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Water Committee Town Sewage Effluent Jim Bowser to: Patricia Gayle-Gordon 01/22/2009 01:54 PM Pat, I believe one of the questions asked was what was the sewage flows to West Palm Beach. Here is an email to Peter sent on 1/9/09. James M. Bowser, P.E. Town Engineer Town of Palm Beach Public Works Department Post Office Box 2029 Palm Beach, Florida 33480-2029 email: jbowser@townofpalmbeach.com 561-838-5440 Fax: 561-835-4691 --- Forwarded by Jim Bowser/PalmBeach on 01/22/2009 01:56 PM ----- From: To: Cc: Date: Subject: Jim Bowser/PalmBeach Peter B Elwell/PalmBeach@PalmBeach Paul Brazil/PalmBeach@PalmBeach, Eric Brown/PalmBeach@PalmBeach, Douglas Terry/PalmBeach@PalmBeach 01/09/2009 10:36 AM Town Sewage Effluent Peter, as requested, attached is sewage flow data from our Lake Worth Billings and ECRWRF monthly report. I am seeking the peak daily flows, but that is going to take additional time. Base upon the monthly flows, here is the average daily flow for each entity in Fiscal Year 2008 expressed as million gallons a day: Month WPB LW Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Yearly Ave 2.70 2.39 2.23 2.33 2.36 2.23 2.12 2.02 2.09 2.22 2.33 2.54 0.654 0.593 0.627 0.668 0.691 0.672 0.561 0.408 0.389 0.552 0.537 0.563 2.30 0.563 Total average daily flow from Town to ECRWRF 2.863 million gallons a day. Sewage Flows WPB and LW FY 2008 pdf James M. Bowser, P.E. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016677¶
- Plant Influent Flows: Entity Palm Beach West Palm Beach Riviera Beach Palm Beach County Lake Worth ECRWRF TOTAL FOR MONT OF OCTUBER, 2008. Average Daily Influent Flow (MGD) Flow 2.39 13.55 6.59 14.57 7.88 44.98 Reserve Cap % of Capacity 5.00 47.8% 17.00 79.70% 8.00 82.37% 21.50 67.76% 12.50 63.04% 64.00 70.28% Average Daily Influent Flow (MGD) 16.00 14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 -— Palm Beach
- West Pim Bch
- Riv Beach X Lake Worth
- Pim Bch Cty OCT 07 NOV07 DEC’07 JAN’08 2.70 2.39 2.23 13.13 5.20 12.09 12.56 4.51 4.46 9.07 11.14 8.95 8.52 11.95 12.39 2.33 12.62 4.52 9.12 12.00 FEB’08 MAR’08 APR 08 2.36 2.23 2.12 12.96 4.61 11.85 12.05 8.76 4.69 4.48 8.17 7.80 12.24 13.06 12.75 MAY 08 JUN 08 2.02 2.09 11.18 4.13 11.88 7.61 4.43 7.25 14.13 14.12 Jul-08 2.22 12.61 Aug-08 2.33 13.22 5.13 8.37 14.87 Sep-08 2.54 14.38 5.53 8.16 15.06 Oct-08 2.39 13.55 6.59 7.88 14.57 “An Equal Opportunity Employer” HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016678
Drinking Water Quality Evaluation: Analysis of the City of West Palm Beach’s Potable Water Product Delivered to The Town of Palm Beach HSA Project No. 803-0319 Prepared for: Town of Palm Beach Public Works Department 951 Old Okeechobee Rd., Suite D West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 Prepared by: HSA Engineers & Scientists 1486-A Skees Road West Palm Beach, FL 33411 January 2009 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016679¶
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY … INTRODUCTION… CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH’S DRINKING WATER MONITORING PROGRAMS… POINTS OF ENTRY FOR THE CITY’S DELIVERY OF DRINKING WATER TO THE TOWN.. SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF THE DRINKING WATER PRODUCT DELIVERED TO THE TOWN… RESULTS FROM INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE CITY’S DRINKING WATER PRODUCT. COMPARISON TO RECENT CITY MONITORING PROGRAM RESULTS. APPLICATION OF DISINFECTION CHEMICALS, BYPRODUCTS, AND THE EFFECT ON TASTE.. CONCLUSION… 1 ..2 3 4 5 ..5 ..6 ..6 .7 FIGURES FIGURE 1 Site Location Map TABLES TABLE 1 Test Results Comparative to Regulatory Acceptable Maximum Limits per Chapter 62-550, Florida Administrative Code APPENDICES APPENDIX A Laboratory Report of Test Results HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016680¶
Page 1 of 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recent Drinking Water Testing Completed and the Results The City of West Palm Beach (City) treats surface waters at their downtown facility and produces drinking water for the residents of West Palm Beach. Residents of the Town of Palm Beach (Town) receive potable water from the City through a franchise agreement that expires in the year 2029. Due, in part, to the highly publicized ” precautionary boil water” notice issued by the City in September of 2007, concerns arose regarding the overall safety of the drinking water supply being provided to the Town. Accordingly, HSA Engineers and Scientists was asked to collect and analyze additional samples from the water supply. These additional samples were collected by HSA personnel on November 14, 2008 and were submitted to a laboratory independent of the ones used by the City for their routine drinking water testing requirements mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). There are more than 90 testing parameters that are required