LGA Road to Excellence Conference

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LGA Road to Excellence Conference

• John Schombert, Executive Director,
• 3 Rivers Wet Weather Demonstration Program
• May 3, 2007

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Wet Weather Issues

• Water quality impacts due to deteriorated,
  neglected sewer systems and inadequate stormwater
  management
• Violates the Clean Water Act in rainfalls as
  little
• as one-tenth inch
• 83 ALCOSAN municipalities and dozens of water and
  sewer authorities operating individual collection
  systems
• 11-county region over 595 municipalities
  including 492 water and sewer entities involved
  in water management

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Geographic Issues

• 213 watersheds in Allegheny County
• Each watershed has different water quality issues
  and unique solutions

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Economic Issues

• Inadequate water and sewer rate structures
• Municipal money historically allocated to other
  projects
• Ohio River Basin lacks coalesced leadership to
  advocate for funding

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Political Issues

• 83 municipalities own operate sewer
• collection systems in ALCOSAN service area
• Legacy of bad engineering and political decisions
• First half of century, sewage management was
  conveyance and disposal
• Second half of century, sewage treatment
  introduced
• Lack of uniform and low impact land development
  practices

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Impacts of Wet Weather Overflows

• Public Health Discharges are to Allegheny
  Countys primary source of drinking water for 90
  of the population
• Environmental CSO river advisories issued at
  least half of the 138-day recreational
  season(May 15-Oct. 1)
• Economic Sewer tap-in limitations

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SW PA Has Worst Bacteriological Quality Water in
Ohio River Basin
Water Samples Violating Safe Contact Standards
forFecal Coliform 2000 and 2001
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System relies on controlled sewer overflow
structures
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Municipal Administrative Consent Orders

• Final order sent to all ALCOSAN communities in
  October 2003
• ? Mapping ? Cleaning
• ? Televising ? Flow monitoring
• Local enforcement by DEP and Allegheny County
  Health Department
• Communities signed orders in 1st quarter of 2004
  

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Regional Collaborative Projects

• Manhole Mapping Project
• Mapped 85,000 manholes throughout 4,000 miles
  of municipal collection system
• With cooperation of all municipalities
• Cost 2 million
• Savings up to 9 million

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Regional Collaborative Projects

• Regional Flow Monitoring Plan
• Developed by 3RWW with collaboration of municipal
  engineers
• ALCOSAN will implement
• Cost 10-12 million
• Savings up to 15 million

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Sets the Foundation for a Long-Term Control Plan

• Data from regional assessment projects critical
  for development of 3.5 billion long-term wet
  weather control plan
• Establishes regional priorities and investments
• Allows for development of sustainable
  institutional and financial solutions

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If the Problem isnt Addressed Regionally

• Individually, municipalities will invest
  millions of unnecessary dollars in capital
  improvements inconsistent with regional
  priorities
• Money invested in studies and fragmented
  rehabilitation will not be sustained
• Future generations will cope with the same
  problem

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Sustainable Solutions That Require Adaptive
Governance

• Implement the consolidation of the sewer
  collection system
• Coordinate the development and implementation of
  an effective long-term wet weather management
  plan using sustainable solutions
• Regional financing

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Sustainable Solutions That Require Adaptive
Governance

• Green Roofs
• Stormwater Best Management Practices
• Low-Impact Development (Lot-level management of
  stormwater)
• Improved operation and maintenance practices for
  the sewage collection system

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Moving Forward

• Largest public works project ever faced by
  Allegheny County
• Through implementation of long-term control
  plan
• Improve water quality
• Contribute to economic growth
• Protect public health and recreation
• Pittsburgh Voted Most Livable City