HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Water Resources Advisory Board - 1/23/2012
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: 23 January 2012
Contact Information of Person Preparing Minutes: Kaaren Davis; 303-441-3233
Board Members Present: Bill DeOreo, Susan Iott, Kate Ryan, Vicki Scharnhorst
Board Members Absent: Chuck Howe
Staff Present: Jeff Arthur, Director of Public Works for Utilities
Bob Harberg, Engineering Project Management Coordinator
Bret Linenfelser, Water Quality and Environmental Services Coordinator
Brian Campbell, Civil Engineer II
Michelle Wind, Drinking Water Program Supervisor
Kaaren Davis, Board Secretary
Meeting Type: Regular
Agenda Item 1- Call to Order [7:01 p.m.]
This meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m.
Agenda Item 2 - Approval of the 19 December 2011 Meeting Minutes: 17:02 p.m.]
Motion to approve as amended by: Iott; Seconded by: DeOreo
Motion Passes; 4:0
Agenda Item 3 - Public Participation and Comment [7:06 p.m.]
Public Comment:
• Larry Barber: Research scientist for USGS. Compliments the city on their innovative approach on
Emerging contaminants. Urges City to continue this approach and for Council to support.
Agenda Item 4 - Information Item: Coordinated Water Quality Monitoring Program for Emerging
Contaminants. [7:07 p.m.]
Michelle Wind and Bret Linenfelser presented item to the board.
Power Point presentation given for this agenda item.
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
Scientific advances have produced numerous compounds that facilitate everyday life, treat illness, and save
lives through human and veterinary medicine. One byproduct of these advances is the entry of chemicals
into the environment, including pharmaceuticals, synthetic fragrances, detergents, disinfectants,
plasticizers, and preservatives that can be present in wastewater, or agricultural and urban runoff. New
information has shown that these contaminants may impact the environment and drinking water supplies,
but the detailed facts to establish the need for a regulatory standard have yet to'be developed.
The City of Boulder (city) initiated water quality monitoring for a group of emerging contaminants in its
source water and finished drinking water in 2008.. The monitoring is at a research level to get an
understanding of occurrence and establish a baseline for some of these constituents. Although primarily
unregulated in surface water and drinking water, these types of contaminants are of increasing interest to
researchers and the public. This agenda item provides an update to the WRAB on the city's monitoring and
making the information available to the public.
WRAB Comments Included: [7:26 p.m.]
• It would be good to share this information with the public, but there is little that municipalities are
able or wanting to do as the filtration required to remove/affect these elements is extremely
expensive, and no one has yet proven a need to remove them. Make sure the info sharing contains
both elements. Get the info in its correct context.
• It might be good to use some general language to put the issue in context of our particular
environment and circumstances.
• Number of occurrences is as important as levels detected.
• Make language and data consistent before releasing to the website.
• Make sure to communicate clearly what the levels of detection mean (i.e.: very, very, very tiny
quantities.)
• Do pre-treatment permits relate to measured levels. Staff response: Currently they do not.
WRAB Minutes
23 January 2012
Page No. 1
• Are we monitoring the effluent from the WWTF? Can we? Staff Response: No, and No.
• Is there any continued bio-monitoring on the fish populations below the WWTF? Staff response:
Yes. Just completed a sampling on the 10`h anniversary of the initial sampling. The WWTF's new
Active Sludge processing method appears to have greatly improved the results over the initial
sampling.
• Perhaps it would be beneficial to increase sampling pre and post Nederland WWTF
improvements. It would be nice to know if there is change.
No action on the part of the Board is requested at this time.
Agenda Item 5 - Information Item: Low Impact Development Standards [7:43 p.m.]
Brian Campbell and Jeff Arthur gave the presentation.
Power Point presentation given for this agenda item.
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
At the 2011 WRAB retreat, the board requested that staff provide a future update on the use of Low Impact
Development (LID) techniques. LID is a holistic stormwater management approach based on replicating
natural runoff patterns. Standards for LID and other stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are
established in the city's Design and Construction Standards (DCS) and the Boulder Revised Code, 1981
(BRC). These regulations were most recently updated in 2005 as part of the implementation of the city's
Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. At that time, stormwater
treatment was a rapidly evolving field and the city regulations were drafted to allow for the use of
innovative approaches. The regulations have allowed for a variety of stormwater management approaches
including LID techniques. Later this year, staff plans to propose changes to the DCS based on more
comprehensive BMP performance data now available from the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District
(UDFCD) and anticipated regulatory changes at the state and federal level. WRAB will have the
opportunity to review the draft changes prior to City Council consideration.