to be analyzed on drinking water supplies by the USEPA and the FDEP. HSA collected samples and tested for all of these drinking water parameters and the detailed results are supplied in the enclosed tabular summary. Also as shown in the attached detailed summary table, all of the testing results obtained from our recent sampling passed and all constituents were well below the allowable limits established by State and Federal regulations. What are Trihalomethanes (THMs) and Why Did We Receive a Notice That They Were Elevated? During the precautionary boil water notice that occurred during the latter part of 2007, the City added more chlorine to their finished drinking water to ensure adequate bacterial kill. Chlorine reacts with natural organics (that cause variations in the water’s color) producing a group of compounds called Trihalomethanes (THMs). Up to a point, the higher the chlorine dose added, the higher the THM concentrations produced. The USEPA has established a limit of 80 parts per billion (ppb) for drinking water supplies. In a few samples collected by the City during the ‘boil water notice’ time period, elevated THM test results were obtained due to the additional chlorine in the drinking water. This represented a one-time spike in THM results and the current level is well below the 80 parts per billion limit. During the special testing completed by HSA, the THM level was measured at slightly more than 50 parts per billion, well below the acceptable limit set by the regulators. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016681¶
Page 2 of 8 What Do I Need To Do To Ensure My Drinking Water is Safe? Aside from the recent test results collected and analyzed by HSA, we reviewed historical test results, also summarized in the enclosed table. The City produces a safe drinking water of high quality based on the test results over the last several years. According to the USEPA and the FDEP established standards, the City’s drinking water supply is of good quality and can be consumed directly without concern. For those who want an added measure of protection, substituting bottled drinking water is an option or under the kitchen counter reverse osmosis (RO) filtration system can be installed as added intermediary treatment to provide an excellent source of high quality of drinking water. These RO units are not cost prohibitive, can be easily installed, and can usually supply sufficient drinking water for a typical household. A separate tap is usually installed near the standard sink faucet so the RO water is delivered on demand. There are several local reputable vendors that can provide free quotation for installing under the kitchen counter RO units. Please note that the typical RO unit we are referring to does not treat the entire household water supply but rather just the water intended for drinking or cooking purposes. To add a layer of confidence to residents’ concerns about the quality of the City’s drinking water, we also recommend that the Town establish a primary point of contact for the City for courtesy notification and/or discussion of real time details related to issues with the City’s treatment and distribution processes. This could potentially avoid dramatized response to typically less-detailed public notification. INTRODUCTION Residents of Palm Beach receive potable water from the City of West Palm Beach (City) through a franchise agreement Town of Palm Beach (Town). As required under rule 62-550, Florida Administrative Code, to protect the public health and ensure the quality of the delivered potable water product, these taps are routinely sampled by the City of West Palm Beach’s Public Utilities Department for specified monitoring parameters. Concerned about assuring the quality of the potable water product delivered to Town residents by the City, the Town authorized HSA Engineers & Scientists (HSA) to conduct a one-time sampling event from two of the sampling taps on the potable water distribution system (piping) serving the Town. Collected samples were targeted for laboratory analyses for regulated water chemistry parameters, constituents, and microbiologics most likely to be present in South Florida drinking water supplies. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016682¶
