Minutes 08-23-77MINUTES OF SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF BOYNTON
BEACH, FLORIDA, HELD IN CITY HALL TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1977
PRESENT
Emily M. Jackson, Vice Mayor
Joe DeMarco, Councilman
Richard D. Caldwell, Councilman
Norman F. Strnad, Councilman
Frank Kohl, City Manager
Gene Moore, City Attorney
Tereesa Padgett, City Clerk
ABSENT
Mayor Joseph F. Zack (On vacation)
Vice Mayor Jackson called the special meeting to order at 9:06 A.M.
to consider a report from DER presented by Russell and Axon re:
Lime Softening and take appropriate action on same.
Mrs. Jackson then called upon Mr. Milton Nallman of Russell and
Axon to bring the Council up todate.
Mr. Hallman, Vice President of Russell and Axon, Consulting Engin-
eers expressed his appreciation to the Council for holding this
meeting this morning to enable him to join his family for a few
days vacation in North Carolina before his children start back
t~ school ~ext Monday. .He stated that his firm, in accordance
with COIL~clls.' instructions about two months ago, had been work-
ing diligently with the City Attorney in an effort to secure
approval of the DER to operat~ the water treatment plant with
the proposed modification without the lime softening treatment.
He referred to their many contacts with various Regulatory Agencmes
over a period of time and their denials. He felt things sta~%ed to
unfold last week after they attended a semlnar in West Palm Beach
on the State and Federal Safe. Drinking Water Act. This act pro-~
vided se~sral alternatives that could be pursued. After several
meeting~ with various groups a~d'a good number of telephon'e calls,
two representatives of their company went to Tallahassee to talk
with Mr. Glen Dykes. This was strictly th~ technical branch of
the Department of Environmental Regulations and not administrative.
He referred to the pamphlet received at the above mentioned seminar
and noted Chapter 17-ER-77 Emergency State Safe Drinking Water
Regulations which are like the Federal. The past legislature
adopted this and authorized~ the DER to be the Regulatory Agency
for the Safe Drinking Water A~t for the state of Florida. They
said the State regulations could not be any more stringent than
the Federal regulations.
He further explained that they were able to obtain this permit to
operate under a different concept more easily because of the
design construction and existimg equipment in the plant now under
construction.
He then read the highlights of the attached letter dated August
16, 1977 addressed to Mr] Glen Dykes from Timothy P. Brodeur,
MINUTES - SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
August 23, 1977
Utility Management and Operations Director, Russell and Axon.
Vice Mayor Jackson requested Mr. Hallman to read-the answer to
this letter in its entirety. He then read the attached letter
addressed to Mr. Timothy P. Brodeur under date of August 19, 1977
under the signature of Warren G. Strahm, Subdistrict Manager,
Department of Environmental Regulation.
Mr. Hallman then summarized the subject by stating the following
has been accomplished:
1. Permission to operate the water treatment plant without
the use of the lime softening element.
2. Approval of conversion of the treatment process from
softening to iron removal color removal plant.
We will still take advantage of the equipment installed
for the lime treatment to settle out the iron and
color prior to filtration.
4. We will still provide the highest quality finished
water meeting the newly enacted Safe Drinking Water
Act, while not softening due to the concerns of the
inverse corrolation of cardiovascular disease with
hardness in the water as expressed in the National
Academy of Sciences sunkmary report.
5. The lime treatment process and equipment that is being
installed at the plant will be able to be instituted
almost immediately in the event it becomes mandatory
due to water quality standards.
6. The City has been successful in obtaining the approval
of the PBCHD and DER to operate as constructed without
instituting the softening application.
The City Council may expect to receive a benefit in sayings
in operational cost based on this latest approval by the
D.E.R. It is too early to project the exact amount of
savings until the tests are completed and until one year
of operational data utilizing the Iron/color removal process.
We must continue to provide the highest quality of drinking
water,_ as well as safe drinking water, to the users in the
Boynton Beach Service Area.
It will be necessary to monitor and provide the testing
as outlined in this approval by the D.E.R. & PBCHD. The
New Safe Drinking Water Standards mentioned ink, the D.E.R.
letter of approval, as chapter 17-ER-77 and the recent
seminar in West Palm Beach on the State of Florida and
Federal controls makes it manditory to provide more detail
laboratory test and monitoring of safe drinking water delivered
to the users. Much of the testing will be required later,
thus the City of Boynton Beach taking these progressive
steps, will enable this city council and administration in
~setting the pace and accepting its responsibility for the
protection of the public health through providing safe
Drinking Water.
