Border Environment Cooperation Commission
Sanderson Sewer System Project
Sanderson, Texas
II. Human Health and the Environment
IV. Financial Feasibility and Project Management
I.
General Criteria
1. Type of Project.
The project consists of the construction
of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and collection system for the
Community of Sanderson, Terrell County, Texas.
2. Project Location.
The Community of Sanderson, and the Terrell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 (District), the project sponsor, are located in Terrell County in the state of Texas, approximately 20 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border, and is entirely located inside the 62-mile border zone. The service population of the community of Sanderson was approximately 1,143 in 1995, and the population is expected to reach 1,379 in the year 2020.
3. Project Description and Work Tasks
The
project consists of the construction of the wastewater treatment plant and the
wastewater collection system. The system will serve 100% of the existing
population. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved $3,602,935 as
a grant/loan package to the District, which is seeking transition funds to ease
the financial impact for the residents of the community. Described below are
the project components:
Wastewater Treatment Plant
This
part of the project entails the construction of a wastewater treatment plant
with an average daily flow (ADF) capacity of 0.200 million gallons per day
(mgd). This capacity will satisfy
wastewater treatment needs through the year 2020, which is the design life of
the WWTP. The proposed treatment facilities will consist of a two stage
settling process with capacity of 0.200 mgd average daily flow and peak flow of
0.700 mgd. Effluent will meet a standard of 30mg/l BOD5, 90 mg/l TSS and 4 mg/l
dissolved oxygen and will be discharged into Sanderson Creek.
The
need for the project stems from the fact that Sanderson has no public sanitary
sewer system. The community currently uses septic tanks and cesspools as the
means of sanitary waste disposal. The
Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation
Commission (TNRCC) in the past few years have responded to numerous complaints
regarding the improper disposal of domestic waste in the community, including
the contamination of some of Sandersons water wells by the Railroad Company.
The
Community of Sanderson was developed with residential lots varying in size from
7,500 S.F. to 10,000 S.F. These lots do
not comply with the current TNRCC on-site disposal regulations and are too
small to provide alternative disposal systems. The current regulations prevent
new construction of septic tank systems with the current lot sizes.
Wastewater
Collection System
The
improvement plan includes the construction of nearly 100,00 linear feet of new
lines to serve the entire communitys needs over the next twenty years. The
collection system will consist of 4-inch (hook up lines), 6-inch, 8-inch and
10-inch PVC (SDR 35) sewer lines installed in existing alleys (platted and
unplatted), along street Rights of Way (ROW) and also in the abandoned Railroad
ROW. Some easements for pipe
installation will have to be acquired along the route.
Most
of the installation of the sewer piping will be 4 to 8 foot depth range,
although the trunk line along the south edge of town, near the railroad ROW at
the creek crossing will reach depths of nearly 20 feet.
4. Compliance with International Treaties and Agreements. The project will not have
any international impact, as all discharges will be maintained within the U.S.
territory.
II. Human Health and Environment
1.
Human Health/Environmental
Need. The
project will address human health and environmental concerns by providing
adequate wastewater collection and treatment for the residents of the community
of Sanderson.
All of the community of Sanderson is served by on-site
wastewater systems, most of which are septic systems. Most systems do not meet
state (TNRCC OSSF regulations chapter 285) or county design standards due to
small lot size and density of development. Some residents still have water
wells located within their small lots near the septic system. The Texas
Department of Health has noted a threat to public health due to lack of
adequate sanitation facilities, with surfacing of raw sewage compounded by poor
drainage situation.
Provision of a centralized wastewater collection and
treatment system will reduce the potential for raw wastewater leakage to the
environment and the likelihood of disease transmission through contact with raw
wastewater by providing adequate disposal.
The improvements were recommended and supported by the Texas Department
of Health and Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission based on the
results of an environmental assessment that identified potential health
problems throughout the community.
2.
Environmental Assessment. Environmental Assessments
(EA) are necessary to meet the requirements established by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the federal level, through the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)
requires a Finding Of No Significant Impact (FONSI) be issued in order to
approve and release construction funds for the project.
An Environmental Assessment document was
prepared by Gutierrez, Smouse, Wilmut & Associates and submitted to TWDB
and EPA for review. The TWDB reviewed
the document and issued some comments that were incorporated into a final
version. TWBD issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on April 15th,
1997, which did undergo a 30-day public review period through May 15th.
The EA
document was also submitted to the EPA to undergo a review and a public comment
period. This process is underway and it is expected to complete within a few
days.
