue. According to Dr. Rodney Donlan (CDC) "the document is entitled 'Interim Guidance for Managers and Workers Handling Untreated Sewage from Suspected or Confirmed Individuals with Ebola in the United States' and it is currently under review. We are working to get this document cleared as soon as possible. That document will address the specific question of disposal of patient wastes in the sanitary sewer system." The guidance is under review by the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, USEPA, and others. Guidance issued previously by CDC states that it is safe to discharge wastewater from Ebola patients to the sewerage system without any need for pre- treatment. This is likely based on a 2006 consensus document led by the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in consultation with numerous experts, "Designing a Biocontainment Unit to Care for Patients with Serious Communicable Diseases: A Consensus Statement ", which recommends pouring wastewater from such patients down the sewer. It goes on to say that "[w]aste need not be pretreated (e.g., by addition of bleach to toilets)." No scientific research has been identified to support this approach. The guidance does indicate that medical facilities should communicate with the receiving wastewater authority prior to discharging. A "News Splash" released by the Water Research Foundation (WRF) reported that the Ebola virus cannot survive outside of its host in water and that it would almost immediately be denatured by attempting to normalize osmotic pressure due to a need to increase salt levels, and thus be rendered harmless. This report has proven to be erroneous based on information from expert virologists and again, no scientific research has been uncovered to support the statement. Emory University Hospital in Atlanta is an approved biocontainment facility which discharges wastewater to the DeKalb County Wastewater Authority. Wastewater authority staff understood that there was zero discharge of wastewater from the Ebola unit at Emory, and believed the waste was double auto - claved and then incinerated. However, according to an October 14th webinar by the CDC, Emory University, and the University of Nebraska, the wastewater was alkaline stabilized for more than 5 minutes and then discharged to the DeKalb wastewater system. We have not been able at this point to know which is true. However the DeKalb authority did express confidence that either alternative would have effectively managed the virus and thus do not envision any issue. We remain very hopeful that the new Guidance will mandate that pretreatment be done (i.e., alkaline stabilization, UV disinfection, or with other acceptable means) prior to discharge to a sewer or manage the waste via incineration. The guidance will be available at www.cdc.gov /ebola and we will keep you updated. For more information contact: Greg Kester gkester @casaweb.org 916- 844 -5262 Visit our website: www.casaweb.orLy Connect with us: Location: 1225 8th Street, Suite 595, Sacramento, CA Contact us: (916) 446 -0388 95814 Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.