Mr. Strnad asked Mr. Hallman if the DER was going to require new
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MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
August 23, 1977
pla~t~ in the future to install lime softening equipment in the
event they might need it or are they going to say they don't
need it now. Mr. Hallman said this answer should come from the
DER but according to his understanding from what DER has told
them in recent months, they will require the additional barrier
which can be the lime softening process or the alum coagulation
or some other method of coagulation and sedimentation. He said
Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Countries are still under the orig-
inal Berkowitz memo to provide the additional chemical barrier
to protect against bacteriological and virus contamination.
Mr. Strnad then asked who was responsible for this added expense
since the DER had changed their mind. He realized a portion Of
this was a Federal grant but the balance c~une from the taxpayers.
Mr. Hallman said that EPA and DER are now taking a closer look
at lime softening because of the possibility that there may be
some direct relationship to cardiovascular diseases with the
hardness of water. The real concern is to remove the bacteria
and virus~f~om the raw water. He clarified that the major por-
tion of the equipment installed in the plant would be used. He
enumerated the following exceptions:
(1) Lime silos
(2) Lime feeders
(3) Lime slakers
No softening of the water will be done at this time.
Mr. Strnad then asked if the two wells in the north end of the City
were restricted from being pumped into our treatment plant. Mr.
Hallman explained that these two wells had been removed from service
and were being continuously monitored, flushed, chlorinated and
retested to see if the wells could be brought back. These wells
are abandoned at this time and will.not be used again until it is
proven they are free of all bacteria.
Mr. Strnad further questioned the need for lime to treat bacteria
intrusion and Mr. Hallman assured him that the proposed system of
coagulation and sedimentation would do the same thing.
Mr. DeMarco inquired if there would be additional cost. Mr.
Hallman stated there would be---they would need two blowers,
additional monitoring equipment, chlorine residual analyzer, tur-
bidometer and additional laboratory equipment. He estimated some-
thing like $15,000. We still see a substantial savings in,this
method---possibly in the neighborhood of a quarter million'dollars
and still provide a high quality of water for the citizens of
Boynton Beach after meeting the requirements of the DER.
Mr. Caldwell asked if we had found a viable alternative.
Hallman answered in the affirmative.
Mr.
Firs. Jackson asked if the water would be properly treated. Mr.
Hallman said it would be and they would continue to test for a
one year period. He stated that this ~s an official permit to
operate the plant utilizing the additional chemical barrier as
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MINUTES - SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 23 1977
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA '
discussed. We do have the safeguard backup of lime softening if
it should be determined necessary in the future.
Mrs. Jackson expressed her thinking that this is the result of the
study made by the National Academy of Science for'the EPA. They
need more time to study this matter. Mr. Hallman agreed.
Mr. Strnad pointed out that the Council did not take it upon them-
selves to institute this type of plant. They ~ers directed to do
it and RUssell and Axon chose this rou~e to go and the 5 members
of Council in 197.5 voted unanimously for the lime treatment.
Mr. Hallman agreed and stated that they had the directives from
the agencies identifying the' acceptable method~of treatment at
that time and it was the lime softening t~eatment.
Mr. DeMarco pointed out additional savings to the City now since
they do not have ~to send Mr. Moore and Mr. Moyle to Tallahassee.
Mr. Strnad then questioned if people placing water softeners in
their home would be susceptible to cardiovascular disease. Mr.
Hallman pointed out that normally the softening unit was placed
on the hot water Side only. It is an accepted fact that the soft-
e~ing process raises the sodium content. But this still leaves
the choice up to the individual home owner.
Mr. DeMarco moved to accept the approval 6f DER---this letter to
operate the plant---and authorize Russell and Axon to go ahead with
preparation of the change order, which must come back to Council
for approval, to install the additional monitoring system and two
pad-mounted blowers. Russell and Axon would continue the testing
period for one year. Motion seconded by Mr. Caldwell and a roll
call vote was taken.
Councilman Strna~ Aye
Councilman DeMarco Aye
Councilman Caldwell Aye
Vice Mayor Jackson Aye
Motion carried 4-~.
