BACWA – Leading the way to protect our Bay

Hot Topics for BACWA Hot Topics for BACWA in 2008in 2008

Dave WilliamsDave Williams

Chair of the Executive BoardChair of the Executive BoardJanuary 2008January 2008

2007 – A Busy Year for BACWA2007 – A Busy Year for BACWA

• Team Work, Communication and Team Work, Communication and Coordination across BACWA MembersCoordination across BACWA Members

• Building RelationshipsBuilding Relationships– Meetings with State Board, WB and EPA Meetings with State Board, WB and EPA

• Collaboration with Clean H2O Summit Collaboration with Clean H2O Summit – SSO Training and Ops Certification IssueSSO Training and Ops Certification Issue

• Regulatory Issues for Permits and Basin PlansRegulatory Issues for Permits and Basin Plans

• Water RecyclingWater Recycling

• Collection System IssuesCollection System Issues

• Climate Change Climate Change

BACWA Provides a ReturnBACWA Provides a Return On Investment On Investment

• Completion of the Hg TMDLCompletion of the Hg TMDL

• Watershed Permit for HgWatershed Permit for Hg

• Active and engaged CommitteesActive and engaged Committees

• Cu and CN SSO AdoptionsCu and CN SSO Adoptions

• Regional Collaboration on new issues Regional Collaboration on new issues

• Meetings with WB and EPA StaffMeetings with WB and EPA Staff

• Staff Development – Networking across Staff Development – Networking across the Region and Professional Developmentthe Region and Professional Development

Focus on The Three C’sFocus on The Three C’s

• CommunicationCommunication

• CollaborationCollaboration

• CooperationCooperation

Active and Visible Advocacy for Active and Visible Advocacy for Cleanwater AgenciesCleanwater Agencies• All participants of BACWA have been All participants of BACWA have been

active over the last yearactive over the last year– Board and Committee MeetingsBoard and Committee Meetings– Meetings with WB, EPA, SWRCB, NGOsMeetings with WB, EPA, SWRCB, NGOs– Collaborating on Comment LettersCollaborating on Comment Letters

•To WB, SWRCB and EPATo WB, SWRCB and EPA

– Providing TestimonyProviding Testimony– Participation in IRWMPParticipation in IRWMP– Regional Biosolids CollaborationRegional Biosolids Collaboration

Success on Completion of Basin PlansSuccess on Completion of Basin Plans

• Completing Basin Plan AmendmentsCompleting Basin Plan Amendments– Cu Site Specific ObjectiveCu Site Specific Objective– CN Site Specific ObjectiveCN Site Specific Objective– Hg TMDL AdoptedHg TMDL Adopted

• All three Basin Plans at EPA Region 9 All three Basin Plans at EPA Region 9 for Approvalfor Approval

• Hg Watershed Permit AdoptedHg Watershed Permit Adopted

Especially Busy Year with PermitsEspecially Busy Year with Permits

• Compliance Schedules are no longer Compliance Schedules are no longer allowed in permitsallowed in permits

• Numerical effluent limits for DioxinNumerical effluent limits for Dioxin

• New requirements for blendingNew requirements for blending

• BACWA Permit Committee engaged BACWA Permit Committee engaged and working together on these issuesand working together on these issues

• Comments and Appeals on all permitsComments and Appeals on all permits

• ED testifies at Water BoardED testifies at Water Board

Groundbreaking Water Recycling Groundbreaking Water Recycling Work by BACWA CommitteeWork by BACWA Committee• ““The Importance of Recycled Water The Importance of Recycled Water

for the San Francisco Bay Area”for the San Francisco Bay Area”– Copies for sent to all members so you Copies for sent to all members so you

can share with your elected officialscan share with your elected officials

• Workshop in October in cooperation Workshop in October in cooperation with Water Reuse Foundationwith Water Reuse Foundation– Committee is considering next stepsCommittee is considering next steps

BACWA As Visible Representative BACWA As Visible Representative of Our Agenciesof Our Agencies• Annual Report provides information Annual Report provides information

about the activities of the organizationabout the activities of the organization• Article for the Pulse of the EstuaryArticle for the Pulse of the Estuary

– ““The History of Municipal Wastewater The History of Municipal Wastewater Treatment; 35 Years of POTWs Protecting Treatment; 35 Years of POTWs Protecting the Bay”the Bay”

– Provides historical view of our Provides historical view of our accomplishments accomplishments

– Prepared as part of the 35 Anniversary of Prepared as part of the 35 Anniversary of the Clean Water Actthe Clean Water Act

Awards and Recognition for our Awards and Recognition for our BAPPGBAPPG• EPA Environmental Award for EPA Environmental Award for

Outstanding AchievementOutstanding Achievement– Safe Medicine Collection Events in May Safe Medicine Collection Events in May

2006 and April 20072006 and April 2007

• First Teng Chung Wu Award for P2First Teng Chung Wu Award for P2– Creating a Dental Amalgam ProgramCreating a Dental Amalgam Program

• Outstanding CCMP Award for SF Outstanding CCMP Award for SF Estuary ProjectEstuary Project– Pharmaceutical Collection ProgramPharmaceutical Collection Program

