memorandum
to: Mayor and Town Council
from: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
subject: Public Forum: Orange Water and Sewer Authority – Odor Elimination Progress Report (File No. 7.66..9A, PIN # 9798213071)
date: November 14, 2005
PURPOSE
The purpose of tonight’s Public Forum is to hear a report from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) on whether it has achieved a stated goal of eliminating off-site odors at the Mason Farm Road Wastewater Treatment Plant and to receive public comment.
Adoption of the attached resolution would make a finding that OWASA has not yet achieved the stated goal of eliminating off-site odor but is proceeding towards that goal. OWASA will continue to report to Council on future progress, based on the Progress Report on Eliminating Off-Site Odor from the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant, dated November 4, 2005, provided by OWASA (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
On March 1, 2004, the Town Council approved a Special Use Permit Modification for the Orange Water and Sewer Authority’s Mason Farm Road Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade. As part of its approval to upgrade and expand the Mason Farm Road Plant from its current capacity of 12 million gallons per day to a capacity of 14.5 million gallons per day, OWASA volunteered to implement an off-site odor elimination program.
DISCUSSION
The 2004 Special Use Permit Modification included a stipulation that the Town Council conduct a Public Forum, no later than November 2005, for OWASA to report on whether it has achieved a stated goal of eliminating off-site odors from the Mason Farm Treatment Plant (Attachment 2, stipulation 5). According to the stipulation, if the Council finds that the goal of off-site odor elimination has not been attained, then, “the Council shall direct OWASA to perform such additional work OWASA determines is necessary to eliminate off-site odor and the Council shall establish such reporting requirements as it deems reasonable.”
OWASA has provided a Progress Report on Eliminating Off-Site Odor from the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant, dated November 4, 2005 (Attachment 1). The report details the status of odor elimination improvements and provides a proposed monitoring and evaluation process. The report indicates that OWASA has not yet achieved off-site odor elimination. OWASA projects that the off-site odor elimination goal will be attained in May 2007, when the current construction is scheduled for completion. As part of its annual report to Council each January, OWASA will provide the Council with follow up reports on the status of off-site odor elimination.
We believe that OWASA has demonstrated its commitment to a monitoring and evaluation program with community involvement. Approximately 750 residents within a 4,400-foot radius of the Mason Farm Plant were notified of the Public Forum being held this evening.
RECOMMENDATION
OWASA has agreed, in accordance with stipulation 5 in the approved Special Use Permit Modification, to perform such work as may be necessary to eliminate off-site odor to the satisfaction of the Council (Attachment 1). We recommend that the Council make a finding that OWASA has stated that they have not yet achieved off-site odor elimination but have proposed a program for doing so, while keeping the Council and public informed of their progress.
Adoption of the attached resolution would make a finding that OWASA has not yet attained the stated goal of eliminating off-site odor but is proceeding towards that goal and will continue to report to Council on future progress.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Progress Report on Eliminating Off-Site Odor, Orange Water and Sewer Authority (p. 4).
2. Special Use Permit Modification, approved March 1, 2004 (p. 15).