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6 - Water Quality Strategic Plan UpdateCITYOF BOULDER WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD AGENDAITEM MEETING DATE: August 20, 2007 AGENDA TITLE: Water Quality Strategic Plan Update PRESENTERS: Ned Williams, Utilities Director Betty Solek, Water Quality Planner Bret Liuenfelser, Water Quality Coordinator EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A Water Quality Strategic Plan (WQSP) is being developed by Utilities staff in coordination with other city departments and planning consultants. The purpose of the plan is to define the city's goals for water quality and to evaluate city services which support achievement of goals identified in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan and city master plans. This update provides current information on the organization of WQSP goals, objectives and strategies. Purpose of the Water Quality Strategic Plan The WQSP is the city's first effort to comprehensively address the mission, goals, and objectives of the utility's water quality services. Currently, city water qualiTy issues are addressed in a number of different master plans that aze focused on specific water quality program azeas such as Drinking Water, Stormwater, Wastewater and Water Conservation and more broadly in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. The WQSP is intended to: • Provide overazching direction for quality management and protection efforts • Leverage water quality protection efforts through existing city plans, programs and projects . Establish evaluation methods to monitor progress towards meeting water quality goals . Create a user friendly, functional tool to explain city water quality services and their influence on water quality of the Boulder Creek watershed . Provide direction for future water quality management efforts PAGE 1 The WQSP has been under development for a number of years. Staff provided the first update to WRAB in Apri12004. During the most recent update in May 2006, staff presented an overview of the goals and objectives, the proposed process to develop recommendations, and an overview of the US Geological Survey "The State of the Boulder Creek Watershed" report which provides technical support for the WQSP. Staff has made progress on development of both the document and recommendations. As progress was made, it became appazent that the goals and objectives could be simplified and streamlined. Staff will present the proposed structure of the goals and objectives prior to proceeding with further development of the WQSP. WQSP Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives A mission statement, water quality goals and objectives have been drafted and reviewed by city staff. Development of document structure and recommendations has led to streamlining and reorganization of goals and objectives as shown in Attachment 1. Two overarching goals which carry out the water quality mission statement aze now identified: • Protect Public Health • Protect Environmental Health The objectives have been simplified to those which directly support the goals: • Safe to Drink • Keep Creeks, Reservoirs and Lakes Safe • Protect Creek Life The objectives overlap and support these two goals as illustrated in Attachments 1 and 2 The Guiding Principles identified in Attachment 1, formerly were identified as goals. These principles were recognized as supporting achievement of the two Goals; Protect Public Health and Protect Environmental Health, as the structure of the document and recommendations were considered. . These Guiding Principles are important but aze now seen as part of achieving all the goals and objectives. The WQSP will outline the involvement of multiple agencies and departments in achievement of city goals and objectives in a collaborative manner. Diagrams A through E(Attachment 2) aze a summary of those entities which are involved in Utilities' water quality operations within the city and the region and key partners in meeting the goals and objectives of the WQSP. WQSP Recommendations Utility and other city staff have been working to identify the services which support these goals and objectives and develop draft recommendations for the WQSP. These draft PAGE 2 recommendations include common strategies which support achievement of the goals and objectives. The draft strategies aze shown on Attachment l. One set of preliminary recommendations will be presented at the WRAB meeting to illustrate how the strategies and recommendations support the goal Protect Public Health. Next Steps and Schedule: Staff is looking for WRAB feedback on the mission statement, vision statement, guiding principles and goals and objectives of the Water Quality Strategic Plan. Staff would like to receive WRAB's support for this structure and continuing forwazd with completion of the WQSP in the following approximate time frame: October 15, 2007 WQSP update December 17, 2007 Final recommendation on the Water Quality Strategic Plan ATTACHMENTS 1. Water Quality Strategic Plan Mission, Goals & Objectives 2. Water Quality Strategic Plan Diagrams A- E PAGE 3 /~ Tf AGN M ~^~ I .~ DRAFT AUGUST 8, 2~ MISSION STATEMENT Protect, conserve, and enhance the quality of Boulder's w~ter for human and environmental health. VISION STATEMENT Provide leadership and leverage resources to protect both public and environmental health and support achievement ot city sustainability go~ls. GUIDING PRINCIPLES Conserve Resources. Use water management strategies that promote ~~ollution prevention, waste reduction, and efficient use. Comply with Standards. Meet state and federal standards and develop local standards with local and regional input. Communicate. Provide information and encourage public participation to promote stewardship and informed water quality decisions. Cooperate. Foster cooperative relationships ro implement watershed management of water quality. