Exh 9AAGENDA ITI;NI #9A
NOVENIBCR 14, 2005
November 7, 2005
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Mayor
and Members of the Commission
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Water Loss; Considerable staff time has been spent in recent years studying possible reasons for
the reduction in per capita of water consumption in Atlantic Beach and several reports have been
made to the city commission, particularly during budget discussions. The conclusion we reached
was that the decrease resulted from the installation and retrofitting of more water efficient
plumbing fixtures and, beginning in October of 2004, from the new water rate structure which
encourages conservation.
Information is now emerging from several sources from across the country that Atlantic Beach is
not alone in seeing dramatic per capita reductions in water use. According to the U. S.
Geological Survey, between 1975 and 2000, per capita water consumption declined about 25%
and corresponds to increases in water fixture efficiency. New York City is a good example.
Even though the city's population rose from 7.3 million in 1990 to over 8 million in 2000, water
use declined by over 400 million gallons per day. Similar water use patterns have now been
reported in Boston, Cleveland, Orlando and Washington, D.C.
TMDL Regulations; It has been reported to the City Commission on several occasions over the
last year that the state Depsrt~nent of Envirc-imental Protection (DEP) has been working with
local officials to issue regulations limiting the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) of nitrogen
in the St. Johns River. Under the proposed state regulations, almost every wastewater plant
discharging into the St. Johns River Basin would be required to make substantial modifications
with initial total cost estimates approaching $100,000.000.
Most recently, a story appeared in the newspaper indicating that the federal EPA has turned
do~~:i t'~c DEA's proposcd TMDL regulation. This resulted from a lawsuit filed by the Diver
Keeper and the Clean Water Network basically alleging that the TMDL limits proposed by the
state were not stringent enough. If the EPA's position is not amended, then the renovations or
additions to the wastewater plants would be far more extensive than originally estimated. In
some cases they would require the total elimination of the discharge from the river (100% reuse).
Regardless of the final outcome, there will probably be an extensive cost to the City of Atlantic
Beach to upgrade the facilities at each of the two wastewater plants to meet the new TMDL
requirements.
AGENDA IT1JM #9A
NOVIJNIBER 14, 2005
Atlantic Beach Sends Staff to Help Other Florida Cities in the Wake of Hurricane Wilma;
Atlantic Beach has sent three police officers to South Florida to help in the relief efforts dealing
with =:he aftermath of Hurricane Wilma and other staff are being scheduled for additional trips.
A three officer team including Deputy Chief John Campbell left Atlantic Beach on September
26t~' and was assigned to several different locations before their return on November 1St. These
included beginning in the West Palm Beach area, helping in some of the supply distribution
centers and providing assistance to the Pahoke Police Department. Additional police are ready
to be sent when requested by the state and the city is coordinating to send both manpower and
equipment to assist in the restarting of water and wastewater facilities.