Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary........................................................................................... 3 2. What is the Significance of the Name - “ACT Now”?..................................... 4 3. Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Their Challenges.......................................... 4 4. What are the Major Causes of Sanitary Sewer Overflows?......................... 5 5. Federal Regulations and the Clean Water Act............................................... 6 6. Overview of HPUD Wastewater Infrastructure............................................. 7 7. How Does HPUD Determine Which Projects to Undertake?....................... 8 8. When Will the ACT Now Program Begin?....................................................... 8 9. What Kind of Projects Are Planned?................................................................ 9 10. How Will Customers Be Kept Informed?...................................................... 10 11. What About Prior Expenditures on Wastewater Projects?.........................11 12. How Will ACT Now Be Funded?..................................................................12-13 13. Are There Any Benefits for Infrastructure Spending?.................................15 14. Where Can Customers Get More Information?............................................15
List of Acronyms and Frequently Used Terms
ACT Now - HPUD’s Wastewater Infrastructure Program
CO – Consent Order
CIPP – Cured In Place Pipe
CWA - Federal Clean Water Act
EPA - US Environmental Protection Agency
MGD - Million Gallons per Day
NPDES - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
SSO - Sanitary Sewer Overflow
TDEC - Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
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Executive Summary As part of a new Consent Order issued in August 2014, Hallsdale-Powell Utility District (HPUD) has signed an agreement with the State of Tennessee, Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSO’s) within the District over the next 10 years. A sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is an event where wastewater discharges from the sanitary sewer system into the surrounding areas. This Consent Order, similar to many others being enacted throughout the country, mandates us to eliminate SSOs to safeguard the public health needs of our customers and assure the protection of water quality and the environment. In our system, these discharges typically occur at manholes when rain events occur and the collection system’s pipes are overwhelmed. Our efforts to accomplish our goal to eliminate SSOs will come from many means and methods which we are combining into a single comprehensive 10-year program. This program is actually Phase Two of an effort following an original Consent Order (CO) signed in August 2004 to respond to NPDES violations at our Beaver Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Our efforts there have eliminated the violations and, through a modernization and expansion of the plant, prepared us to not only meet current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for treatment discharge, but will allow us to meet more stringent standards in the future. Even with those successes, our work now lies within the wastewater collection system with pipes that run from the sinks and bathrooms of our neighborhoods and businesses and along our streets, creeks and streams before reaching our wastewater treatment facilities. Typically our wastewater collection system works well on dry days, but with a lot of wet weather sewer overflows occur, which has resulted in the EPA and TDEC’s Consent Order requiring HPUD to correct them. To signify our efforts to respond to the Consent Order, we have chosen the acronym “ACT Now” to illustrate our commitment to meeting these regulatory requirements. We have already worked closely with stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels to develop a comprehensive plan that will enhance our existing efforts to maintain, identify and repair problem areas within our 147 square mile sewer system and reach our collective goal by 2024.
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What is the Significance of the Name – “ACT Now”? “ACT Now” is an acronym for “Alliance for a Cleaner Tomorrow” which is our (10) ten-year program to improve the condition of the wastewater collection system assets and ultimately improve water quality. This program is required as a result of a federal and state-mandated Consent Order, but it is also our commitment to our customers, citizens, and future generations. HPUD is working hard to repair and replace parts of the sanitary sewer system to restore pipe and manhole integrity, increase system capacity, and eliminate SSOs. With these improvements, less rainwater and groundwater will infiltrate into the wastewater collection system through leaky pipes and decaying infrastructure. As a result, there will be fewer sewer overflows into our waterways enhancing the protection of both public health and the environment, while improving service to HPUD’s customers.
Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Their Challenges A sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is a discharge of untreated wastewater, sometimes mixed with rainwater, which overflows from the sewer system on the ground or into local Sanitary Sewer Overflow streams and rivers. They after Rain Event can also result in backups of wastewater into a building or basement. The untreated wastewater from these overflows may contaminate area water bodies, causing potentially serious health risks.
a result, these pipes are particularly susceptible to wet-weather events. While our sanitary sewer system is fully functioning, rain water can still seep into the system, and in some cases overload it. Excess water enters the sanitary sewer from yards, roofs, downspouts, foundation drains, improperly connected sump pumps, uncapped cleanouts, manhole covers, holes, cracks and breaks in pipes, joint failure, faulty connections and other openings. SSOs are not unique to HPUD. Many cities and communities all across the country are experiencing the same problem: the amount of water entering the sanitary sewer system is exceeding the system’s capacity to hold it.