Biosolids Committee Active on Biosolids Committee Active on Solano County OrdinanceSolano County Ordinance• Provides for ability to continue land Provides for ability to continue land

application of class B in Solano application of class B in Solano CountyCounty

Anticipated Focus for 2008Anticipated Focus for 2008

• Collections SystemsCollections Systems

• Implementation ofImplementation of

Basin Plan Amendments Basin Plan Amendments

• PermitsPermits

• Biosolids StrategyBiosolids Strategy

• Special issues Special issues – Dioxin and BacteriaDioxin and Bacteria– Se TMDLSe TMDL

• Beyond Pollution PreventionBeyond Pollution Prevention

BACWA’s Commitment on BACWA’s Commitment on Collection Systems Issues is Collection Systems Issues is UnwaveringUnwavering

•Fact Sheet on Laterals•Work with North Bay Watershed Association on Model Ordinance•Continue to work on reporting via statewide electronic systems•Inspection/Audits from Regulatory Agencies

Implementation of New Implementation of New RequirementsRequirements• Hg TMDLHg TMDL

– Local Effects determinationLocal Effects determination– Risk Reduction Risk Reduction – New annual reportsNew annual reports– Complete WERF studyComplete WERF study– Dental amalgam for entire regionDental amalgam for entire region

Copper SSO – North of the Copper SSO – North of the Dumbarton BridgeDumbarton Bridge

• Provides for:Provides for:– Dissolved objectives for specific segmentsDissolved objectives for specific segments– Translators for deep waterTranslators for deep water– Implementation PlanImplementation Plan– Monitoring PlanMonitoring Plan

Cu SSO Implementation in Cu SSO Implementation in PermitsPermits• WQBEL regardless of reasonable WQBEL regardless of reasonable

potentialpotential

• Baseline Program for P2Baseline Program for P2

• Advanced P2 if warrantedAdvanced P2 if warranted

• Support of StudiesSupport of Studies

• Monitoring and ReportingMonitoring and Reporting

Cyanide SSOCyanide SSO

• New Standards for SF Bay Marine New Standards for SF Bay Marine WatersWaters– Chronic 4 day average 2.9 ug/lChronic 4 day average 2.9 ug/l– Acute 1 Hour 9.4 ug/lAcute 1 Hour 9.4 ug/l

• Dilution Credits for Shallow Water Dilution Credits for Shallow Water DischargersDischargers

• Implementation Plan Implementation Plan

What to Expect In NPDES What to Expect In NPDES PermitsPermits• WQBELWQBEL• Influent, Effluent Monitoring and Influent, Effluent Monitoring and

participation in RMP for ambient participation in RMP for ambient monitoringmonitoring

• Source Review every 5 yearsSource Review every 5 years• If potential for CN in influentIf potential for CN in influent

– Prevent illicit dischargesPrevent illicit discharges– Inspect, Educate and Emergency Inspect, Educate and Emergency

response planresponse plan

New Challenges – Shellfish New Challenges – Shellfish Designation in Basin PlanDesignation in Basin Plan• Working with WB and national Working with WB and national

experts on designation and what it experts on designation and what it means for permitsmeans for permits

Numerical WQBELs for DioxinNumerical WQBELs for Dioxin

• BACWA working with WB/EPA and BACWA working with WB/EPA and independent panel on Issue Paperindependent panel on Issue Paper

• Create a shared understanding of the Create a shared understanding of the dioxin issues for SF Bay dioxin issues for SF Bay

PCB TMDLPCB TMDL

• Many of the same issues as HgMany of the same issues as Hg– LegacyLegacy– WLA and Permit LimitsWLA and Permit Limits– Implementation of TMDLImplementation of TMDL– Adaptive managementAdaptive management

• Continue development of multi-box Continue development of multi-box model of the Bay and these type of model of the Bay and these type of legacy pollutionlegacy pollution

Biosolids – What Options Do We Biosolids – What Options Do We Have?Have?• April 11, 2008April 11, 2008 BACWA-Wide BACWA-Wide

Workshop on Biosolids Issues for the Workshop on Biosolids Issues for the Bay Area/Nor CalBay Area/Nor Cal– Understand our issuesUnderstand our issues– Discuss our optionsDiscuss our options– Create a strategic agenda and vision for Create a strategic agenda and vision for

our Biosolids Committeeour Biosolids Committee

Pollution Prevention Will Play Pollution Prevention Will Play Even Bigger Role in Even Bigger Role in ComplianceCompliance• Our tool kit is getting more Our tool kit is getting more

sophisticatedsophisticated

• Relying on our Media Relations and Relying on our Media Relations and our dedicated staff across BACWA our dedicated staff across BACWA MembersMembers

Wait, There’s MoreWait, There’s More

• Lab Committee is working on Lab Committee is working on important issues related to analytical important issues related to analytical methods and reporting for DMRmethods and reporting for DMR

• Recycled Water Committee – follow Recycled Water Committee – follow up on the successful workshop and up on the successful workshop and update our chapter for the IRWMPupdate our chapter for the IRWMP

• AB 32 and GHG issues as part of AIR AB 32 and GHG issues as part of AIR and participation in statewide and participation in statewide committeecommittee

Forging Alliances and Focusing Forging Alliances and Focusing on the 3Cson the 3Cs• Our desire is to make our mission a Our desire is to make our mission a

realityreality

• Produce cleanwater for SF BayProduce cleanwater for SF Bay

• Don’t want to get burnedDon’t want to get burned

Leading the Way to Protect Our Bay