Buy-in needed to move forward with wastewater reuse program

Dec. 21—The city's utilities director hopes a pilot project to boost water levels at Lake Thunderbird will secure it well into the future as a drinking water source, but support from other cities and funding will be needed to push ahead.

The director, Chris Mattingly told the council Tuesday during a study session the final draft report for its indirect potable reuse pilot program will be out Friday.

Such programs capture treated wastewater which is then discharged into a body of water.

"We ought to get people to quit thinking 'toilet to tap," Mattingly told the council. "That's really a bad way to say it. It may be the cheapest way to augment the lake."

Wastewater received through Norman's Water Reclamation Facility would be treated according to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) via advanced treatment technologies. It would then be potentially piped directly back into Lake Thunderbird — the City's main water supply — to augment the lake and maintain water levels, the city's website stated in June following a preliminary report on the project.

Lake Thunderbird is Norman's primary drinking water source followed by wells and water the city purchases from Oklahoma City.

Mattingly told The Transcript on Wednesday the results so far have been encouraging, but the implementation of the program depends on buy-in from Midwest City and Del City, which purchase water from the lake.

"DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) just wants all three cities to be on the same team," Mattingly said.

The agency will also require a new permit application from the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District (COMCD) to discharge the treated water into the lake. The district has a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to oversee use of the lake.

Representatives from the three cities serve on the COMCD board. It has been said the lake will need to increase its water supply by 2060.

Mattingly said he plans to work with staff from both cities to present the program report to their councils.

Carrie Evenson, Norman's former stormwater coordinator, is assistant public works director for Midwest City. Floyd Eason, Del City's mayor used to run the water treatment plant for Tinker Air Force Base.

Both understand how the program works.

"If this report is good, and we're pretty confident it is, we want to share this with them," Mattingly said. "We don't want to hold a gun to their head and say, 'you have to do this,' but we want to say, 'do you see this a good thing for your cities as well as ours?' If so, let's go ask COMCD to get this designation for the lake."

Cost

The council has heard numerous presentations on water and wastewater connection fees and the need for a water rate increase for more than a year from consultant, Raftelis.

The firm presented several options to offset the rising costs of increased demand for water supply and treatment including to drill new wells, purchase more water from Oklahoma City or augment the lake through indirect potable reuse.

The council has expressed concern about Oklahoma City's longterm water supply, which primarily relies on lakes. New wells will still mean Norman will have to blend it with other water sources, and new regulations such as a significant drop in allowable chromium are on the horizon, Mattingly said Tuesday.

Ward 7's Stephen Holman said during the council meeting that a groundwater blending plant is part of the city's strategic water supply plan.

"Just blending wells with our water treatment plant water is not enough anymore," he said. "We've been planning for this for quite a while."

The council has in previous meetings said it preferred the more sustainable option of augmentation, but the connection fees required to prop up the cost of the program are the highest at $3,100.

Connection fees are currently $1,500.

"If we end up drilling more wells to suit our needs, the total connection fee only needs to be about $2,000 or $2,100 but if we go with this reuse and recycle the water, the connection fee calculated was going to be about $3,100," Mattingly told the Transcript.

The city's ability to bond for future capital projects is impaired by the drop in revenue against operating expenses, consultants said Tuesday. While connection fees were increased by council action earlier this year, voters turned down a water rate increase in April.

Ward 1's Brandi Studley told fellow council members during the study session constituents told her they voted no because the city showed a need to increase fees to $3,100 but only approved $1,500.

"They felt that everyone should pay their fare share," Studley said. "They don't see why the citizens should have to pay their share if the developers aren't.

City Financial Services Director Anthony Francisco said the connection fee is just part of the revenue needed to move projects forward.

"It's needed to pay for these programs and operate the utility," he said. "The revenue from the connection fee does not drive the revenue picture of the utility. The revenue picture on the water utility is driven by the rates."

Staff said Tuesday another water rate increase election is planned for June.

Mattingly said he hopes to share the results of the augmentation program sometime next month. The report would also be implemented in the city's ongoing update to the Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan, he said.