The TWDBs FONSI document recommends the following
mitigation measures: a survey by a qualified botanist, of the construction
area, to determine the presence or absence of the Bunched Corey cactus during
the bloom period of between April and June; the Texas Historical Commission has
stipulated that although no significant archaeological were found, the grant shall
be conditioned to require that if any historic or prehistoric archaeological
sites are discovered during construction, work will cease immediately in that
area, the site will be protected and EPA, TWDB and the State Historic
Preservation Officer will be notified for further instructions; dust control
measures are required during construction activities, and; noise reduction
measures are recommended, such as selecting the most quiet type of equipment,
turning off idling equipment, and scheduling the noisiest operations to
coincide with the time of highest ambient noise level.
No potential significant negative transboundary effects have
been identified. The system will
continue discharging exclusively in U.S. waters. As previously indicated, the direct point of discharge is into
Sanderson Creek, a tributary to the Rio Grande.
3.
Compliance with
Environmental and Cultural Resource Laws and Regulations.
As part of the EA, a Cultural Resources Survey and a
Biological Report were conducted to ensure that the proposed project does not
have significant impacts on the areas that may be affected by the proposed
project. The Sanderson Sewer System
Project complies with all the applicable environmental and cultural regulations.
1. Appropriate Technology. A wastewater treatment and wastewater
collection facility plan was developed by GSW & Assoc., Inc. for the
Community of Sanderson utilizing TWDB funds.
The description of the proposed alternatives for these components is
provided below.
Wastewater Treatment Plant
The wastewater treatment facility plan evaluated
the following treatment alternatives.
Alternative
1 No action. Under this alternative no new treatment will
be provided and the existing septic tanks and cesspools will continue to
operate. However, no new septic tanks
will be permitted unless they meet the current TNRCC regulations. Under current
lot size conditions, no new permits will be approved. The excessive flow in
some of the septic tanks may result in overflows which would result in a Notice
of Non-Compliance issued to the residents by the TNRCC. In such a case, the residents would be
required to take corrective action or could be fined by the TNRCC for
violation. This alternative was
determined unfeasible.
Alternative
2 Irrigation or Slow Infiltration. This process has a major disadvantage since
it entails the irrigation or slow infiltration of wastewater and it requires
the long-term commitment of a large area of land (280-560 acres/mgd) for
frequent irrigation. Since the project is located in an arid environment
containing plants and animals adapted to xeric conditions, frequent irrigation
could adversely impact the plant and animal species located in the irrigation
area, and could require knowledgeable design and operation to prevent the
spread of pathogens and the increase of vectors.
Alternative 3 Rapid Infiltration Systems. This alternative entails the construction of
basins to apply the wastewater to the soil. During resting periods, tilling the
soil restores its filtration capacity. Like slow infiltration, rapid
infiltration requires the long-term commitment of a large area of land (62-280
acres/mgd). Plant and animal species located in the infiltration basins would
have to be removed. In addition, there is the potential to contaminate the
groundwater with nitrates.
Alternative
4 Facultative Lagoon.
This alternative consists of a primary system using a facultative lagoon
treatment system composed of a headworks and one or more lagoons in parallel.
Facultative lagoons may be used as a preapplication treatment in combination
with land treatment, oxidation ditches, and other forms of extended aeration
and stabilization ponds. Facultative lagoons by themselves have a low potential
to adversely impact the environment because they do not use a large amount of
land and are used in conjunction with a secondary treatment process. The total
amount of land required by the project using a facultative lagoon with
secondary treatment process (other than land application) is approximately 50
acres.
Alternative 5 Oxidation Ditch. An oxidation ditch
provides secondary treatment for wastewater. The process employs a closed
channel that is 4 to 8 feet deep. Excess solids must be removed from the final
clarifier and disposed of using land application of the dilute solids or
dewatering the solids and disposing of them in an approved landfill. Oxidation
ditches by themselves have a low potential to adversely affect the environment
because they do not use a large amount of land; however, periodic land
application of dilute solids or land fill disposal of dewatered solids may have
the potential to adversely impact the xeric plant and animal species located in
the disposal areas.
Alternative 6 -- Facultative Lagoons with
Stabilization Ponds (the selected alternative). Facultative
lagoons serve as the primary treatment unit and stabilization ponds are the
secondary treatment unit. All sludge generated by these treatment methods would
be stored in the facultative lagoon for the 20-year life of the project.
