Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-03-2004-9eORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 3, 2004 Action Agenda Item No. ~ _ e, SUBJECT: Approve Design/Build Option for the Northern Human Services Center Wastewater Treatment System DEPARTMENT: Health, County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Living Machine Email Advantex Product Brochure INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Holdway, Environ Health, ext 2360 Tom Konsler, Environ Health, ext 2370 Paul Thames, Engineer, ext 2303 Gwen Harvey, ACM, ext 2307 Pam Jones, Purchasing, ext 2652 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To provide the BOCC with updated information on wastewater treatment system design options and related costs to serve the Northern Human Services Center at Cedar Grove. BACKGROUND: On June 2, 2004, County staff presented the BOCC with a summary of findings and possible options resulting from their review of recommendations from the consulting group, Innovative Design, dated April 19, 2004. Innovative Design proposed that the BOCC authorize the design of a 3000-gpd (gallons per day) system incorporating the "Living Machine" secondary treatment technology and a flow equalization component that could accommodate a wastewater flow of 6000-gpd for four consecutive days, Innovative Design proposed to rely on the existing septic and grease trap tanks to provide primary treatment and the existing front lawn nitrification field to provide subsurtace treatment and disposal. Innovative Design then proposed to build the secondary treatment Living Machine component into the existing sand filter structure adjacent (south side) to the daycare playground area, County staff could not support several of Innovative Design's recommendations on technical grounds. Staff questioned the capacity of the proposed system to provide the treatment required to accommodate average daily flows as well as short-term (heavy facility use) and long-term (infiltration) peak flaws. Staff also noted that the continued use of the existing nitrification field in the front of the building would perpetuate the significant limits on how the front lawn could be used in the future; e.g, constructing a circular drive for easier and safer drop off and pick up of seniors and children. Finally, staff noted that the "Living Machine" secondary treatment technology was not yet approved far use in the state of North Carolina and its use could involve a more extensive and protracted approval process. As alternatives to the Innovative Design recommendation, County staff proposed consideration of two other design/build options, both of which included a secondary treatment system component, Innovative Design representatives appeared at the BOCC meeting to provide additional information in support of their recommendation that was lower in overall cost but appeared to be unsubstantiated, Fallowing discussion among the parties, the BOCC directed staff and the consultants to come together outside the meeting and bring back a single proposal in writing, During the summer break, staff met twice with Innovative Design to attempt to arrive at a common understanding on the capacity and remaining life of the existing nitrification field, a projected waste flow determination, treatment methodologies and system permitting guidelines and requirements, In the process, staff re-assessed the facility's waste flow projections, utilizing those flow rates specified for specific facility uses, user traffic, floor space, etc,, by State environment health permitting regulations applicable to on-site wastewater treatment systems. Staff upheld its original conclusions that permitting a treatment system for an expanded facility use would require beginning the system design permitting process with an initial design flow of 6000-gpd, with or without flow equalization. After meeting with on-site wastewater treatment system permitting staff of the NC Division of Environmental Health, staff determined that the permitting process does provide for a partial reduction in the regulation-specified design flows based on historical flow records of the subject facility and an the use of water savings plumbing fixtures (law flow toilets, etc.). However, staff also determined that these reductions would not prove to sufficient to allow the use of the existing nitrification field without a significant expansion into the Vincent property, Staff discussed their conclusions with Innovative Design and shared them with Commissioners Brown and Halkiotis, who in their roles as liaison to the Northern Human Services Center Task Force confirmed the staff position. The correspondence and phone conversations that ensued between the County staff and Innovative Design in pursuit of next steps, however, continued to reveal a difference in direction, Different technical opinions surfaced over the need and process to investigate the remaining capacity of the existing nitrification field and ultimately whether or not the current contract with Innovative Design would have to be modified to accommodate a different scope of work and provide them with additional compensation, County staff