A significant portion of HPUD’s collection system is aging, and much of the older system was constructed more than 50 years ago. As
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What are the Major Causes of Sanitary Sewer Overflows? Defective Private laterals (underground pipe that connects a residence or business to the sewer system)
•
Vandalism
•
Inflow and Infiltration
•
Power Outages
•
•
Roots and Grease
Flooding in Beaver Creek during wet weather
•
Blockages
Inadequate Pipe Size or Capacity
•
•
Grease Buildup in Pipe
Pipe Defects
SSO During Heavy Rain
Roots in Sewer Line
Although the majority of SSOs are unintended and unplanned events, the consequences result in financial, economic, regulatory and legal burdens for the District and its ratepayers.
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Federal Regulations and the Clean Water Act The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the legal framework for regulating discharges (i.e., flow or emissions) of pollutants and setting water quality standards for surface waters. The CWA makes it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source (a discharge pipe into streams, creeks, rivers or lakes) unless a permit is obtained. EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program monitors and regulates these discharges under the authority of Federal Law. Hallsdale-Powell Utility District has an NPDES permit for both its Beaver Creek and Raccoon Valley Wastewater Treatment Plants, which also includes the wastewater collection system. However discharges of untreated wastewater, such as that from an SSO, are illegal and are considered a violation of the CWA. Both State and Federal regulations require cities and utilities with wastewater treatment facilities and collection systems to eliminate SSOs and meet the CWA requirements. This is often accomplished through a federal Consent Decree or a state-mandated Consent Order, which is required by law but unfunded. An unfunded mandate is a statute or regulation that requires a state or local government, private individuals, or organizations to perform certain actions, yet provides no money for fulfilling the requirements. Unlike many municipal, state and county entities, HPUD does not receive any money generated from tax revenues and no money from local, state or federal sources. As a local utility district, HPUD must be self-supporting and the only source of revenue to pay for water or sewer system operations, maintenance, and capital projects comes from ratepayer funds. The biggest challenge is for the District is to meet these stringent regulations while maintaining affordability for our customers.
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Overview of HPUD Wastewater Infrastructure Wastewater infrastructure is the complex network of pipes, pumps, systems and treatment facilities that provide collection, treatment and management of our District’s wastewater. It is often referred to as the wastewater treatment and collection system, or more commonly as the sanitary sewer system. HPUD’s wastewater system serves approximately 22,430 wastewater customers and covers an area of roughly 147 square miles. The District runs from North Knox County into Union County and extends into portions of Anderson County.
The District has more than 1,000 miles of water and sewer mains buried below the 147 square miles of service area – enough to stretch from Tennessee to the southernmost tip of Key West, Florida. That’s a lot of pipe to keep in good working order! HPUD maintains 20 wastewater pumping stations, over 9,600 manholes, and operates a 9.7 million gallon-per-day (MGD) wastewater treatment plant, which uses an advanced membrane bioreactor treatment technology.
Wastewater Infrastructure Facts: Number of Sewer Connections
22,430
Service Area
147 square miles
Wastewater Treatment Plants
2
Decentralized Treatment Plants
2
Rated Treatment Plant Capacity
9.7 million gallons per day
Daily Max WWTP Flow
21.6 million gallons per day
Treated Wastewater
2.7 billion gallons per year
Wastewater Lift Stations
20
Sewer Manholes
9,640
Force Main & Gravity Sewer
470 miles
A significant portion of the collection system consists of aging infrastructure that must be replaced, rehabilitated, or is in need of additional capacity. Having the correct technology, data, and management systems for efficient operation and decision-making is vital to the future of the system.
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How Does HPUD Determine Which Projects to Undertake? The HPUD service area covers nearly 147 square miles and extends from North Knox County into parts of Anderson County and Union County. As shown on the map below, this area is comprised of several sub watershed basins. During the ACT Now Program, rehabilitation, replacement and repair projects will continue through the entire HPUD service area. While many utilities have traditionally based their infrastructure replacement schedules solely on age, HPUD is moving toward a more complex, condition-based approach. This allows us to extend the useful lifespan of pipes that have aged well, while more aggressively pursuing replacement of those with severe defects or those with the highest likelihood of failure. These infrastructure components “Assets” (i.e., manholes and sewer pipes) have been classified to receive rehabilitation or replacement based on the following criteria: • The overall severity of the defect(s). • The proximity (closeness) of
HPUD Service Area Subwatersheds
the defect(s) to streams, creeks or other bodies of water.
