HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.a. Report on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) study of ACME Fill Leachate Treatment Plant effluent and changes to permit contract for Sewer Service Charge (SSC) billing parameters Page 1 of 2
Item 3.a.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
May 16, 2018
TO: REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
FROM: TIM POTTER, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE SUPERINTENDENT
REVIEWED BY: MARY LOU ESPARZA, LABORATORY SUPERINTENDENT
LORI SCHECTEL, ENVIRONMENTAL & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
DIVISION MANAGER
JEAN-MARC PETIT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERINGAND TECHNICAL
SERVICES
ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT: REPORT ON BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) STUDY OF ACME
FILL LEACHATE TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENTAND CHANGES TO
PERMIT CONTRACT FOR SEWER SERVICE CHARGE (SSC) BILLING
PARAMETERS
At the November 27, 2017 Real Estate, Environmental Planning (REEP) Committee meeting, staff
recommended renewal of the permit contract issued to the Acme Fill Corporation to authorize the
discharge of treated landfill leachate. The contract renewal included an SSC billing element, which used a
multiplier of the measured Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in lieu of BOD to calculate the SSC for the
wastewater discharged to Central San's system. This COD multiplier was established during the initial
acceptance of the Acme landfill leachate to recover treatment costs for acceptance of the landfill leachate
as the available data indicated accurate BOD data could not be generated due to an inhibitory effect the
leachate had on the organisms used to conduct the BOD analysis.
During the November 27, 2017 REEP Committee meeting, an Acme representative requested that the
use of the COD multiplier be discontinued and that measured BOD data be used for the industrial formula
to calculate the SSC. The REEP Committee directed staff to conduct a BOD study to determine if
accurate BOD data could be generated for the treated Acme landfill leachate currently being discharged to
Central San's system. Central San staff met with Acme representatives to review the BOD study
objectives and to design the study parameters.
Central San completed the BOD study in April 2018. The study concluded that accurate BOD data for the
treated Acme landfill leachate can be generated without the use of a COD multiplier.
Staff recommends renewing the permit contract for the Acme Fill Corporation with modifications to replace
the current COD multiplier element to calculate the SSC with reference to using the SSC industrial formula
approved by the Central San Board using the measured BOD for the applicable reporting period. Staff will
also modify the permit contract to ensure that the BOD tests for the Acme treated landfill leachate are
May 16, 2018 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 3 of 10
Page 2 of 2
conducted with the appropriate validation measures. Staff intends to take the modified permit contract to
the June 7, 2018 Board meeting to request the renewal be finalized before the current permit contract
expires on June 30, 2018.
GOAL THREE: Be a Fiscally Sound and Effective Water Sector Utility
Strategy 2- Manage Costs
May 16, 2018 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 4 of 10