was unable to reach a compromise arrangement with Innovative Design that would have facilitated their participation in the design phase while maintaining what they believed to be the technical integrity of the project. As a result, County staff felt the most appropriate measure would be to suggest that the contractual arrangement might be better ended and the project pursued on the basis of work already accomplished, Innovative Design concurred with the proposition that its contract be terminated and submitted a final invoice for its services, County staff next proposed to recommend that the BOCC consider two design options for construction of the wastewater treatment system at Northern that could be undertaken in-house. llnder these options, Engineering and Environmental Health staff would be responsible as "Project Representatives" for the County and to coordinate the design and State permit process, Actual construction bids for the system would be let by Purchasing and awarded by the BOCC, The first design option entailed a 6000-gpd septic and secondary treatment system with subsurface disposal on the Vincent property utilizing the "Living Machine" secondary treatment technology specifically with a projected timeline of 18-24 months and a cost estimate of $324,000, (The "Living Machine' is a private design consultant/vendorthst is a separate entity from Innovative Design.) The second entailed a 6000-gpd septic and secondary treatment system with subsurface disposal on the Vincent property utilizing aState-approved secondary treatment technology stach as Orenco AdvanTex (see attached product brochure), with a projected timeline of 12 months and an estimated cast of $250,000. (Orenco AdvanTex is one example of a technology that is already approved by the State as a controlled demonstration system and that provides a level of treatment equivalent to that of "Living Machine" apparatus,) Staff did not recommend a system alternative that included no advanced secondary treatment component, Such a system (essentially a large scale conventional septic system), though much lower in cost (approximately), could not meet state treatment (nitrogen reduction) requirements applicable to systems having a treatment capacity in excess of 3000 gpd. Staff met with Commissioner liaisons Brown and Halkiotis on October 13 to brief them on the two design options and obtained agreement on returning this item to the full BOCC for decision at its first meeting in November, Since the meeting an the 13th, Staff has learned from the Living Machine representative that they are no longer available to join with the County as described under the first design option (See attached e-mail), Seemingly, Living Machine representatives have made a corporate decision to dedicate their time and effort on a pilot project in Guilford County that could eventually result in State approval of their technology. Their withdrawal from consideration presents the County with the second design option, as described above, which would incorporate a secondary treatment feature equivalent to the Living Machine, but which already has approval for use in North Carolina. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Capital project funds in the total amount of $250,000 have previously been allocated for the wastewater system at Northern, RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the BOCC authorize Staff to move forward with adesign/build option for the wastewater treatment system at Northern that features a 6000-gpd septic and secondary treatment system with subsurface disposal on the Vincent property utilizing aState-approved secondary treatment technology (such as Orenco AdvanTex). 4 From: "David J. Maciolek" <davidjm@goodwater.com> To: Paul Thames <PTHAMES@co.orange.nc us> Date: 10/25/04 2:18PM Subject: Re: Orange County, NC Northern Human Services Center Wastewater Treatment facility Dear Mr, Thames: Thank you for contacting us and providing the opportunity to provide a wastewater treatment system for the Orange County Northern Human Services Center. We decline to pursue this opportunity in order to focus our attentions on the Guilford County Northern Schools project. Once we have a permitted, operating system in North Carolina, we feel we will be better positioned to offer on-site wastewater treatment solutions. Thanks again for your interest. Sincerely, David Maciolek, P. E, Director of Engineering Living Machines/Dharma Living Systems, Inc.. 8018 NDCBU 125 La Posta Rd. Taos, NM 87571 Tel. (505) 751-9481 ext. 116 Fax, (505) 751-9483 CC: Rob von Rohr, Vice President, Dharma Living Systems, Inc ~V• Ideal for •I~ 5 ~., The Product Orenco's AdvanTex° Treatment Systems utilizing the commercial-sized AX100 can make raw wastewater up to 98% cleaner and meet the most stringent regulatory -requirements.. It can also reduce nitrogen significantly, depending on influent and confguration. And the AX100 offers ail the benefts of Orenco's residential-sized AdvanTex Treatment Systems: • Consistent, reliable treatment, even under peak flows • Compact package, small footprint, for small sites • Premanufactured package, including textile medium, for quality control • Low