Texas Association of Clean Water Agencies Meeting November 19, 2010

Topics

Project BackgroundProject DriversProcess for Site EvaluationStaying in Front of the Ripple EffectQuestions

Project Team

City of Fort Worth Water DepartmentTranSystems

Alan Plummer Associates, Inc.Katz and Associates, Inc.

Related ProjectWastewater Master Plan

Freese & Nichols, Inc.

Site Evaluation and Selection

Led by Alan Plummer Associates, Inc.Build upon previous studiesDetailed three step analysis

Initial low-level selection of multiple possible sitesMid-level determination of 6 best sitesHigh-level determination of 3 best sites with ranking

Public Involvement

Idea is to achieve grassroots support of the facility from the earliest stagesKatz & AssociatesPublic committee made up of representatives of neighborhood associations, governmental, environmental science professionals, regional planners, and public health, etc.Interested parties invited to attend, including large land owners, public agencies, municipalities, regulatory agencies, etc.6 meetings between July, 2009 and January, 2010Participate in the selection criteria determination

Mary’s Creek Basin WRC

Mary’s Creek Basin WRC Service Limits

Mary’s Creek WatershedFocus between FM 1187 and I-820Future potential regional customers

New WRC Design Considerations

This is not your grandfather’s WWTPIt’s a blank slate – not tied to existing infrastructureOpportunity to consider more advanced treatment processes and amenities

Improved odor controlReduced noiseSmaller footprintIntelligent lightingEnhanced architectural treatments

How Many Wastewater Plants Does Fort Worth Have?

Right now, one –Village Creek WWTP

How Does Fort Worth Compare to Other Texas Cities?

DFW MetroplexPopulation of 6.6 million42 major wastewater treatment plants

City of Fort Worth – 1City of Dallas - 2

Houston/Galveston RegionPopulation of 5.7 million182 major wastewater treatment plants

Harris County – 125

What Is Recycled Water?

Recycled water (also known as reuse or reclaimed water) is highly treated wastewater used for a beneficial purpose. Recycled water must meet strict water quality standards as established by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

Type 1: uses in areas where public may come into contact with water (i.e. – parks, schools)Type 2: uses in areas where public is unlikely to come in contact with water (i.e.– golf courses)

How Important Is Recycled Water?

Conservation and the use of recycled water will provide 23% of the regional water supply by 2060.The implementation of recycled water is vital to our state, and our region in particular.

BenefitsReuse and Its Impact on Water Supply Planning

Reuse of wastewater is a sustainable practice.Reuse of wastewater delays the need for obtaining or developing new raw water supplies.Developers are planning to install dual systems for the distribution of reuse water Building the west side water recycling center provides a local source of reuse water to meet reuse water demands.Helps achieve the TWDB Region C goal of 23% of water supply coming from reuse and conservation sources. More economical wastewater treatment solution

Why Does Fort Worth Need A New Water Recycling Center?

Significant growth is projected in west Fort Worth.Due to major developments on the western fringe of the City, wastewater flows will increase.When economic conditions improve, houses could be constructed quickly to keep up with demand.Fort Worth has limited pipeline corridors and aging infrastructure.

A western recycling center will eliminate need for new sewer lines to carry flows through the central city area.$90 Million Savings

BenefitsProviding Regional Service Potential to Communities in Eastern Parker County

In future, the west side facility may serve Aledo or other portions of eastern Parker County

City of Fort Worth

White Settlement

Benbrook

Aledo

Walsh Ranch

Effluent Water Quality Criteria

TCEQ ensures that the water quality of waters of the state and public health are maintainedTreated wastewater effluent contains oxygen-demanding substances and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus)Must comply with Texas Surface Water Quality Standards

Minimum dissolved oxygen concentrationEffluent quality requirements will depend on projected decreases in dissolved oxygen and/or increases in algae in receiving waters

Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permitting Process

APPLICATION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLETENESS 

APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN PERMIT

VIEW AND PROVIDE COMMENTS ON APPLICATION

CONDUCTS TECHNICAL REVIEW AND 

DRAFTS PERMIT

APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION

APPLICATION, FACT SHEET AND EXECUTIVE 

DIRECTOR’S PRELIMINARY DECISION 

AND PROPOSED PERMIT

ADDRESSES PUBLIC 

COMMENTS

PERMIT

WRC Site Requirements

45 acres for 25-MGD plantAdditional 55 acres for:

Future joint usesAdditional space for buffer zoneRoom for future changes in treatment technologySpace for additional treatment if growth exceeds current projections

Fourteen Preliminary Sites

Three Step Analysis

Initial Screening Criteria Determines best 6 sites in study area

Secondary Screening CriteriaDetermines the best 3 sites in study area

Final Screening CriteriaProvides ranking of the top three sites

Initial Screening Criteria

Available landProximity to existing or initial developmentCapability to maximize gravity serviceProximity to a Potential Discharge LocationProximity to community facilitiesSite conditions and topography

Community Advisory Committee

CAC assisted in the finalist site selectionProvided input on criteriaProvided importance/weighting of criteria6 meetings, including bus tour17-member committee of residential, business, governmental and environmental representatives

What Did We Do with the CAC Input?