WRAB Q&A Included: [8:12 p.m.]
• What percentage of development is using LID techniques? Staff Response: -25% recently. The
techniques and their materials are becoming more proven and more cost effective and hence more
frequently used.
• Potential changes to development requirements in the DCS update promoting more LID
techniques.
• Do the DCS updates deal purely new building or will it deal with retrofits as well? Staff response:
That is open to discussion.
No action on the part of the Board is requested at this time.
Agenda Item 6 - Matters from the Board and Staff 18:25 p.m.]
Matters from the Board:
Board member DeOreo brought up the below matter(s):
• Went to Council January 17`h for the Boulder Reservoir Master Plan. Urged Council to consider
moratorium. Council discussed the issue but did not uphold the recommendation.
• Suggested that at each WRAB meeting, staff update the board on the status of the US Drought
Monitor.
Matters from Staff:
Arthur brought up the below matter(s):
• Council Retreat: Council did not spend much time talking about Utilities projects but did look
over the Council Reference Notebook. Did express interest in spending some time with the
Boards. May be a move to standardize Minutes forms across the organization.
• Fluoride: There has been quite a bit of public correspondence on this issue recently. Unless the
Board has other thoughts, we will wait for Health and Human Services to come back with new
recommendations before taking any new action. Board response: Want to wait for HHS
recommendations and gather as much information as possible.
• Boating on Barker: Preliminary draft proposal received from Nederland. Had a meeting to
discuss the way forward. Would the WRAB like to have a discussion item on the February agenda
to discuss this issue and allow Nederland to present? Board response: Would prefer to wait until
there is more study and detail to the plan. The Board feels that staff has adequately represented
their concerns to Nederland.
WRAB Minutes
23 January 2012
Page No. 2
• 't'hunderbird Lake: Back on the radar. Parks is scheduled to bring an update on their pilot study
to Council in March. Staff thinks it would be a good idea for them to come before WRAB in
February to check in and get input. Board Response: Would like an update on Parks' water
budgeting plan for Thunderbird at some point.
• Graywater: Bill is moving through at state level. There are big concerns about return flows being
an impact to downstream users. The bill is not clear regarding authorizations and water rights.
Being routed to House Military and Veterans Affairs committee. City is still working with CU and
seeking clarification from the Northern Water District.
• Heatherwood IGA: Going to Council on February 21St
• City Staff presentation to AWWA on Thursday: City's Utilities Financial Analysts are
presenting City's experience with water budgeting.
• Carter Lake Pipeline: Went to the County Commissioners. They decided to table it until they
have a chance to look at the proposed alignments themselves. They will meet again on Feb. 21. If
they go with the Partnership proposal (#1) it would get approved at that time. If they choose
alignment #4, there would need to be a delay to notice the affected residents and then it would
come back to a third hearing.
• New Utilities Attorney: Close to hiring. Will be speaking to a top candidate shortly.
• Chautauqua Reservoir: Back on line.
• 63rd Reservoir: Coming back on line.
Agenda Item 7 - Discussion on Future Schedule 19:05 p.m.]
February meeting will be on the fourth Monday, 27 February
Topics may include: Water loss analysis, Thunderbird Lake.
Longer range topics of interest were discussed.
Agenda Item 8 - Adjournment [9:25 p.m.]
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, by motion regularly adopted, the
meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.
Motion to adjourn by: Ryan; Seconded by: Iott
Motion Passes 4:0
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be Monday, 27 February 2012 at 7:00 p.m., special meeting date due to the
Presidents Day Holiday, at the 13d' Street Conference Room located at 1720 13th Street, unless otherwise
decided by staff and the Board.
APPROVED BY ATTESTED BY:
ILfi ~N:1 Board Chair / Board Secretary
Date Date
An audio recording of the full meeting for which these minutes are a summary, is available on the Water
Resources Advisory Board web page.
WRAB Minutes
23 January 2012
Paae No. 3