Page 3 of 8 CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH’S DRINKING WATER MONITORING PROGRAMS HSA evaluated the City’s monitoring program and most recent results. Steve Schmidt, laboratory manager at the City’s water treatment plant and Chris Saliba of U.S. Water, Corporation, the City’s treatment system process and monitoring consultant, assisted with the acquisition of sampling protocols and laboratory analytical documentation related to the City’s drinking water monitoring program. Discussions with both yielded important information about the City’s drinking water monitoring and quality assurance programs. In addition, records of the City’s Monthly Operating Records (MORs) and recent results from the City’s water monitoring programs were obtained from the Palm Beach County Health Department (part of the State of Florida’s Department of Health, FDOH). The City conducts two programs to monitor its drinking water quality, a Compliance Monitoring Program (compliance) and a Routine Monitoring Program (routine). Sampling locations for the City’s two monitoring programs include the surface water impoundments, inbound raw water, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, treatment plant points of entry, distribution system points of entry, and distribution system pumps and sampling taps. While Routine program sampling events generally range from monthly to “as needed”, compliance program sampling events generally range from daily to quarterly to annually to sampling for contaminants (like asbestos) every ninth year. To monitor the drinking water quality delivered to the Town, the City conducts routine sampling at ten (10) permanent and temporary compliance distribution system sampling points (taps) situated within the Town’s boundaries. These include: • Distribution System Tap 3230 (located at 3230 S. Ocean Dr.); • Distribution System Tap 2780 (located at 2780 S. Ocean Dr.); • Distribution System Tap PBGC (located at the Palm Beach Golf Course); • Distribution System Tap SOFS (located at the South Fire Station); • Distribution System Tap ISRD (located at Island Rd.); • Distribution System Tap RPBR (located at Royal Poinciana BIvd. X Bradley Pl.); • Distribution System Tap NOFS (located at the North Fire Station); • Distribution System Tap 702 (located at 702 N. County Rd.); • Distribution System Tap LINL (located at List Rd. X N. Lake Wy.); and • Distribution System Tap IDSE #6 (located at the north end of Ocean Blvd.); HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016683¶
Page 4 of 8 An eleventh distribution system tap, 4201, is located at 4201 South Ocean Boulevard (in the South Palm Beach municipality), outside the jurisdiction of the Town. The Phipps Park “Booster” Pumping Station (PS) is located within the Town’s jurisdiction. The Phipps Park “Booster” is not a point of entry (POE) to the Town’s distribution system. The City’s map indicates the locations of the sampling taps, the booster pump station, and a one million gallon (1 MG) storage tank within the Town’s jurisdiction. Figure 1 depicts the distribution system sampling taps, “booster” pumping station, and storage tank located within the Town’s boundary. The City conducts annual compliance sampling at several sampling locations, most notably from the first point of entry (POE) to the distribution system. According to the City’s Water Treatment Plant laboratory manager, the first POE is the tap located in the Water Treatment Plant’s analytical laboratory. POINTS OF ENTRY FOR THE CITY’S DELIVERY OF DRINKING WATER TO THE TOWN Plans of the distribution system serving the Town, provided by the Town’s Public Works Department (PWD), identified five potable water transmission mains (large diameter pipes) crossing the Intracoastal Waterway and connecting to the distribution system to deliver the City’s potable water product to the Town. These five pipes include: • A 24-inch diameter transmission main crossing the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) from/to 5th Street (in the City) to the eastern flank of the Royal Poinciana Bridge (in the Town): • A 16-inch diameter water main crossing the ICW from/to 45th Street (in the City) to the intersection of North Lake Way and Orange Grove Road (in the Town); • A 16-inch diameter water main crossing the ICW from the southern end of Flagler Drive (in the City) to the west end of “Sloan’s Curve (on State Road A1A, in the Town); • A 16-inch diameter water main crossing the ICW from the intersection of Southern Boulevard with Flagler Drive (in the City) to the eastern flank of the Southern Boulevard Bridge (in the Town); and • A 20-inch main crossing the ICW from the City to Everglades Island, near Barcelona Avenue (in the Town). HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016684¶