We considered your top criteriaWe compared to our existing technical team criteriaWe grouped like ones together into 12 major criteria category groups

12 Criteria Category Groups

Other factors

27 technical team criteria

24 CAC criteria

Criteria (Major Category Groups)

Adjacent Land Use Impacts Floodplain Considerations Plant Construction Costs Collection System Costs Beneficial Use of Effluent Regional Conveyance TRWD Raw Water Lines Treatment Plant Discharge State and Federal Regulatory Transportation Solids Management Power Supply

Adjacent Land Use Impacts

Current or known planned uses of the site areCurrent or known planned uses of the adjacent propertyIf the site has current neighbors or notInformation gained from the City’s Planning Department regarding future land use at and around the sites. The CAC ranked adjacent land use as the number one considerationThe technical team had also identified this as one of the most important considerations.

Scoring Methodology

12 Criteria Category GroupsEach technical team member scored each site on scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) for each criteria category relative to each otherAverage score for each site made up raw score

Ranking Methodology

Technical team determined weighting factor based on CAC ranking input and other considerationsAverage raw score multiplied by weighting factor to get final score

Raw Score X Weighting

Factor = Final Score

Category Group Weighting Factors

Criteria Weighting Factor

Adjacent Land Use Impacts 5

Floodplain Considerations 4

Plant Construction Costs 3

Collection System Costs 3

Beneficial Use of Effluent 3

Regional Conveyance 2

TRWD Raw Water Lines 2

Treatment Plant Discharge 1

State and Federal Regulatory 1

Transportation 1

Solids Management 1

Power Supply 1

3 Step Site Elimination Process

14 sites• 14 initially screened sites were identified by the technical team in the Mary’s Creek Drainage Basin. • An evaluation of the initially screened sites was conducted using seven initial evaluation criteria.

6 sites

• Six sites were carried forward from the initially screening to become candidate sites. • 26 technical criteria and the 24 community issues were grouped into 12 categories, which were then used by the technical team in scoring the six candidate sites. 

• Each of the twelve criteria categories was assigned a weighting factor by the technical team. For each of the candidate sites, these weighting factors were applied to the scores. 

3 sites• The outcome of the weighted scoring process was the identification of the three highest‐scoring selected candidate sites. Any of the three selected candidate sites would be an appropriate location for the MCWRC.

Well Define the Big Picture

This is not an engineering project alone.Why do this? Or better yet; What happens if we don’t do this?Frame the big picture alternatives for public understanding

You could choose not to growYou could pump and/or upsize interceptors 20 miles through the heart of the CityOr move ahead with the new facility

Communication

Website establishedhttp://www.fortworthgov.org/water/info

FAQsCAC Report

Basic Commitments

Odor controlNoise abatementAppropriate, focused lightingPerimeter fencingArchitectural enhancementsStormwater guidelines for development

Open House

Effective way to get information outCity Management and City Council representation

Open House6 stations devoted to key issues

Need for facilityWater recyclingSite selectionFlood impactsWWT TechnologyMaster Plan

Mix of City and Consultant experts at each station

Open House

Sign in required189 attendees105 written commentsMedia attentionResponses to written comments posted on website

Site Rendering – limited landscaping

Site Rendering – maximum landscaping

Aerial Rendering Example

Bluff view rendering example

Projected Timeline

Questions?

MCCs

One part per billion is equal to 1/2 teaspoon in an Olympic-size swimming pool. One part per trillion is equal to one drop in 26 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Where Can Recycled Water Be Used?

Seasonal UsesLandscape irrigation, including irrigation of residential homes, public parks, golf courses, school yards or athletic fields

Demand UsesNatural gas well fracturing operationsNon-contact cooling water and cooling tower makeupDecorative water features and amenity pondsVehicle washing and area washdownToilet or urinal flush waterOther commercial and industrial uses

Background

Previous related studies – have gauged potential to implement reuse water for new developments in west Fort Worth.

1998 – Wastewater Master Plan 2004 – Mary’s Creek WRC Feasibility Study2006 – TWDB Region C Water Plan2007 – Wastewater Reuse Master Plan2007 – Eastern Parker County Regional Wastewater System Study2008 – Fort Worth/Aledo Wastewater Study

Current related studies – Fort Worth Wastewater System Master Plan

19,400

26,900

30,700

38,400

10 yr 50 yr 100 yr 500 yr

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000Flow

 (cub

ic fe

et/secon

d)

Intensity of Storm 

Wastewater Flows

Adjacent Land Use Impacts Technical Team Criteria CAC Criteria

• Adjacent Land Use Impacts

• Impact on land acquisition based upon number of property owners (CAC rank 1st)

• Public acceptance of project; consideration for residents already living there (CAC Criteria 1)

• Don’t disrupt existing agreements such as the one with Waste Management

• What happens if we don’t do this? • Will the plant be in my

neighborhood? • Prefer facility not be near a school