Effluent would be discharged into Sanderson Creek. These treatment methods have
low potential to adversely impact the environment because they do not use as much
land as other treatment processes, do not discharge effluent onto large land
areas, and sludge disposal will not occur for 20 years. This is the selected
alternative.
|
Wastewater Treatment System Project |
|||
|
DESCRIPTION |
COST (USD) |
||
|
|
|
Collection System |
·
$2,460,000 |
|
|
|
Treatment System |
·
$ 686,435 |
|
|
|
Professional Services |
·
$ 456,500 |
|
|
|
Total Cost |
·
$3,602,935 |
This alternative
utilizes appropriate technology for the capabilities and conditions of
Sanderson. The technology being
proposed has been in used widely at other small communities for several years
and the District has indicated its ability to operate and maintain it.
Wastewater
Collection System
The
proposed wastewater collection technology (i.e. gravity PVC pipe) is
appropriate for the conditions of Sanderson and it will reduce overflow
conditions of the existing septic systems. The installation methods proposed
are also of an appropriate technology level and cost effective.
1. Operation and Maintenance Plan. A preliminary operation and maintenance plan is included in the
facility plan. A final operation and
maintenance plant must be prepared during final design and completed prior to
start-up of the plant.
2.
Compliance
with Applicable Design Standards and Regulations. The proposed capital improvements plan was
developed to a conceptual design level.
Final design will be developed after certification. The final design must be submitted to the
Texas Water Development Board for review and comments, and approval.
IV.
Finacial Feasibility and Project Mangement
1.
Financial
Feasibility. The
NADB is currently performing a financial evaluation to determine the financial
feasibility of the project. This
analysis will determine what level of grant the district can receive from this
institution and what the impact of the proposed project on user fees would be
under different grant/loan arrangements, as described below. The findings of the analysis will be
presented to the community during the second public participation meeting,
which has been scheduled for the first week of February.
The following table summarizes the estimated
construction cost of the proposed project.
|
Estimated Capital Cost |
|||
|
ITEM |
USD |
||
|
|
Wastewater Treatment Plant |
$ 686,435 |
|
|
|
Wastewater Collection System |
$2,460,000 |
|
|
|
Professional Services |
$ 456,500 |
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
$3,602,935 |
To this date, the
Community of Sanderson has secured funds from the Texas Water Development Board
from the Economically Distressed Area Program (EDAP). However, of these funds, $3,270,935 is a grant and $332,000 is a
loan, for this reason the Water District is seeking a 7-year transition funds
assistance from the NADB, to ease the financial impact to the residents in the
community of the Sanderson. The assistance is necessary so that the user fees
may be gradually raised to the level required to ensure operation and
maintenance of the system as well as meet the Districts debt obligations.
The NADB is currently
completing the financial evaluation of the project. Upon completion, the NADB will recommend the amount of transition
funds the Community can receive. The
results of the financial analysis will be presented to the Community of
Sanderson once the NADB completes the analysis.
2.
Fee
Rate Model: A fee
rate model is being prepared by the NADB as part of the financial
analysis. This model will be utilized
to determine the impact on user fees of the proposed project under several
combinations of grants and loans.
It is important to point out that NADB has
procured the service of a consulting firm to develop a detailed rate
study. This study will recommend
improvements to the rate structure of the district.
3.
Project
Management. The project will be
managed by the Terrell County Water Control and Improvements District No. 1,
which has been managing successfully the operation of the existing water
distribution system during several years. The District has the authority to
adopt utility rate adjustments by resolution, thus giving itself the authority
to impose rates, fees and charges. The
operation of the system is to be self-supporting from the fees and charges
levied against their users.
Comprehensive Public Participation Plan. The Terrell County Water
Control and Improvement District #1 of Sanderson, Texas (TCWC&ID), with
contributions from the steering committee, submitted a public participation
plan on October 18, 1999, which modified an earlier public participation plan
submitted in June 1998.
Steering Committee: A steering committee was formed on September 8, 1999. Its members include:
Darrel Seidel (USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service); Ken Norris
(businessman); Luis Villarreal (Terrell County Independent School District);
Robert Weyerts (banker); Sandra Martinez (Terrell County Independent School
District); Martha Allen (county clerk); and Blain Chriesman (tax
assessor). Husdson Kerr, P.E., provided
technical advice and Tom Lowrance of the TCWC&ID was the committee
facilitator. The committee was responsible for developing outreach activities
soliciting public support for the project.
The Steering Committee met on December 16, 1998; September. 7, 8, 14,
and 28,1999; December 21, 1999; and January 26, 2000 to follow-up on the public
process.