Mrs. Jackson then read the following statement and asked that it be
made part of the minutes:
"This should be good news to the taxpayers and residents of this
City. For this means we are not forcing lime softening into
the water unless and until the EPA has more studies to find out
whether lime softening gives cardiovascular disease. There is
much diverse opinion on this, and the National Academy of Sciences
in their report released.in May of this year said 'It is-the
Academy's judgment that from a scientific point of view, the
absolute guarantee of safety implied by this language cannot
be made for most of all the contaminants to be studies'. There-
fore the academy is going to complete the study required in the
Safe Drinking Water Act and until it is proven that lime is nec-
essary and not harmful, we will continue treating our water to
the fullest extent to insure that our City water continues to
be pure. The periodic testing will take care of this.
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MINUTES - SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
BOYI~5~DN BEACH, FLORIDA
August 23, 1977
Als~ the taxpayers will be saved money by this action.
First, we have been saved $100 an hour plus expenses which
we had expected would be necessary to have a meeting with
Jay Landers of the DER. This will also mean, I am sure,
that the J. Earl Pratt case will be dropped, which will save
paying $40 an hour for Attorney Smodish. And best of all we
will save about $500,000 (which now Mr. Hallman says is less)
at,year in operating expenses by not having Lime Softening.
We can just be thankful that we have saved the taxpayers this
much money, while at the same time providing them pure, prop-
erly treated water in an ample amount."
The Vice Mayor then referred to
the County to allocate the entire cost of the Sheriff's Road
Patrol to the unincorporated area of Palm Beach County and said
since this was not noted on the "Notice of~ the Special Meeting"
~ a vote of the Council to consider same would be necessa~i.
Mr. Kohl stated that ihs P.B. County League had requested this
and furnished Council copies of the proposed resolution. Mr.
DeMarco moved to add the proposed Resolution to the agenda. Motion
seconded by Mr. Caldwell and carried 4-0.
the proposed resolution requesting
o ·
The City Attorney read Resolution No. 77-UU by caption only. Mr.
DeMarco moved to adopt Resolution No. 77-UU. Motion seconded by
Mr. Caldwell and a roll call vote was taken.
Councilman Strnad Aye
Councilman DeMarco Aye
Councilman Caldwell Aye
Vice Mayor Jackson Aye
Motion carried 4-0.
Meeting adjourned at 9:50 A.M.
CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
~ ~/ Vice Mayor
Council Member
ATTEST~
City Clerk
Council Member
(Two Tapes)
C
REUB!N OD ASKEW
GOVERNOR
STATE OF FLORIDA
DEPART~IENT OF ENVIRON~JIENTAL REGULATION
SOUTH FLORIDA SUBDtSTRICT
3301 GUN CLUE~ ROAD
POST OFFICE BOX 3858
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33402
August 19, 1977
JOSEPH W. LANDERS. JR
SECRETARY
~. Timothy P. Brodeur
Russell and _~on, Inco
1620 ~;~son Avenue
Post Office Box 9490
Daytona Beach, Florida
Dear Mr. Brodeuz:
32020
Re: City of Boynton Beach Water Treatment Plant F~xpansion
In your letter dated August 16, 1977 to ~-[r. Glenn Dykes you proposed
a process conversion from a softening plant to one designed for
iron and color removal through coagulation, settling and f'
Recent bacteriologica1 failures in one and possibly two of the
existing wells and the plans of the city to establish a new ¥~ell
field to the west of the city makes it mandatory, in our opinion,
to maintain the coagulation barrier in the treatment plant, it is
not mandatory however that the barrier be a lime softening process
if a viable alternative can be found.
Accordingly, your proposed conversion is approved, providing the
following conditions are satisfied:
Provide to the Department and the Palm Beach
County Health Department details of a monitoring
and sampling program to be followed during the
first year of operation. The program should be
submitted no later than thirty (30) days prior
to the start of the treatment facility and
should address for raw (composite) and finished
water the following parameters:
a. Turbidity
b. Color
c. Iron
d. Trihatomethane production
e. Bacteriological quality
The physical facility is to be constructed basically
as approved by the Department except for minor
modifications and the addition of two (2) blowers.
Plans and specifications for the blowers and
Page 1 of 2
Page 2
Mr. Timothy P. Brodeur
August 19, 1977
associated piping should be submitted prior %o
installation. It is understood that the lime
feed system will be constructed as appro~ed
but will not be used unless the proposed process
proves unsuccessful. Visual and operational
tests of the lime feed system shall be made %o
the extent possible without charging the silos
with lime.
Details on the proposed coagulant aids and the
feed rate (range) shall be submitted prior to
use.
