CC - 2001-15 - Support of Reasonable and Cost Effective Waste Water Discharge Standards for the SG and Rio Hondo Riverso s
RESOLUTION NO 2001-15
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
IN SUPPORT OF REASONABLE AND COST EFFECTIVE WASTEWATER
DISCHARGE STANDARDS FOR THE SAN GABRIEL AND RIO HONDO RIVERS
WHEREAS, the City of Rosemead is a member of the Coalition for Practical Regulation - a group
of 35 Los Angeles County cities representing 1.7 million residents- and is committed
to finding cost-effective regional solutions to improving stormwater quality; and
WHEREAS, over the past eighteen months the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
(Regional Board) has issued several versions of the tentative discharge permits for five
water reclamation plants owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los
Angeles County (Sanitation Districts) that discharge tertiary effluent to the San Gabriel
and Rio Hondo rivers; and
WHEREAS, the Regional Board has designated these urban flood control channels as domestic
drinking water supplies, even though they have not been used as public drinking water
supplies nor will the direct use of these river waters for drinking water supplies be
accepted by the public or approved by state health authorities; and
WHEREAS, the Regional Board has included overly stringent and unreasonable wastewater
discharge requirements in the tentative permits because of the drinking water supply
designation; and
WHEREAS, in order to meet these requirements, it will be necessary for the Sanitation Districts to
install advanced treatment at the five water reclamation plants at an estimated capital
cost exceeding $2 billion and an annual operation and maintenance cost of over $100
million; and
WHEREAS, as a result of these expenditures, the monthly cost of wastewater treatment for the
City's residents and businesses will triple, as will connection fees for new homes and
offices; and
WHEREAS, these rate increases will have an adverse financial impact on Rosemead residents and
business owners, including possible job losses and reductions in public sector tax
revenues, personal income and industry output; and
WHEREAS, these treatment technologies are also very energy intensive and will significantly
increase energy demands during the State's energy crisis; and
WHEREAS, while the City Council of the City of Rosemead supports the protection of California's
waterways for the public's use and enjoyment, the proposed permits do not further the
beneficial uses of the waterways or provide additional environmental protection; and
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WHEREAS, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the State Water Resources Control Board,
and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board must resolve this
untenable situation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Rosemead
requests that the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board defer the adoption of permits
for the five water reclamation plants owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts until the
drinking water supply designation can be removed from the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo rivers, and
the State Water Resources Control Board adopts an effluent dependent waterbodies policy that
results in the application of reasonable and cost-effective requirements in the NPDES permits.
DONE THIS 22nd DAY OF MAY, 2001
ATTEST:
CITY t_LE {
I, Nancy Valderrama, City Clerk of the City Council of the City of Rosemead, do hereby certify
that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted at a the Regular Meeting of the City Council on
the 22"d day of May, 2001, by the following vote to wit:
YES: Bruesch, Clark,zTaylor,
NO: None
ABSENT: Vasquez, Imperial
ABSTAIN: None
NANCY VALDERRAMA, CITY CLERK
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