TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 17, 2013
COMMITTEE ON MONITORING AND RESEARCH
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Authority to Subscribe to the Water Environment Research Foundation for 2013 in an Amount Not to Exceed $124,500.00 Account 101-15000-612280 (Corporate Fund)
Body
Dear Sir:
The District is in receipt of the 2013 annual subscription renewal notice from the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) for the period January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013.
WERF is currently sponsoring 84 projects totaling approximately $32 million, of which $13 million is WERF's cost for the projects. Of these 84 projects, 35 projects, totaling about $17 million of expenditures, are especially applicable to the District and are summarized below.
1. Project CC4C10, Water Quality Impacts of Extreme Weather-Related Events, Budget - $28,016
2. Project CC5C11, Use of ASM Process Models for Minimizing Wastewater Quality Greenhouse Gas Footprints - Research Collaboration with IWA Task Group on Greenhouse Gas, Budget - $110,000
3. Project CC7C11, Water/Wastewater Utilities' Response to Extreme Climate and Weather Events: A Series of Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, and Adaptation Needs for the Future, Budget - $15,000
4. Project INFR1R11, Transforming Our Cities: High Performance Green Infrastructure, Budget - $107,750
5. Project INFR1R11a.X, Pilot Site Testing Initiative for High Performance Green Infrastructure - Targeted Collaborative Research, Budget - $30,000
6. Project INFR1SG10, Wastewater Treatment Anaerobic Digester Foaming Prevention and Control Methods, Budget - $242,101
7. Project INFR6R11, Full-Plant Deammonification for Energy Positive Nitrogen Removal, Budget - $2,144,200
8. Project INFR6R12, 21st Century Water Asset Accounting, Budget - $567,971
9. Project INFR6SG09, Demonstrating Advanced Oxidation Technologies on Pharmaceutical Removal Downstream of Biological Treatment, Budget - $83,856
10. Project INFR7SG09, Automatic Vacuum Flushing Technology for Combined Sewer Solids: Field Demonstration and Design Guidance Development, Budget - $34,946
11. Project INFR8SG09, Treatment Processes for Removal of Emerging Contaminants, Budget - $66,683
12. Project LIFT1W12, LIFT Deammonification Workshop/Webinar, Budget - $218,265
13. Project LINK1T11, Applicability Analysis of Existing Models for Site-Specific Water Quality Criteria to Protect Designated Uses from Nutrient Impacts , Budget - $173,047
14. Project NTRY1R12, Towards a Renewable Future: Assessing Resource Recovery as a Viable Treatment Alternative, Budget - $1,377,627
15. Project NUTR1R06-TO4, Efficient, Cost-Effective Nutrient Removal from Wastewater, Budget - $441,441
16. Project NUTR1R06-TO5, Efficient, Cost-Effective Nutrient Removal from Wastewater, Budget - $3,393,410
17. Project NUTR3R08, Efficient, Cost-Effective Nutrient Removal from Wastewater, Budget - $148,453
18. Project OWSO10C10, Evaluation of Biogas Treatment Efficiency for the Elimination of Siloxanes, Budget - $647,804
19. Project OWSO4R07-TO6, Optimization of Wastewater and Solids Operations - TO6, Budget - $230,296
20. Project OWSO5R07-TO4, Co-Digestion of Organic Waste Products with Wastewater Solids, Budget - $232,977
21. Project SAM1R06-TO4, Strategic Asset Management - Task Order 4, Budget - $210,017
22. Project SAM1R06-TO5, Strategic Asset Management - Task Order 5, Budget - $137,403
23. Project SRSK4T08, Wastewater Treatment Plant Design and Operation Modifications to Improve Management of Biosolids Odors and Sudden Increases in Indicator Organisms, Budget - $395,697
24. Project SW1R06-TO2c, Linking Stormwater BMP Systems Performance to Receiving Water Protection to Improve Selection and Design - BMP Select Version 1.X and 2.0, Budget - $247,913
25. Project SW1R06-TO5b, Linking Stormwater BMP Systems Performance to Receiving Water Protection to Improve Selection and Design - Development of Version 1 of the Framework, Budget - $224,780
26. Project U1R10, Fate of Engineered Nanomaterials in Wastewater Biosolids, Land Application and Incineration, Budget - $170,000
27. Project U1R11, Effluent Organic Nitrogen Produced Within Wastewater Treatment Plants, Budget - $431,103
28. Project U2R08, Methane Evolution from Wastewater Treatment & Conveyance, Budget - $1,695,759
29. Project U2R10, Quantifying Nitrous Oxide and Methane Emissions from Biofilm Systems, Budget - $270,464
30. Project U3R09, the Effect of Wet Weather Driven Dissolved Oxygen Sags on Fishes in Urban Systems - Pilot Study, Budget - $609,480
31. Project U3R10, Developing a Standardized Protocol for Assessing the Biodegradability of Trace Organic Contaminants in Water and Wastewater Matrices, Budget - $587,610
32. Project U4R07 - Phase 1, Greenhouse Nitrogen Emissions, Budget - $1,530,086
33. Project U4R09, Can TMDL Models Reproduce the Nutrient Loading - Hypoxia Relationship?, Budget - $55,532
34. Project U4R10, Algal Nutrient Removal During Wastewater Treatment, Budget - $415,302
35. Project WERF5C12, Advancing Resource Recovery from Biosolids, Budget - $25,000
By remaining a subscriber to WERF, the District will reap the benefits of the findings from various projects in a timely manner through WERF's excellent progress reports and final reports. The information that will be gathered particularly in the areas of water quality, wastewater treatment, sludge processing, and risk assessment will be highly beneficial to the District's current operations and future planning of capital improvement projects. It is estimated that the District's annual investment of $124,500.00 to be a WERF subscriber saves the District many times that amount if this research were to be conducted in-house. In January 2012, Dr. Thomas Granato, Director of Monitoring and Research, began a second three-year appointment to the WERF Research Council. This will further ensure that the District optimizes the benefits of this subscription.
In view of the above, it is requested that the District be authorized to subscribe to WERF from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013. The total cost of the 2013 annual fee is $124,500.00. Funds have been approved and are available in the 2013 budget in Account 101-15000-612280.
Requested, Thomas C. Granato, Director of Monitoring and Research, TG:HZ:AC:lf
Recommended, Eileen McElligott, Administrative Services Manager
Respectfully Submitted, Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, Chairman Committee on Monitoring and Research
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for January 17, 2013