maintenance requirements; low life-cycle costs • Production of clear, odorless effluent that's ideal for reuse The Program It takes more than a product, however, to solve onsite wastewater problems. It takes a comprehensive program one that ensures a successful project every time and provides support for the life of the system. That's what Orenco Systems° has done. We've engineered a program, not just a product. ''S Orenco's commercial ~~ "~" AdvanTex program includes ... • Trained and authorized Dealers, Installers, and \ Service Providers • Training and plans review for Designers • A comprehensive project checklist for successful system design, installation, start-up, and follow-up • Round-the-clock system supervision via Orenco's remote telemetry controls • A commitment to ongoing O&M, signed by system owners • Web-based tracking of site and performance data on Dealer extranet • Ongoing manufacturer support through Orenco's Systems Engineering Department AX100 /filter pods can be installed above >.`*g ground or partially bermed,°°"' depending upon site conditions ' NOTE: Covered by U.S. patent numbers 6,540,920. 6,372.737;5,960,746; 5,531,694; 5,492,635; 5,460,561; 5,360,556; 4.439.323 Additional patents pending Decades of Research, Thousands of Installations Orenco's patented' AdvanTex Treatment System is a recirculating filter that's configured like a recirculating sand filter - a packed bed filter technology that Orenco engineers have helped to perfect since the 1970's Like recirculating sand filters, AdvanTex is reliable and low-maintenance. It is superior to other packed bed filters, however, in its serviceability and longevity. It is also superior in its treatment media- AdvanTex uses a highly efficient, light- weight textile that has a large surface area, lots of void space, and a high degree of water-holding capacity Consequently, AdvanTex Treatment Systems can provide treatment equivalent to that of sand filters at loading rates as high as 25-50 gpd/ftz, That means AdvanTex can treat high volume commercial and multi-family flows in a very compact space Our textile-based, multi-pass treatment technology has undergone third-party ® testing and evaluation to ANSI Standards. More than 3,000 residential-sized AdvanTex filters have been installed over the past several years. And dozens of our new, commercial-sized AX100 units are now in operation, including the installations described on the back page. i Textile The. treath 7edia t medium is a uniform, I eztile, which is easily service- '. ivs loading rates as high. as is ied via 3Nes, and Is allow easy single operator. Telemetry Controls Orenco's telemetry-enabled control panels use a dedicated phone line and ensure round-the-clock system supervision and real-time, remote control a ?. w ;. c1 '= ~, _.., Our systems have been installed all over the world i` Orenco maintains an environ- mental lab and employs more -than a dozen civil, electrical, .mechanical, and manufacturing engineers, Orenco's systems are based on sound scientific princi- ' pies of chemistry, biology, mechanical structure, and hydraulics. As a result, our research appears in numerous publications, and our engineers are regularly asked to give work- shops and conduct trainings. ~_,~ Orenco Systems' incorp°ratetl O~aggrngdrli'fryr4a tGorld Dou R'mrwsd 814 Airway Avenue Satherlln, OR 97479 T • 541-059-4449 1-soo-aaa-seas F • sal-ass-ze9a www.orenco.com ABO-ATK•AXt00.1 Oev. t.1, m 07/03 Orenco Systems®, Inc- Oregon Riverside Community 12 AX100s are providing advanced second- ary wastewater treatment in Hebo, Oregon, for a small community collection system that discharges directly into Three Rivers, after UV disinfection.. The average annual design flow is 17,000 gpd with a peak daily design flow of 80,000 gpd to account for I&I contri- butions from the collection system. Effluent BODS and TSS are averaging 3 1 and 5 8 mg/~, respectively Malibu, California Restaurant 10 AX100s at the top of a Malibu bluff are treating high-strength waste from a large (200+ seat) beachfront restaurant, 100 feet below This high-visibility tourist destina- tion requires reliable, odor-free operation. Visual inspection after one month confirms trouble-free start-up Another system for an adjacent mobile home park, consisting of 20 AX100s capable of treating up to 60,000 gpd peak flows, is slated for installation. Canyonville, Oregon Casino, Hotel, and Convention Center 6 AX100s were added to an existing recirculating sand fil- ter to provide an additional 30,000 gpd of treatment capacity for high periodic flows. The modification also allows the operator to rest the RSF's zones, if neces- sary. This fast, "plug and play" custom retrofit was accomplished without modifications to pumps, controls, or tankage. The system now accommodates the huge variance in recorded flows (as much as 50% more than the design flow) generated by this 145-room hotel, resort, and gaming center and produces effluent cBODs and TSS of less than 10 mg/L To order a complete, design/engineering package /or Orenco's Commercial AdvanTex Treatment Systems. contact your local Commercial AdvanTex Dealer or call 1-800-348-9843 and ask for Systems Engineering