Nothing in this approval should be construe~
as relieving the utility of the requirements
of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the
Florida Safe Drinking ~Iater Act~ or Chapter
17-ER-77 and Chapter 17-22 (when it becomes
effective) of the Florida Administrative Code.
Sin_cerely,
WGS:~J~:fs
cc: Joe Swarm, Russell and Axon
Glenn Dykes, DER-Talla~_~ssee
City of Boynton Beach~q~
Palm Beech County Health Department
Page 2 of 2
August 16, 1977
Mr. Glenn Dykes, Chief.Potable Water Engineer
State of Florida
Department of Environmental Regulation
2562 Executive Center Circle East
Montgomery Building
Yallahassee, Florida 32301
Dear Glenn:
Subject:
City of Boynton Beach, Florida
Water Treatment Plant Expansion
R&A Project No. 626-681-21-4
The City of Boynton Beach, Florida is currently constructing an expansion
of its water treatment plant to increase the capacity from 8
The expansion is configured to provide for lime softening, i~ashwat~r-
recovery and sludge dewatering and disposal. Currently, ~he plant is an
iron removal/filtration system with pre- and post--chlo~nation.
Plans and specifications for the expansion were approvc<~ by the Palm
Beach O0unty Health Department on December 4~ 1975, ~nder Serial
No. B49q6-AL. Bids for construction of the project were received on
June 10, t976 and a-contract was awarded to Intercounty ConstruCtion
Corporation. Construction was started in July 1976 and is now well advanced,
wi'th all structures ~n progress and nearly all equipmen~ il} advanced
stages of fabrication or in shipment.. Completion of the project should
be reached by early 1978. --
D~e to the very real concerns of the inverse correlatio~ of car~iiovascular
disease with hardness in water and due to the concer~s expresseff in the
Suramary Report of the National Academy of Sciences (pages 42 and
the City Council of Boynton Beach has voted not to operate the expanded
plant in the lime softening configuration, subject to your approval of
thle modifizations proposed herein. Russell & Axon, therefore, has
been authorized by the City Council to seek approval to operate the
expanded plant in a manner ~at will provide ~e highest quality product,
consistent with the recently enacted State of Florida Safe Drinking Water
Ac~ and the requirement'for full treatment. Therefore> the foltowin2
modifications in the plant (see attached drawing) are proposed for
Mr.
Glenn Dykes -2-
August 16, 1977
approval to o - ~
pe, a~e the plant as an iron and color
1. Present expansion includes:
a.
removal process:
Three (3) upflow clarifier basins - 60 feet square by
t7 feet SWD, each.
b. Four (4) rapid sand filters - 695 feet square, each.
c. Washwater recovery basin - 476,000 gallons.
d. Sludge thickener - 35 feet diameter by lO fee% SWD.
eo Vacuum filter - lO feet diameter by lO feet
f. One (l) additional chlorinator [2,000 lb/day unft),
Chemical feeders.
2. ~odifications include:
a. Rawwater pre-chlorination for iron and color oxidation~
Air injection for iron oxidation (either to supplement or
replace 2a, above, depending on trihalomethane (THM)
concentrations)~
Tests will be conducted to cause the iron an~ color to settle
out in the clarifier basins where it can be handled by the
vacuum filters.
The air requirements wilt be met by providing two
pad-mounted blowers.
Instrumentation will be 2~ded to provide for continuo~s
turbidity and chlorine residual monitoring> with ~larms on
the ef. fluent.
In summary, the proposed change in operation will entail the process
conversion from a softening plant to that of iron and color removal.-
Precautions will be made for effluent quati tymonitor~ng. Tests will be
conducted to optimize the process by settling out the iro~ amd color Yn
the clarifiers prior to filtration where the sludge produced can be
vacuum filtered. Meanwhile, the lime treatment process~ which the C~y
I~r. Glenn Dykes.
Aug,~st 16. 1977.
is constructing ~o, this expansion, as approved by the reafilatory
agencies, can be instituted almost iumed~ately in the event of any
failures in bacteria or iron and color removal under these modifications-
Yerj truly yours,
RUSSELL & AXON
Timothy P- Brodeur
-Director
Utility l'~anagemerit E Opera~ions Biv~sio~
TPB:hkh
Att.
cc/att-:
Mr. Warren g. Strahm, Subdistrict l~anager
State of Florida
Department of Environmental REgulation
South Florida Subdistrict
230t Gun Club Road
P.O. Box 3858
West Palm Beach, Florida 33q06