Page 5 of 8 Figure 1 also depicts the approximate ICW crossings and points of entry (POEs) of the transmission mains to the Town. The scale of the map does not allow an accurate depiction of the POEs associated with the mains. Maps of the Town’s distribution system provided by the PWD, generated at a significantly larger scale, were used to reference the locations of the POEs for the transmission mains. SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF THE DRINKING WATER PRODUCT DELIVERED TO THE TOWN As a means to independently evaluate the quality of the drinking water being delivered to the Town, on November 14, 2008 HSA, accompanied by an employee of the City’s Public Utilities Department, sampled distribution system tap IDSE #6, representing the northern-most extent of the system, and tap 3230, representing the southern-most extent of the system,. Figure 1 depicts these sampling tap locations. Sampling was performed by modification of the City’s (distribution system) General Sampling Procedures to reflect the intended exclusion of sampling equipment, field parameter testing, associated equipment calibration requirements. Samples were collected in laboratory- supplied, unpreserved and pre-preserved containers. As required by select analytical methodologies, at the sampling locations preservative was added to those sample containers immediately prior to filling or to the water sample immediately prior to sealing the sample container. Collected water samples were submitted to FDOH/NELAC-certified testing laboratories for analysis for typical public potable water system routine and compliance monitoring parameters including Primary Drinking Water Standards (excluding select Disinfection Byproducts, Haloacetic Acids; Bromite; and Chlorite), for Secondary Drinking Water Standards, and for Total Coliform as listed in the Florida Administrative Code rule 62-550. Test America Laboratories performed all of the analyses for chemical parameters. Jupiter Environmental Laboratories performed the analyses for the microbiologics. RESULTS FROM INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE CITY’S DRINKING WATER PRODUCT Results of laboratory analysis for target Primary and Secondary Drinking Standards yielded all chemical and physical parameters below method detection limits (MDLs) or less than respective maximum contaminant limits (MCLs). Results of laboratory analysis for target microbiologicals yielded an absence of Total Coliform in the water samples collected from northern-most Tap A (IDSE #6) and southern-most HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016685¶
Page 6 of 8 Tap B (3230). Table 1 arrays the target Primary and Secondary Drinking Standards, regulated MCLs, required sampling frequency, and laboratory analytical results for the November 14, 2008-collected water samples. Appendix A contains the laboratory analytical reports from HSA’s November 14, 2008 sampling event. COMPARISON TO RECENT CITY MONITORING PROGRAM RESULTS The City’s most recent annual compliance monitoring event for Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards was performed in June 2008. The sample of ‘finished’ water product was collected at a sampling point (laboratory tap) at the water treatment plant. Analysis was performed by the City’s FDOH/NELAC-certified, vendor analytical laboratory, Genapure. Analysis yielded all target parameter results below method detection limits (MDLs) or less than respective maximum contaminant limits (MCLs) per Chapter 62-550, F.A.C. The City’s most recent quarterly routine monitoring event for Nitrate and Nitrite was performed in August 2008. The sample of ‘finished’ water product was also collected at the water treatment plant’s laboratory tap. Analysis was again performed by the City’s vendor analytical laboratory, Genapure. The detected concentration of Nitrate was less than the MCL (10 mg/L). The concentration of Nitrite was below the MDL (< 0.053 mg/L). Nitrate concentrations from HSA’s November 2008 sampling event are lower than either result reported from the City’s annual or latest quarterly sampling from the water treatment plant’s laboratory tap. The difference between these results is not relevant since the reported concentrations from the City and from HSA’s sampling event are still less than the MCL. Table 1 includes a comparative array of the City’s monitoring program results to the results from HSA’s November 2008 distribution system tap sampling for the target Primary and Secondary Drinking Standards. APPLICATION OF DISINFECTION CHEMICALS, BYPRODUCTS, AND THE EFFECT ON TASTE To eliminate the presence of microbiologics, such as Coliform bacteria, the City applies chlorine at the treatment plant to disinfect the processed supply water. This treatment process results in the formation of chemical compounds in the potable water product known as Disinfection Byproducts (DBPRs). The allowable concentrations of DBPRs in drinking water are set as Standards in FDEP rule 62-550, F.A.C. The latest quarterly (3-month) reporting period for the City’s weekly routine monitoring of DBPRs (Total Trihalomethanes, TTHMs) ended September 2008. The samples of water HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016686¶