Local Organizations: The City and the steering
committee met with business, community and County representatives to present
the project and request and support for the project. These organizations include Sanderson Masonic Lodge, Sanderson
Culture Club, American Legion Auxillary, Terrell County Commissioners, Terrell
County Independent School District Board, and the Sanderson Chamber of
Commerce. There was also a presentation during a Town Meeting on Economic
Development. One hundred and eighty people attended these meetings.
Public Information: The TCWC&ID has made
available to the public the project proposal to the BECC 30 days before the public meetings. This information has been available at the
TCWC&ID offices. Bilingual
newsletters were sent to every mailbox holder with information on the project
and nine articles about the project were published in the local Sanderson Times
newspaper. A survey was mailed to the 495 water district customers presenting
the maximum worst case residential and commercial wastewater rates ($20 and $25
respectively), and requesting their support for the project. Surveys were returned to the TCWC&ID,
County Clerk Office, County Independent School District, Sanderson State Bank,
and Public Library. Final results show that
out of 213 surveys returned, 203 are in favor of the project and 10 against.
Public Meetings: Two public meeting were held per BECC requirements. The first one was
held on July 28, 1998, advertised 30-days in advance in which the president of
the Board of Directors of the TCWC&ID and BECC staff presented the sewer
project to about 51 people who attended the meeting.
The second meeting was held
on February 4, 2000 where the financial and rate increase information was
presented to 16 residents. The public was informed that the wastewater system
was a gravity flow system, and the plant will be built first in the southeast
and lower side of town, sewerline will be laid and then the project will move
to the west and cover the entire area. Hook-ups will follow after construction.
Residents were told that the wastewater plant will be away from the flood plain
and the sewer lines will go under Sanderson Creek, thereby not being impacted
by floods. Rate information presented gave the worst case scenario for
residential and commercial wastewater bills.
The proposed residential wastewater bill would be $18.27 per month and
commercial rates at $24.60. In addition, the public was informed that this
project was mostly a grant-funded project, with an approximate loan in the
amount of $300,000 to be paid back by the community. The NADB will provide
transition assistance for seven years after which the community will assume the
rate administration to meet the debt obligations.
a.
Definition
and Principles
The project is
consistent with BECCs definition of sustainable development: conservation oriented social and economic
development that emphasizes the protection and sustainable use of resources,
while addressing both current and future needs, and present and future impacts
of human actions and with the four principles:
1) human
beings are at the center
they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in
harmony with nature. This principle is
addressed by the purpose of the project, which is to address health risks
associated with the present inadequate capacity of the existing septic
systems. Healthier lives and better
living conditions will result from this project.
2)
The right to development
equitably meet
needs
of present and future generations. The
construction of the wastewater system will accommodate growth projected through
the year 2020, while addressing an critical need today.
3)
environmental protection shall constitute and
integral part of the development process
All environmental parameters have been met. The community of Sanderson has been careful to ensure that
natural resources are protected, plant and animal species of concern are not
impacted, and cultural heritage issues are recognized.
4)
The
stakeholders
must be part of any related activity. Stakeholders have been a part of the process
since the early part of the project development. Public participation and
outreach programs have ensured that public input has been received, considered
and employed.
b.
Institutional
and Capacity Building
The new wastewater system will increase the capacity of the
District to provide necessary quality of life services for its customers. In order to minimize the additional
operational burden to the District, the technology chosen is the simplest of
the typical systems in use today. The
project will allow the Community to meet all regulatory requirements relative
to wastewater collection and disposal.
c.
Conformance
with Applicable Local and Regional Conservation and Development Plans
A water conservation plan that identified sources of water pollution,
quantification of sources, streams wasteloading allocations and corrections for
compliance was prepared and adopted. The local Council of Governments, the
TNRCC and the EPA have regional, state and federal oversight, respectively.
State legislation and rules from the TWDB require development of a Water
Conservation and Emergency Demand Management Plan for projects receiving $500,000 or more in TWDB funds. This project
meets all the requirements of the approval process.
d.
Natural
Resource Conservation
As mentioned above,
the Water Conservation and Emergency Demand Management Plan requires a review
of the community water consumption, comparison of water pumpage and
determination of system leakage. The plan also describes corrective actions to
reduce system leakage, and the institution of plumbing code revisions for
installation of water saving fixtures, and recommends increased water user
rates to encourage water conservation.
e.
Community
development.
The construction of
the wastewater facilities will comply with state water quality and health
regulations, and is beneficial to the community. Other aspects of the project will specifically enhance the
quality of life, such as improving the reliability of the wastewater treatment
and wastewater collection systems.
Furthermore, the new facilities will further reduce the risk of public
exposure to biological pathogens.