• The accessibility of the particular asset(s).
When Will the ACT Now Program Begin? Work on the ACT Now Wastewater Infrastructure Program has begun. Customers that reside in the HPUD service area may have seen construction crews performing sewer repair and/or rehabilitation work in their Pipe Bursting neighborhood or during their daily commute. Just
like an individual’s car or home, the sewer system components, (infrastructure), requires upkeep and maintenance, and eventually wear out and must be replaced. Customers are likely to see more crews performing repairs over the next several years. Although this work may cause a minor inconvenience while in progress, it will ultimately go a long way toward protecting public health and the environment by helping to reduce the likelihood of future sanitary sewer overflows.
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What Kinds of Projects Are Planned? The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) is a financial planning and management tool that identifies facility and equipment requirements and schedules them for funding and implementation. A special emphasis in the District’s 2015-2016 CIP is funding the ACT Now Program. Projects will be defined by the long-range CIP and requirements of the 2014 Consent Order. The projects will be a mix of strategies to include wet weather storage, inspection, smoke testing, closed circuit television (CCTV), pipe bursting, pipe lining, relocation, or replacement; replacing manhole frames and covers, grouting, and other types of repairs. A summary of the main components consist of:
• Visual Inspection - Assessment of the condition of all 470 miles of
HPUD sewer pipes is underway and will be completed within the next 2 years. Visual inspections include the use of cameras, sonar or laser imaging, and smoke or dye testing.
• Ensure Capacity - The capacity of sewer pipes will continue to be
assessed to determine if the pipe is the correct size to accommodate the flow of wastewater. Capacity is determined using a computer simulation (modeling) and physical examination of parts of the sewer system. Pipes too small to carry the flow of wastewater during rainfall events contribute to sewer overflows.
• Repair or Replace Pipes - Pipes found in poor condition with
defects, or pipes too small to carry wastewater flow may cause sewer overflows and may need to be repaired or replaced.
• Repair or Replace Lift Stations - The pumps and infrastructure
equipment that move wastewater (either by gravity or use of pumps) are commonly known as pump stations or lift stations. Based on need, these will either be repaired or replaced.
• Wet Weather Storage - Wet weather storage tanks will be
constructed to contain peak wastewater flows during heavy rain events.
The net effect of these projects will be compliance with the Consent Order. It will also result in improvement of local water quality and updated infrastructure that will serve HPUD’s customers for many years to come.
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How Will Customers Be Kept Informed? We plan to keep our customers informed about our progress. One of the most recent initiatives we have implemented is the development of a dedicated website: www.hpudactnow.org. The website is active and the goal is to provide our customers with information about the ACT Now Program. One of the key features of the site is a Web-based, interactive map, which interfaces with HPUD’s geographic information system (GIS) and provides information about repair work, or infrastructure projects across the entire HPUD service area. Information is being updated with photos, maps, and project descriptions to keep residents in tune with where work is being done on the ACT Now Program.
Screen Shot of the ACT Now Projects Page
In addition to information about ongoing wastewater infrastructure projects, there is a “Frequently Asked Questions” page as well as a Documents page where customers can access reports and other data. Along with the Consent Order itself, customers can also read our responses to these mandates and understand our obligation to meet the regulatory requirements.
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What About Prior Expenditures on Wastewater Projects? Operating and maintaining wastewater infrastructure is costly, but still remains a sound and necessary investment. HPUD expenditures on capital projects from FY 2004 to FY 2013 totaled about $74 Million. Approximately 71% of the money was spent on the Beaver Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades in response and to satisfy the previous 2004 TDEC Consent Order. The other 19% was spent on collection system capital improvement projects, such as inspection, cleaning, smoke testing, rehabilitation and replacement. Due to the challenges still being faced by the collection system, the 2014 Consent Order requires work at an accelerated pace in order to meet the 2024 completion date.
Wastewater Expenditures $74 Million
Lift Station 1%
Investigation 10%
Replacement 10%
Rehabilitation 8%
Plant Upgrades 71%
ACT Now Sewer Rehabilitation Status as of First Quarter 2015 • Of the ~9,500 manholes in the HPUD system, 7,885 (83.4%) have been inspected • Over 1.97 million linear feet (87.8%) of sewer lines have been inspected • Over 1.7 million linear feet (76.3%) of sewer lines have been smoke tested • Over 186,000 linear feet (7.6%) of sewer lines have been rehabilitated with Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP).
