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Home My WebLink AboutCC RESO 2014-143RESOLUTION NO. 2014 — 143 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY ADOPTING A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE METRO WASTEWATER JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY AND THE METRO COMMISSION, AND SUPPORTING THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) MODIFIED PERMIT FOR THE POINT LOMA WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT WHEREAS, the City of National City has been a partner in the San Diego Metro Wastewater System since 1944; and WHEREAS, the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (PLWTP), constructed in 1963, is the backbone of the Metro System. The City of National City is one of 12 participating agencies (PAs) that convey wastewater to the Metro System for treatment; and WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Wastewater Commission ("Metro Commission") was formed in 1998 pursuant to the terms of the Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement between PAs and the City of San Diego; and WHEREAS, the Metro Commission is an advisory body to the San Diego City Council. The Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement stipulates that the City of San Diego owns the Metro System and that all decisions with respect to the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance shall rest with the City of San Diego in consultation with the Metro Commission; and WHEREAS, the City of San Diego has requested that the Metro Commission support San Diego's modified National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application for the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant; and WHEREAS, the PLWTP operates under an NPDES permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Each permit is good for five years following issuance. The current permit expires in July 2015 and must be submitted for renewal in January 2015; and WHEREAS, the San Diego City Council plans to take action on the permit application on October 28, 2014, therefore City of San Diego staff have requested the Metro Commission to provide input on the permit application prior to this date; and WHEREAS the Metro Commission supports the action proposed by the City of San Diego, and will consider adopting a Resolution at a special meeting on October 16, 2014 (Exhibit "A"); and WHEREAS the Metro Commission has requested that member agencies support the action proposed by the City of San Diego and the Metro Commission, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of National City supports the actions being taken by the City of San Diego and the Metro Commission and supports the Resolution (Exhibit "A") being considered at a special a special meeting of the Metro Commission on October 16, 2014 [Signature Page to Follow] Resolution No. 2014 — 143 Page Two PASSED and ADOPTED this 7th day of October, 2014. ATTEST: Michael R. Dalla, ity Clerk PROVED Ar6 TO FO audia City Attor Exhibit A RESOLUTION NO. 14- A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE METRO WASTEWATER JPA AND METRO COMMISSION, SUPPORTING THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) MODIFIED PERMIT FOR THE POINT LOMA WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT WHEREAS, the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (PLWTP) is a regional facility in the Metro Wastewater System, operated by the City of San Diego, permitted to treat 240 million gallons of wastewater per day to an Advanced Primary Level,' serving a 12 member Joint Powers Authority that comprises approximately 35% of the total flow in the Metro Wastewater System/ PLWTP; and WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act of 1972 requires that wastewater be treated to achieve certain protections before ocean discharge and the permitting of wastewater treatment plants, and wastewater treatment plant permits must be renewed every five years; and WHEREAS, the Ocean Pollution Reduction Act (OPRA) of 1994 allowed the City of San Diego to apply for modified NPDES permits allowing PLWTP to continue operating at an Advanced Primary Treatment Level while meeting or exceeding all general and specifically negotiated regulatory obligations including ocean protection requirements; and WHEREAS, the City of San Diego has 241years of ocean monitoring data demonstrating that the Advanced Primary PLWTP consistently protects the ocean environment; and WHEREAS, the City of San Diego has determined that instead of converting the Point Lorna Wastewater Treatment Plant to a secondary. treatment plant, equivalent results can be achieved by offloading wastewater flow from the Plant to other existing and new facilities (secondary equivalency) for potable water reuse; and WHEREAS, the Metro Commission sees the Pure Water Program, the City of San Diego's 20-year program to produce purified water to supplement San Diego's drinking water supply, as a first step toward realizing the possibility of fully utilizing wastewater supplies to maximize development of local water supply acknowledging that future expansion and ability to minimize flows to wastewater treatment plants will depend on technological and legislative advances, cost benefit analysis, and actual flows compared to projections; and WHEREAS, the strategy of achieving secondary equivalency at the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant through potable reuse of wastewater has included within the Pure Water San Diego program; and WHEREAS, the City of San Diego, the member agencies of Metro Wastewater JPA, members of the Metro Commission, and stakeholders from the environmental community have agreed upon a definition for secondary equivalency and will use their best efforts to have federal legislation passed in accordance with the proposal called the Ocean Pollution Reduction Act II (OPRA 11). Generally, OPRA II will allow the City's NPDES permit to be based on secondary Resolution No. 14- Page 2 equivalency that includes a commitment to implement potable reuse of wastewater and allows the PLWTP to remain operating at the Advanced Primary Treatment Level; and WHEREAS, the current modified permit for the PLWTP expires on July 31, 2015, and City of San Diego staff need to submit an application to renew the NPDES permit by January 30, 2015. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of the Metro Wastewater JPA and Metro Commission as follows: Section 1: That the Metro Wastewater JPA and Metro Commission support the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant to remain operating at an Advanced Primary Treatment Level. Section 2: That Metro Wastewater JPA and Metro Commission support the concept of secondary equivalency for the Point Lorna Wastewater Treatment Plant and supports proposing the passage of federal legislation in accordance with the proposal titled the Ocean Pollution Reduction Act I1 (OPRA II), attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein. OPRA II will allow the City's NPDES permit to be based on secondary equivalency that includes a commitment to implement potable reuse of wastewater and allows the PLWTP to remain operating at the Advanced Primary Treatment Level. Section 3: That Metro Wastewater JPA and Metro Commission support the City of San Diego's NPDES Modified Permit application for the Point Lorna Wastewater Treatment Plant as further described in the Basis of Point Lorna Permit Application, attached hereto as Exhibit "B" and incorporated herein. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Board of the Metro Wastewater JPA and Metro Commission on the _ day of October, 2014: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Cheryl Cox, Chair ATTEST: Lori Anne Peoples, Secretary Passed and adopted by the Council of the City of National City, California, on October 7, 2014 by the following vote, to -wit: Ayes: Councilmembers Cano, Morrison, Natividad, Rios, Sotelo-Solis. Nays: None. Absent: None. Abstain: None. AUTHENTICATED BY: RON MORRISON Mayor of the City of National City, California /s it City Jerk of the City National City, California By: Deputy I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above and foregoing is a full, true and correct copy of RESOLUTION NO. 2014-143 of the City of National City, California, passed and adopted by the Council of said City on October 7, 2014. City Clerk of the City of National City, California By: Deputy