Budget Message / Highlights - Metropolitan Water Reclamation ...

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO
2009 BUDGET
MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
2009 BUDGET NARRATIVE (continued)
District’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits in 2007. This compliance record at all seven of
the District’s Water Reclamation Plants (WRPs) resulted in one Silver, three Gold Awards and three Platinum Awards from the
National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). NPDES permit renewals for the Lemont, Calumet, Stickney, North
Side, and John Egan WRPs were prepared and submitted in 2007. NPDES permit renewals for the Kirie and Hanover Park
WRPs will be completed in 2009. The Lemont permit became effective in March 2008 as did the Lockport Powerhouse permit.
Negotiations of the permit language for the North Side, Stickney, and Calumet WRPs are ongoing. Renewal of these permits
may present some challenges to the District if more stringent limits for certain pollutants are included in the new permit. The
results of the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) being conducted by IEPA may result in new or more stringent pollutant limits
in the permits and may require the construction of additional facilities at the District water reclamation plants or on the
waterways.
The 2009 Corporate budget includes 1,046 positions, with another 36 positions funded by the Stormwater Management Fund
while supervised under the Maintenance and Operations Department. This represents an increase of one position in the
Corporate Fund, and an increase of one position in the Stormwater Management Fund. Our position changes for 2009 reflect
adjustment of position levels to provide correct staff to manage the upcoming Master Plan project implementations and large
scale projects within M&O.
Our 2009 budget of $221,406,300 reflects an increase of $11,537,600, or 5.5 percent, over the 2008 appropriation. The largest
portion of the increase is for anticipated electricity and natural gas rate increases, $2,574,400, in part due to the renegotiation of
the current electricity agreement’s rates and a higher than anticipated distribution rate for the Stickney WRP. The continuation
into 2009 for repairs to the Racine Pumping Station, due to the 2008 flooding, and emergency repairs to blower motor #4 at
Stickney, account for approximately $1,110,000 of the increase. Increased requests for consulting services for various studies
and requests for proposals, $1,123,500, repair services for plant facilities, $3,636,500, and major equipment
purchases/carryovers, which increased by $538,600, impact the overall M&O budget.
Other requests impacting our 2009 budget include increased requests for treatment plant repairs such as:
• Cleaning and repairing two rapid sand filters at the Hanover Park WRP, $500,000;
• North Service Area Man-hours contract to complete back log work, $225,000;
• Distributed Control Services for North Service Area WRPs, $255,000;
• Solar Project at John Egan WRP, $180,000;
• Replace Sodium Hypochlorite Pumps at the Kirie WRP, $150,000;
• Modify and Replace Diffuser Piping at Stickney WRP (SWRP), $350,000;
• Rehabilitate the North Side Sludge Line, $350,000;
• Furnish, Deliver and Install Air Compressors at the SWRP Pump and Blower House and West Side Pumping Station,
$290,000;
• Replace Centrifuge Conveyor Assembly at Calumet WRP, $340,000;
• Upgrade Waste Gas Flares at Calumet WRP, $325,000;
• Furnish, Deliver and Install SEPA Gear Boxes, $475,000.
ENERGY CONSERVATION
M&O has been proactive in energy conservation by:
• Executing a capacity based load reduction agreement (CLR7) with Commonwealth Edison that provides the District with
incentives to curtail usage during specific conditions, resulting in cost savings;
• Establishing an energy conservation committee that reviews and evaluates house lighting fixtures, lumen monitoring, overlit
areas, building temperature controls, and staff training in energy conservation;
• Evaluating & purchasing all-electric personnel carriers and hybrid alternatives;
• Utilizing Computerized Dissolved Oxygen Control System for aeration tanks to optimize use of oxygen;
• Installing medium sized blowers to match oxygen demand in the aeration tanks, thereby optimizing oxygen usage;
• Utilizing 95% of digester gas produced for plant processes and heating, air conditioning, and electricity generation;
• Installing high efficiency motors and variable speed drives for pumps and guide vane controls for blowers;
• Establishing plant operations to match peak and off-peak power rates, by maximizing pumping during off-peak hours;
• Investigating natural gas procurement options;
• Investigating and implementing a natural gas conservation program at the plants.
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