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES __ ~ Goal 1 Goal 2 ~ Protect Public Health Protect Environmental Health Objective: Provide W1ter Objective: Keep Creeks, Objecuve: Protect Objective: Keep Creeks, that is Safe to Drink Reservoirs and Lakes Safe Creck Life Rcscrvous and Lakes Safe Strategies 1 A Develop and adopt (oeal 2~1 standards and policies. 1 I3 Reduce vul~erabilit}' of 2l~ water system. 1C Understand consumer 2(; preferences to sausfy con- sumer desires to extent 2l~ practical. ?1: Sourcewater Protection 1 D Cooperate with regional agencies and privare ZI: landowner to implement best management prac- tiees and standards. 1F. Restrict pubGc access to protected~varersheds. ~~; 1[' il~finimize water agin~ i^ treared water reservoirs. ] G Reduce creation of chlo- rine by-products and bal- ance with pathogen control and biotilm for- macion in warer sVStem. 1H Upgrade water treamient a~d delivery systems. 1 I Improve monitoring, tracking and reporung for operational decisio~s. IJ Deliver consiste~t water yu:ility throughout distri- buuon svstem. IK Pr~>rccr puhlic exposure t<, w~.istr ~cater. Prorect pnblic exposure to u•aste water. (~ptimize wastewater treatmcnt ~xocesses. Continually up~xade in- Itouse detection limits. Track and participate in ongoing national research Evaluare source of Uacte- rial loading to BouJder Creek from urban areas. Implement storm warer Support existing pollutioi prevention programs suci as Household i faiazdous \~asre and PA(;R pro- grams. Strategies Protect functioning and '' 4A restnre degraded riparian and wetland habitats. Fnhance inscream flow ~B for ayuatic life through wetlands and gcoundwater pmtection. '~4C Enhance South Boulder ~ Creek flow rhrou~h in- strca~n ri};hts pr~~gr:tm. ~~i Kem~ive or eoncrol inva- ~'~, Conerol pollutants from urUan runoft and otlicr non point sources. Update eiry srandarda for climare-appropriate in- door water efficiency and landscapin~;. Phase up~;racles of public buIldings and landscaE~es to provide community leadership in storm u~ater yuality mana~emenc and conservation. Implcmeni stonn water yuality management prac- tices as identified in city master plans and re~ional programs. Understand community desire Eor arplication of wa~er savings From ett]- ciency improvcments. Cnntinue participation in organizations which pro- more eEficient water use. Cnllab~rate with other entiues to pursue funding for habitat imrrovement. Upgrade disinfection sys- tem oE wastewater treat- ment plant. Rcduce household dis- charge of emerging com- pounds of concern. F.stablish central reposi- tory of best managemenr practices for wzter quatin~ standards for emergin~; com~ounds of concern. Conunue suppor[ for ex- isting regional watcr yual- ity prorectio~ efforts. Scek opportunities to fos- ter development of re- gional w~ater yuality ~oals foe Boulder Creek ~X/ater- shed. 5eek puUlic input on water qt~ality programs and outreach methods. Provide timely water yuality information that is accessible ro diverse au diences. Provide suppozt and op- portunities for nei~;hbor- huod and household participatinn in water yu~ility prutcctinn. llevelop consistent, year round water yuality pro- tection message shared b} multiple city departmeats & o~erations. A~ACM~~EN ~ 2 O The Different Operational Levels of the Public Works Utilities ~ O The Relationship of Water Quality and Environmental Services ~. .. ~` ~ J to Q ~ W Water Treatment Maintenance Public Works Communication CITY y, Z ~ ~ WQES WATER ~" ~ Optimization Water Line Breaks ity Website SERVICES U W ~S Solids Mngmt Spill Response Utiliry Newsletter oG ~ Treatment Plants Water Line Flushing ater Rebates ~,¢„ Trackin~ Permit ComplaintTracking urveys N Compliance Wastewater Collection '~~, ~ " " ~' ~ Water Collection System Blockag . Conservation Stormwater Permit W Treatment Plant ~y , THE FOUR C 5- WATER QUALITY GUIDING PRINCIPLES R Ordinances l Water Quality and Trackin Permit ~ a S q Master P ans Compliance Conserve and Communicate B Utility Rates Environmental Plant t ~ Optimization W ~ Sel'VICeS Industrial Pre- a j Cooperate and Communicate ~ Treatment t ' ~ Biosolids e ~ Comply ~ - City water services are provided by Public Works Utilities Flood Control Barker Reservoir • Water Greenways Intstream Flow • Stormwarer/Flood Projects Water • Wastewater Storm Drainage Conservation Floodplain Source Selection Regulations Og How the Objectives Support the Goals -- -- Project Engineering - Water Resources WRAB - Water Resou rces Advisory Board Keep Safe to Reservoirs, Protect Drink Creeks and Creek Lakes Safe Life PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HEALTH ~p The Relationship of Water Quality and Environmental Services to other City Deparimen~s NOTE: !he Divisinn alsn rnterfaces with 1Ae Ci[y Manager"s' Of(ice and lnforma[ion 7echno!<~gy through lhe city's website. O The Relationship of Water Quality and Environmental Services to ~t~~~io~iai ~"~ge~~cif~~ ND~£: The Division also interfaces with water districts for backflow prevention. CAO - City Attorney's Office FAM - Facility and Asset Management KICP - Keep it Clean Partnership US EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency NWCD - Northern Colorado Water Conservation District