HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-10-04 - AGENDA REPORTS - CHLORIDES (2)Agenda Item: / .
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Smyth and City Councilm�e(mbers
FROM: Ken Pulskamp, City Manager
DATE: October 4, 2005
SUBJECT: STUDY SESSION - CBLORIDES
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council receive presentation and provide direction
BACKGROUND
The City has been working with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (Sanitation
Districts) to reduce the concentration of chloride in the Santa Clara River. This effort is due to
the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board's (RWQCB) Chloride Total Maximum
Daily Load (TMDL) for the Santa Clara River. This TMDL went into effect May 4, 2005.
As part of the TMDL, the Sanitation Districts and the RWQCB agreed to conduct studies to
explain the local chloride issue and ascertain a limit protective of the River. Currently that limit
is 100 mg/L, but studies are needed to verify the legitimacy of the 100 mg/L limit. The 100
mg/L limit would require the construction of advanced treatment, such as reverse osmosis, at the
Sanitation Districts' plants and the construction of a brine line all the way to the ocean. This
would cost over $350 million and increase the average ratepayer's annual bill by a factor of four.
On May 5, 2005, there was a RWQCB hearing regarding chloride limits in the Saugus and
Valencia wastewater discharge permits. The Ventura County Agricultural Water Quality
Coalition presented testimony asking for immediate action to reduce chloride discharges by the
Districts. City staff spoke on behalf of the City's residents explaining that this issue needs to be
significantly researched before the Regional Board can justify the requirement to install the
expensive advanced treatment systems at the local water reclamation plants.
The RWQCB is planning to have a chloride workshop at their meeting on November 3, 2005.
RWQCB staff will be updating their board about the status of the chloride studies. Since this is a
workshop, the RWQCB will not take action, however the City anticipates there will be numerous
public speakers asking for the RWQCB to discontinue the studies and require the Sanitation
Districts to immediately meet the 100 mg/L limit. This would require the implementation of the
expensive advanced treatment and subsequent brine line to the ocean.
Therefore, the Sanitation Districts will present information to the Council at tonight's Study
Session and ask for support of their request to the RWQCB to allow the current studies to be
completed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (661) 255-4905.
KP:TL:kdl
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