Drafter
Clerk 10/25/2007
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the Regional Wastewater Services Plan conveyance policies, amending Ordinance 13680, Section 6, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.86.060.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The Regional Wastewater Services Plan ("RWSP"), a supplemen to the King County Comprehensive Water Pollution Abatement Plan, was adopted by the King County council in November 1999 by Ordinance 13680 and subsequently codified in K.C.C. chapter 28.86.
2. The RWSP identifies projects and programs needed to provide wastewater capacity for homes and businesses in the wastewater service area through 2030. The RWSP also provides policy direction for the operation and continued development of the wastewater system and its capital improvement program.
3. In 2003, the wastewater treatment division ("WTD") of the King County department of natural resources and parks completed a system-wide regional conveyance-planning program in order to further evaluate and identify conveyance needs through 2030. Since then, significant new flow monitoring and modeling information has been gathered that allows for more accurate projection of wastewater flows. This information, along with information gathered from individual component agencies about population and employment growth rates and land use trends, was used in the effort to update the conveyance system improvement ("CSI") program.
4. County staff shared this information with the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee ("MWPAAC"), whose function is to advise the King County executive and council in matters relating to the performance of the water pollution abatement function, and worked with the engineering and planning subcommittee of MWPAAC to finalize the CSI program update and program recommendations and guidelines.
5. In 2004, MPWAAC made recommendations on prioritization guidelines for phasing conveyance improvements. These guidelines, which were reviewed by the metropolitan King County council's regional water quality committee ("RWQC") in 2004, were applied during the process to update the CSI program.
6. The amendments to the RWSP conveyance policies provided in this ordinance were developed in coordination with MWPAAC. These amendments offer additional guidance for the planning and implementation of RWSP conveyance improvements by adding details to existing policy that will help to ensure that the CSI program remains current and is based on the most accurate information available.
7. The RWQC was briefed on the CSI program by executive and council staff on September 8, 2004, and September 22, 2004. Information on future conveyance needs was provided to the RWQC during a briefing on the infiltration and inflow control program on March 9, 2005. In addition, information on the CSI program update was provided to the RWQC on September 5, 2007.
8. The RWQC 2007 work program, approved by the King County council via Motion 12466 in February 2007, includes review and action of proposed RWSP conveyance policy amendments based on the work associated with the regional CSI program update. This ordinance meets the intent of the RWQC 2007 work plan item associated with the CSI program.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 13680, Section 6, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.86.060 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Explanatory material. The conveyance policies are intended to guide how major improvements to the wastewater conveyance system, including building and upgrading the pipes and pump stations needed to convey wastewater to the Brightwater treatment plant and building the outfall pipe from the Brightwater treatment plant, will be accomplished. The policies also include guidance for other major and minor conveyance improvements to accommodate increased flows in other parts of the service area and to prevent improper discharges from the sanitary system.
((The policies also direct the executive to develop and recommend policies to implement equitable regional ownership of the conveyance system.))
B. Policies.
CP-1: To protect public health and water quality, King County shall plan, design and construct county wastewater facilities to avoid sanitary sewer overflows.
1. The twenty-year peak flow storm shall be used as the design standard for the county's separated wastewater system.
2. Parameters developed by the wastewater treatment division in consultation with the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee shall be used to guide project scheduling and prioritization for separated wastewater system projects.
3. The south treatment plant effluent transfer system shall be designed with a five-year design storm standard. When effluent volumes exceed the five-year design standard and exceed the capacity of the south treatment plant effluent transfer system, secondary treated effluent from the south treatment plant will be discharged to the Green/Duwamish river until the flow subsides such that the flow can be discharged through the south treatment plant effluent transfer system.
CP-2: King County shall construct the necessary wastewater conveyance facilities, including, but not limited to pipelines, pumps and regulators, to convey wastewater from component agencies to the treatment plants for treatment and to convey treated effluent to water bodies for discharge. Conveyance facilities shall be constructed during the planning period of this plan to ensure that all treatment plants can ultimately operate at their rated capacities. No parallel eastside interceptor shall be constructed. No parallel Kenmore Interceptor shall be constructed.
CP-3: King County shall periodically evaluate population and employment growth assumptions and development pattern assumptions used to size conveyance facilities to allow for flexibility to convey future flows that may differ from previous estimates. The following activities shall take place to confirm assumptions and conveyance improvement needs:
1. Field verification of wastewater flows and conveyance component conditions prior to implementation of regional conveyance capital projects that are intended to expand capacity of the system; and
2. Decennial flow monitoring to correspond with the Federal Census conducted every ten years.
CP-4: The executive shall update the conveyance system improvement program every five years beginning in 2013 to ensure the program remains current. The program updates shall provide information on growth patterns, rate of growth and flow projections and report on how this information affects previously identified conveyance needs. The program updates shall also provide information on changed or new conveyance needs identified since the previous update.
CP-5: King County shall apply uniform criteria throughout its service area for the financing, development, ownership, operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of all conveyance facilities. The criteria shall include:
1. County ownership and operation of permanent conveyance facilities that serve natural drainage areas of greater than one thousand acres;
2. Conformance to the county's comprehensive water pollution abatement plan and the Regional Wastewater Service Plan as precondition of county ownership; and
3. A financial feasibility threshold governing limitations of the county's financial contribution to: development of a new interceptor or trunk sewer; or acquisition of an interceptor or trunk sewer constructed by a local agency. The threshold, as specified in K.C.C. 28.84.080, shall consider the capital costs that can be supported by the existing customers in the natural drainage area that would be served by the new facility.
((CP-5:)) CP-6: King County shall closely integrate water reuse planning and I/I study results with planning for wastewater conveyance and treatment facilities. King County shall consider water conservation and demand management assumptions developed by local utilities for wastewater facility planning.
CP-7: King County shall evaluate other demand management alternatives to meet identified conveyance needs, such as infiltration and inflow (I/I) reduction, water conservation, and reclaimed water facilities. Factors such as operational, environmental
and financial impacts, costs and benefits, and the net present value of alternatives shall be included in the evaluation of all feasible alternatives identified by the county.
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