Environmental Press # 176

Subj: OOG: OMTS Meeting Update. Movie of discharge shown
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2002 1:15:55 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Jon V3
To: Jon V3

Dear OOG:

Some interesting tidbits offered at the OCSD OMTS (Operations, Maintenance,
Technical Services) meeting tonight:

1. Mark Esquer showed a fascinating movie clip of the examination of the outfall pipe and diffuser taken last January by submarine. Stuff spewing out of the diffuser holes is clearly seen. There is a fair amount of marine life present. I suspect the marine life is the pollution tolerant varieties. Questions concerning whether the marine life has been affected by the chlorination/dechlorination disinfection since August was raised by Director Steve Anderson. He was assured that the marine life is not affected and that a split screen movie is available to show no change after disinfection. Steve asked if perhaps this paired comparison could be shown to the full Board. I believe the movie will be shown on the December 18 full Board of Directors meeting. Good time to attend the Board meeting.

 

  

2. A presentation on the recent Asset Management Strategic Plan and Framework Analysis Report was made by Doug Stewart. Asset Management is a new paradigm being promoted to improve the business practices of OCSD. Earlier this year, the Board approved an excursion to Australia/New Zealand to see how it is done. The report projected that, with a $38 million initial investment, the OCSD could save $350 million over 20 years. Director Todd Ridgeway questioned whether this effort is designed to win a lucrative contract for the Parsons company which did the phase 1 work. I raised my hand and asked if the $350 million saved would pay for the secondary treatment facilities upgrade and thus the secondary treatment program would not cost the public a cent. Mr. Stewart said the Board could use the saved money in any way they wanted, while General Manager Blake Anderson shook his head across the room. The motion to approve and forward the report on, and hire Parsons for phase 2, was passed unanimously. Parsons gets $1.5 to $2 million, or thereabouts. Full Board approval will be February 2003.

3. Technical Services Director Bob Ghirelli said the NPDES application letter and report has been put on CD-ROM and that anyone from the public could contact him for a disk at: RGHIRELLI@OCSD.COM. 25 hard copies will also be given to the Board. Blake Anderson told me I could get a signed personally autographed copy from him for $50. I'll take him up on the offer. Contact Blake at: BANDERSON@OCSD.COM

4. The benefits of microfiltration were briefly discussed, with Director Steve Anderson stating that with MF, the 78 inch pipe could be put back in service. I was 5 minutes late to the meeting and public comments were over. Otherwise, I would have pointed out that the MF report compared itself favorably costwise to activated sludge, while if the newly configured trickling filters were used as a comparison, MF might prove itself at a competitive disadvantage, and not be as suitable as a preteatment for reclamation, which requires an oxidative process by the state health department. Trickling filters now use half the space as previously, odor and air quality problems are now taken care of, and they use much less energy than activated sludge. The report is proposing to bring BOD into compliance by mixing MF discharge with biologic treatment discharge, because MF can't meet the 30 mg/l secondary treatment standard. Trickling filters need better consideration by the Board.

The meeting was over shortly after 6 PM.

Tomorrow's PDC meeting (Planning, Design, Construction) will be held at 5 PM, same place, 10844 Ellis, corner Euclid and Ellis, Euclid exit off 405 Freeway, Fountain Valley. The Agenda is attached. Note that the Asset Management Plan is again being presented. It would be valuable to attend this meeting, from 5 PM to approximately 6 PM.

Jan Vandersloot (949) 548-6326

PDC_12_5_02.pdf (1007kb)

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