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05-03-1979 - Special . . <.I <J ~~ '.1 '~lt1 !;1 ('; ,:;'7 ,~ l1; 'J/li l~ ~~)! ';;-~.'" ttJllrFf If r.']:!.: II> .'4f I t CITY OF EDGEWATER CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 3, 1979 Vice Mayor Louis J. Rotundo called the Special Meeting of the City Council to order in the Mayor's office at 1:15 P.M. ROLL CALL Mayor Robert H. Christy Vice.Mayor Louis J. Rotundo Councilman David C. Ledbetter Councilman Walter B. Sikes Councilman Neil J. Astinq City Attorney Judson Woods Deputy City Clerk Cornelia Kinsey Police Chief Earl Baugh Also Present: Excused Present Present Present* (arrived at 1:20 P.M.) Present Present Present Absent Mr. Ken DeGroot - City Engineer Mr. Kevin Bosse - Supervisor Wastewater Treatment Plant The purpose of the meeting was to discuss repairs to the mechanical surface aerator for the second stage digester of the Wastewater Treatment Plant. I On April 19, 1979, the mechanical surface aerator for the second stage digester of the Wastewater Treatment Plant broke down. The unit was removed from the digester by a 1rane rented for that purpose. The unit was loaded and carriea to the U.S. Motor Repair Shop in Tampa, Florida, to determine the extent of damage and to provide the City with an estimated cost for repair. The repair shop has reported that all four gears in the speed reduction gear train were damaged as well as damage to other parts and housing of the box. U.S. Motor repair estimates that it requires about three (3) weeks to repair at a cost of $3,992.76. Mr. DeGroot said that this unit has been operating 24 hours a day for a period of eight years. The City has investigated other repair shops and has found that U.S. Repair Shop is virtually the only one capable of doing this repair work for this amount. A new unit would cost approximately $9,000.00. The plant could operate without this unit for about six to seven months but they could not operate much longer than that without the unit. The plant is not facing a dire emergency where something has to be done tomorrow, however, considering everything/now is the time to make a decision to either repair the unit or to consider a plan they are working on now to possibly go to diffused air in the second stage digester in lieu of surface air aeration which would obtain the same end result and the cost difference may be substantial. \~e cannot say, at this time, if this would be the answer because we have not had time to finish preliminary calculations. Mr. Bosse said that mainly the efficiency factor is between the diffused aeration versus electric motor horse power and electrical usage. We haven't been able to get all the information yet. Councilman Asting said that if we were just using the first stage now then if this stage became inoperable we would not have a working treatment plant. Mr. Bosse said that this was true. Q ~ Councilman Asting said that repair to this unit would be approximately $4,000. versus $9,000. to $11,000. for a new unit. He asked Mr. Bosse if we had this unit repaired would it be safe to say that it would last another eight years? Mr. Bosse said that he did not think it would be safe to say that. Any piece of equipment has the potential of breaking down at any time. That of course could happen to the first stage also and we have no backup. Councilman Asting asked if the U.S. Motor Repair Shop would guarantee their work? Mr. Bosse said that they give a year's warranty which is the same as purchasing a new unit. Councilman Ledbetter said that he would rather take a chance on rebuilding the old unit rather than buying a new one because most things were better built a few years ago than they are built today. Mr. DeGroot added that the delivery time on a new unit might be as long as eight to ten months. Councilman Asting asked about the other system that Mr. DeGroot had mentioned, the difusing system. Mr. DeGroot said that they have not completed their analysis far enough to know what the dollar comparison will be. They hope to have more information during the course of the next week. Councilman Asting asked if that would be more reliable than the present system? Mr. DeGroot said not necessarily. The process requires putting air or oxygen into the waste sludge and their are two different methods: one surface aeration the other is to use an air compressor and put air down at the bottom and bubble air into the waste. We may be talking about basically the same amount of money to put in a new system as we are talking about in regard to either repairing the unit or purchasing a new one. Councilman Sikes asked if this was an emergency. Councilman Asting said that he believed it should be considered an emergency because we are presently operating without any backup and if the first stage goes out we will not have an operating plant. Mrs. Kinsey said that the line item is overexpended and we need to change this at our budget hearing. The money is there but it needs to be adjusted from other line items. Councilman Astina made a motion that the Council declare this an emergency situation and order the repair to the aerator digester motor to be done by U.S. Motor Repair Shop of Tampa, Florida. Councilman Ledbetter seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion CARRIED 4-0. Councilman Sikes asked about Well #1 which is the well that we have had a lot of trouble with in the past. We do have two other wells that we can use. Councilman Asting said that there was no doubt that we would have to put in another well sometime in the future. Mr. DeGroot said that they have just completed testing and searching Well #1. This well is not producing as it used to. The pressure is down 101 to 12' from what it was but this is true of most of the wells. We also checked chlorides (salt infusion) and they are the same. They have not changed from what they were previously. We are concerned that sometime the impervious layer that is holding the salt water back from our water may be ruptured or penetrated which would be devastating to all of us. 2 . Q ryJ Salt water is intruding into several areas along the coast but so far we do not have that problem in our area. Councilman Sikes asked if we had enough land west of Well #3 to put another well in? Mr. DeGroot said that we did not and the reason was that during the testing of Well #1 we noticed that the draw down effects the other wells. This establishes the concept that we would have to go further west, somewhere between where our Well #3 is and Tomoka draw. New Smyrna has exploratory wells west of 95 and they are testing them to determine the quality and quantity of the water, the direction of flow and the cost of transporting that water to New Smyrna. Councilman Asting said that Edgewater is continuing to grow and right now, in dry weather, we pump as high as 755,000 gals. of water a day. That is with a population of about 5500. Mr. DeGroot said that when-we talk about another 1,000 people we are also talking about another 100,000 gals. The formula is about 100 to 150 gals per day per person. Councilman Sikes said that we have to buy the land that our wells are on. Mr. DeGroot said that we can improve the production of Well #1 by having a deeper setting of the pump. Councilman Sikes said that he believes some restrictions have been removed to allow for more septic tanks. If we provide water then septic tanks could help relieve the problem of sewers for the expanding population. Councilman Sikes made a motion to adjourn. Councilman Ledbetter seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned. Minutes submitted by: Nancy Blazi .~ ~~ Cit Clerk Counc lman .~f.64 Councilman I F rr ~~ ILw / A P PRO V EDT HIS !It DAY o F MAY, 1979. ~/~ Mayor 3