Municipal Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Management in Upstate New York Aging Infrastructure, Dwindling Federal Dol

1. Municipal Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Management in Upstate New York � Aging Infrastructure, Dwindling Federal Dollars Libby Ford, QEP, Sr. Env. Health Engineer, Nixon Peabody LLP

2. Water/Wastewater Infrastructure � Why Worry?

3. Potable Water Treatment Physical-Chemical treatment Chlorination (and fluorination) at end Increased security measures Recently announced plans to cover Rush Reservoir and Build 3 large concrete storage units ($40 M) The MCWA treatment plant produces 60 million gallons of drinking water each day

4. Wastewater Treatment Most wastewater treatment done by �biological� treatment plants Use physics, chemistry, microbiology and engineering to mimic the natural cleansing processes that take place in lakes, rivers, etc. but under controlled conditions. Treated water can be safely returned to the environment.

5. Pipes, the Invisible Infrastructure which Connects Us Our drinking water distribution and wastewater sewer systems are old! The Water Authority must maintain a 100+ year old distribution system Some sections of the sewers are also very old Leakage used to be accepted now illegal for wastewater wasteful for drinking water

6. Local Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Drinking Water The plants that treat it. Shoremont Hemlock The pipes that carry it City system is celebrating 125 years! 214,000 people 500 miles of pipes Over 100 year old pipes MCWA 145 MGD capacity 63.1 MGD ave. use 2,550 miles of pipe Wastewater Collection System City � 785 miles Van Lare � up to 135 MGD 1919 NWQ � up to 22 MGD Town and Village STPs

7. Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Protection Wastewater/Stormwater Infrastructure Water and wastewater systems need constant care and attention. Sound Infrastructure Reduces Flooding Minimizing CombinedSewer Overflows

8. Estimated Costs To Protect and Restore the Great Lakes - W/WW Infrastructure * A five year total of $13.7 billion in spending to improve municipal wastewater treatment facilities along the Great Lakes. The Strategy suggests a 55/45 federal/local cost share Improving drinking water quality through protection of drinking water sources ($1.61 billion); Developing more rapid and more accurate tests for determining when beach water is safe for swimming ($7.2 million).

9. Estimated W/WW Directly Related Benefits*

10. Yonkers Example  Catastrophic Unplanned Event Leads to Unbudgeted $1 Million+ A May 2007 sewer-main break in Yonkers caused more than 7 million gallons of raw sewage to flow into the Hudson River and has cost Westchester County taxpayers about $1 million to repair so far, and the price is likely to rise. The 4-foot pipe broke in half and leaked sewage for two days. The State and County issued health advisories for the water surrounding the spill that lasted for an additional two days The media had a hey day!

11. Speedway Blvd Sewer Collapse(Tucson AZ) On September 7, 2002 a large interceptor sewer carrying 32 MGD of sewage collapsed. Speedway Boulevard was closed for 78 days. Businesses suffered and lives were disrupted. No evacuations were necessary, but many residents unable to tolerate odors, nighttime construction lighting, and noisy pumps were provided hotel rooms paid for by Pima County. The emergency response and repair expenditures estimated to have been $7.7 million.

12. Failing Wastewater Infrastructure Can Cause Illness The most common illness associated with swimming in water polluted by sewage is gastroenteritis, causing Nausea, vomiting, stomachache, diarrhea, headache, and fever. Other minor illnesses include ear, eye, nose, and throat infections. In highly polluted water, swimmers may occasionally be exposed to more serious diseases like dysentery, hepatitis, cholera, and typhoid fever.

13. Dealing With Wet Weather Too much water in the wrong places can lead to ratepayer/voter complaints at the least, property destruction and potentially death if things go seriously wrong Many remaining water quality problems caused by stormwater runoff Increasing fines and penalties

14. Positive Benefits From the MC Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program Tunnels Before 65 overflow points --many would overflow during a small rain event. 30 - 40 times per year. As little as 0.1" of rain and for some sites even less would cause an overflow. The overflows would last as long as the storm and often a while after a storm. Today 3 - 6 tunnel overflows Late in a storm and often for only a short while after the tunnel capacities are reached. Gates, which were originally opened manually, now from Control Room

16. America�s Water/Wastewater Funding Gap Annual funding gap of $23 billion for the next 20 years! $12 Billion Wastewater $11 Billion Drinking Water Federal funding has decreased by 75% since 1980 Covers only about 10% of capital outlays. New requirements continue to be imposed Without increases in federal or state funding There are efforts at the federal and state level To increase available funding To set up, at the federal level, a dedicated funding source.

17. CWSRF Funding � New York

18. 2000 Local Water Need $

20. Increasing The Local Burden If Local Water/Wastewater Utilities Have to Fund the Gap Alone, Average Rates Will More Than Double Many Families Would Be Unable to Pay Based Upon Reasonable Affordability Criteria

21. US EPA Affordability Criteria Households Paying More Than 2% of Household Income for Either Water or Wastewater Fee Constitutes a Hardship Today 18% Exceed Hardship Rate By 2009, at Least 22 % Greatest Hardship on Lower and Middle Class Households

23. Solutions Being Discussedat the National Level Increasing the Federal Role Establishing a Trust Fund Appropriating more grant/loan money Increased Public Education Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Needs Rarely Known or Understood by the Public Political Resistance to Fee Changes Remove Barriers to Innovative Financing

24. Wastewater Infrastructure Investment Learn -- Then Act! Understand better the importance and cost of maintaining the collection, distribution and treatment systems Support reasonable rate increases when proposed Support the Stormwater Management Coalition�s emerging plans Support both State and federal efforts at increasing funding

25. Questions? Libby Ford, QEP�Sr. Env. Health Engineer Nixon Peabody LLP 1100 Clinton Square Rochester, NY 14604  (585) 263-1606lford@nixonpeabody.com www.nixonpeabody.com