Wastewater Treatment Board

CITY OF CORTLAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY Meeting Minutes Members: Da te : 8/ 27 /18 Ti me : 5 :30 p m Chairman John Troy – Absent C on fe r en ce R o om , C or t la nd Wa st e wa t e r Vice Chair William Starr – Absent Commissioner Todd Morris – Present Commissioner Diann Potter – Present Commissioner Gary Thomas- Present Village of McGraw Mayor Allan Stauber – Present Bruce Adams, Supt. of Wastewater – Absent Edward Poole, Chief Operator – Present Meeting called to order at 5:38 p.m. Minutes from June 25, 2018, meeting for approval. Motion to approve the minutes from June 25, 2018, meeting by Gary Thomas. Seconded by Diann Potter. UNANIMOUS Superintendent's Report: Superintendent's Report For July 23, 2018 (As written by Supt. Adams) Administration– On June 26, National Grid delivered a signed interconnect agreement. The lack of this agreement had been holding up further disbursements of our NYSERDA grant for the digester gas to electricity project. Now we’re waiting for NYSERDA to complete the QA/QC plan for the project, which is also a prerequisite. Larsen Engineers will be attending the Cortland City Planning Committee meeting on 7/23 to answer any questions on the proposed vermicomposting pilot. We have submitted an invoice to Brooklyn Bottling in the amount of $50,000 for the purchase of the MBR equipment. You’ll recall the Common Council approved declaring the equipment surplus and selling it back in February. It has taken this long for DEC to approve the treatment plans of the purchaser. These funds will be used in the first of three years’ payments for the SBR effluent pump project, which will allow us to use the secondary clarifiers in conjunction with the new SBR process. I have drawn up a preliminary 2019 departmental budget. The budget anticipates $120,000 in new revenue from whey and DAF waste brought in from outside the county. This waste will also be instrumental in running our generator at full power so as to maximize revenue from exporting electricity. Cortland Corporation Counsel Ric VanDonsel has indicated the new Appeals Board will review all water and sewer grievances going forward. WWAB Minutes 27 August 2018 Page 2 of 6 The new digester has successfully passed its first test, which was a 24-hour leak test. The contractor filled it with effluent water over the course of two days and there was no leakage over the ensuing 24 hours. Bruce Adams Superintendent of Wastewater Presented by Edward Poole, Chief Operator Superintendent’s Report for August 27, 2018 (As written by Supt. Adams) Administration– Cedarwood Engineering and Delaware Engineering are working with NYSERDA in finalizing details of the required QA/QC plan for the co-generation project. Once that is finalized, we’ll be able to submit for the remainder of the capacity portion of our NYSERDA grant. Larsen Engineers is working with DEC on providing additional requested information for the permit for our vermicomposting pilot project. Brooklyn Bottling has paid the City $50,000 for the surplussed MBR equipment. We are applying that revenue against the first of three years’ payments toward the SBR effluent lift pump project. This project will allow us to use the secondary clarifiers while operating in SBR mode. The City’s new Appeals Board has held their first meeting. Margie Becker of our department and Stephanie Mattice of the Water department will be attending all such meetings to provide context for the sewer and water grievances. The NYSERDA Strategic Energy Management program is shaping up to have been a very good thing to be a part of. Various staff have attended two workshops and one “treasure hunt”. We have gotten some excellent ideas for reducing energy in small and not so small ways, the goal being an overall appreciable reduction in the facility’s energy usage. In our case, that should result in more kWh sold to the utility once our generator is running, which will be a new revenue source for the department. Bruce Adams Superintendent of Wastewater Presented by Edward Poole, Chief Operator WWAB Minutes 27 August 2018 Page 3 of 6 Motion to approve the Superintendent's Report for July 23, 2018, and August 27, 2018 by Diann Potter. Seconded by Gary Thomas. UNANIMOUS Plant Manager’s Report: Plant Managers Report For July 23, 2018 (As written by Edward Poole, Chief Operator) Operations The process is running very well and the effluent is high quality. The removal rates are 96% and higher. There were no violations for the month of June. We are cleaning tanks on a regular basis and are making repairs as needed. I continue to send May El Prince an update on process, operations and digester combined heat and power project. Maintenance We continue to work on tank maintenance. We recently cleaned the East final settling tank and the East primary tank. Staff will paint steel I beams and support structures. We are making necessary repairs and have serviced drive. Edward Poole Chief Operator Plant Managers Report For August 27, 2018 (As written by Edward Poole, Chief Operator) Operations The process is running very well and the effluent is high quality. The removal rates are 97% and have been as high as 99%. There were no violations for the month of July. WWAB Minutes 27 August 2018 Page 4 of 6 We are cleaning tanks on a regular basis and are making repairs as needed. We are anticipating starting our SBR Effluent water pumps September 10th. This will give us the opportunity to run in SBR mode of treatment and still utilize our secondary settling tanks for a more polished final effluent. I continue to send May El Prince an update on process, operations and digester eat and power project. Maintenance We continue to work on tank maintenance. Staff has painted steel I beams and completed preventative maintenance on the East final settling tank. We recently cleaned the West final settling tank. Staff will paint steel I beams and support structures. West primary tank also has been cleaned, we are making necessary repairs and have serviced drive. Motion to approve the Plant Manager’s Report for July 23, 2018, and August 27, 2018, by Diann Potter. Seconded by Gary Thomas. UNANIMOUS Finance: Financial statements and abstracts dated 6/30/18, 7/16/18, 7/31/18, and 8/16/18, were submitted for approval. Motion to approve financial statements and abstracts by Diann Potter. Seconded by Gary Thomas. UNANIMOUS Sewer Grievance: Joseph Ludwig submitted a sewer grievance on 4/30/18, for property located at 23 Lansing Avenue, City of Cortland. Mr. Ludwig had reported that the Water Department had contacted him regarding a high meter reading at the property. He then checked the property, discovering that the chain on the float (valve) was hung up causing a continuous water flow. He repaired it at that time and shut off the water to the property. The board reviewed Mr. Ludwig’s grievance on June 25, 2018, and decided to table the grievance until July 23, 2018, WWAB meeting in order to obtain an explanation from Mr. Ludwig as to how the leak had continued for a lengthy period before discovery and maintenance. A request for the information was sent to Mr. Ludwig on 6/26/18. Mr. Ludwig had contacted Margie Becker on 7/11/18, stating that the residence had been empty for quite some time and that when he checks on the property often, he did not hear water running or detect any leaks. WWAB Minutes 27 August 2018 Page 5 of 6  The meeting on July 23, 2018, was canceled, tabling the grievance until the next WWAB meeting on 8/27/18. Mr. Ludwig was notified. He is requesting relief towards the sewer portion of his billing. The board was notified that an Appeals Board has been established to review and determine grievances that encompasses each department throughout the city. All grievances going forward will now go through the Appeals Board. It was the decision of the board to refer Mr. Ludwig’s grievance to the Appeals Board for their decision. Motion to refer Mr. Ludwig’s grievance to the Appeals Board by Diann Potter. Seconded by Gary Thomas. UNANIMOUS New Business: No new business Old Business: No old business Motion to Adjourn at 6:00 p.m. by Diann Potter. Seconded by Gary Thomas. UNANIMOUS Respectfully submitted by: City of Cortland WWTF WWAB Minutes 27 August 2018 Page 6 of 6