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How Will ACT Now Be Funded? HPUD customers will see an increase in their monthly utility bill to fund the ACT Now Program. Our aging infrastructure is one reason, but another is the pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) through the unfunded mandates from HPUD’s 2014 Consent Order. HPUD treats more than 9.0 million gallons of wastewater each day. Most of that wastewater never escapes the collection system or results in SSOs, but EPA demands even lower numbers for compliance with the Clean Water Act. To meet these requirements, a new rate structure was approved by the HPUD Board of Commissioners in March 2015. The rates under the new structure are set to take effect this fall, with an increase of approximately five (5) percent, which equates to an increase of about $1.84 per month on the average residential sewer bill. Please Note: An average HPUD customer uses about 4,000 gallons per month, which is equivalent to 5.34 hundred cubic feet (Ccf), when compared to utilities who bill customers based on usage in Ccf instead of gallons. Customers will not begin to see the effects of the new rate structure until September of 2015.
Wastewater Rates 2014 - 2025 To Fund ACT Now Program 10%
8% 6%
6%
5%
5%
$2.93
$3.12
$3.01
$1.84
3% 0% $0.00 $0.00 0%
6%
FY2014
0% $0.00 $0.00
FY2015
$0.06
$0.10
FY2016
FY2017
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$0.10
FY2018
$0.10
FY2019
As depicted in the graph, there were no rate increases in FY 2014 or 2015. The projected rate increases begin in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. (HPUD’s FY 2016 runs from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016). HPUD plans several moderate increases through 2025 to fund the infrastructure improvements for the ACT Now Program and meet regulatory requirements. The additional funds generated by this rate increase will go to two primary areas of HPUD’s business: wastewater collection system operations and maintenance and the ACT Now Wastewater Infrastructure Program. The 2014 Consent Order requires HPUD to accelerate the pace of improvements. The need to meet regulatory mandates to eliminate SSOs by 2024 has drastically affected our budget needs and will result in rate increases.
Monthly Impact ($)
Annual Increase (%)
Daily Impact ($) $8.00
$6.00 6%
6% $3.75
$3.45
4% $2.63
4% $2.65
$2.704%
4%
$4.00
$2.24 $2.00
$0.11
$0.12
FY2020
FY2021
$0.09
FY2022
$0.09
FY2023
13
$0.09
FY2024
$0.07
FY2025
$0.00
Progress being made during Phase 3 of the ACT Now Project
HPUD ACT Now Project Team
Darren Cardwell
General Manager, Team Leader
Sandy Liford
Assistant General Manager, Co-Leader
Joy Phillips
Regulatory Compliance Manager
Cody Humphrey
Distribution/Collection System Manager
Darrell Raley
Collection System Supervisor
Sarah Phillips
Education/Outreach Coordinator
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Are There Any Benefits for Infrastructure Spending? With these mandates, the District has no alternative but to invest the money necessary to maintain and improve our critically important sewer infrastructure, parts of which are more than 45 years old. Our sanitary sewer system is vital to the health and well-being of our citizens and a mandate from the federal and state government to ensure its effective operation cannot be ignored. In spite of these challenges we face moving forward, the resulting benefits will be: • Cleaner waters being returned to our
• Investment in the future of our community
streams from our wastewater treatment plant (improved water quality)
• Support for economic growth and develop-
ment, now and well into the future
• Reduced overflows from our sewer
• Improvement of public health and
pipes and manholes
the environment
• Cleaner source water for drinking
water supply
Where Can Customers Get More Information? We want to keep our customers informed. In order to educate the public about the ACT Now Program, we have developed a dedicated website (www.hpudactnow.org) for public information and education about the ACT Now Program. We will also communicate with the public through our regular website (www.hpud.org), bill inserts, brochures, and a series of public meetings. A dedicated project team is responsible for communicating with our customers about their needs and concerns. For specific questions about ACT Now, you can also email info@hpudactnow.org.
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3745 CUNNINGHAM ROAD, KNOXVILLE, TN 37918 | CUSTOMER SERVICE: (865) 922-7547 | FAX LINE: (865) 922-8428 | WWW.HPUD.ORG