Page 7 of 8 product are regularly collected at a series of distribution system sampling taps. Analysis was performed by the City’s analysts at the Water Treatment Plant’s laboratory. Results from HSA’s sampling of the Town’s drinking water from northern-most Tap A (IDSE #6) are directly compared to the City’s routine sampling of drinking water from distribution system tap LINL (closest to Tap A). Results from HSA’s sampling of the Town’s drinking water from southern- most Tap B (3230) are compared directly to those from the City’s sampling of that tap. TTHM concentrations from HSA’s November 2008 sampling event are slightly higher than the averages of the results reported from the City’s latest quarterly sampling from tap LINL and tap 3230, respectively. The difference between these results is not relevant since the reported concentrations from the City and from HSA’s sampling event are still less than the MCL. It is noted that the concentration of TTHMs reported from the City’s annual compliance event (collected at the Treatment Plant) is close to the MCL. This is not unexpected as the sampling location (treatment plant laboratory tap) is much closer to the point of disinfection than the distribution system sampling taps. Table 1 includes a comparative array of the detected TTHM’s from City’s monitoring program to those detected from HSA’s November 2008 sampling event as well as the TTHM Standards per rule 62-550, F.A.C. The City Public Utilities Department acknowledges that to keep the potable water product free of microbiologics occasionally requires increasing the concentration of disinfecting chlorine added to the supply water. This results in brief incidences of potable water product with a notable change in the taste and higher concentrations of DBPRs. Concentrations of DBPRs and the stronger taste of chlorine subside with the inevitable reduction of chlorination. CONCLUSION As a measure of the quality of the drinking water product being delivered to the Town by the City, results from HSA’s November 2008 collection of potable water from the northern-most and southern-most distribution system sampling taps revealed target regulated drinking water parameters at concentrations below the MCL standards established in FDEP rule 62-770, F.A.C. A comparative of the results obtained from HSA’s sampling event to the City’s reported annual and quarterly results from 2008 monitoring events found minor variations in reported concentrations for select parameters (see Table 1). These variations pose no concern for the quality of the potable water product being delivered to the Town since all parameter concentrations reported from the City’s monitoring events and by HSA’s sampling event are less than respective MCLs. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016687¶
Page 8 of 8 Comparison of a three-year average of the concentrations of Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards from the City’s annual compliance monitoring events (circa 2006, 2007, and 2008) to the results from HSA’s November 2008 distribution system tap sampling reveals relative equivalence with irrelevant differences between select parameters concentrations since the averaged City results are less than respective MCLs (see Table 1). With the exception of the occasional spike in concentrations of DBPRs (and corresponding stronger taste of chlorine in the delivered drinking water) resulting from the City’s need to increase the application of sanitizing chemicals (i.e. chlorine) to treat supply water, HSA concludes that the quality of the potable water product delivered to the Town by the City meets or beats the criteria for the standards established under rule 62-550, F.A.C. Prepared by: HSA Engineers & Scientists A member of the CRA family of companies AlAR Michael R. Fisher, P.G. Senior Project Manager Thomas Emenhiser Regional Manager Attachments: Table 1 Appendix A - Laboratory Reports of Test Results HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016688¶
90, 8 After Malcolm Pirnie, Exhibit 3 “City of West Palm Beach/ Water Distribution System Recommended TCR Sampling Sites and Schedule” Legend Sampling Schedule E Every day F Fri Mon Mon and Thu Intracoastal Waterway Thu Tue w Wed Sampling Route North Palm Beach South Palm Beach Scale 1.5 Status Existing existinc Existing Existing New existing Existing Existing Existing Existing Existing Region North Palm Beach North Palm Beach North Palm Beach Worth Palm Peach North Palm Beach South Palm Beach South Palm Beach nuth Paim Reach South Palm Beach South Palm Beach South Palm Beach 702 NOFS RDER IDSE#6 77R1 3230 ISRD PBGC SOFS Abbreviation Street address 702 N. County Rd. List Rd and N. Lake Way NOFS North Fire Station Royal Poinciana and Bradley Pi North end of ocean bivd 2780 S. Ocean BIvd 3230 S. Ocean Drive 4201 S. Ocean Blvd ISRD island Road PBGC Palm Beach GolfCourse SOFS South Fire Station DESIGNED JOB NO 803031900 DRAWN K. GRECO DATE: 10/07/2008 CHECKED CAD NO.: M. FISHER 001 HSA ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS 1486-A Skees Road West Palm Beach, Forida 33411 Tel: 1581) 889-9006 PS -Miles Tue Thu Fri Wed Mon Wed Mon Mon Title Thu TOWN OF PALM BEACH PUBLIC WORKS 951 OLD OKEECHOBEE ROAD WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016689¶