Summary:
Ordinance approving and authorizing a joint funding agreement between the City of Houston and United States Geological Survey, a Texas Water Science Center, United States Department of the Interior for Water Resource Investigations.
SUBJECT:
Approve an Ordinance for a Joint Funding Agreement with the United States Geological Survey for water resource investigation and monitoring.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
It is requested that City Council approve a Joint Funding Agreement between the City of Houston and the Geological Survey Division of the United States Department of the Interior (USGS). This Agreement will provide for continuation of ongoing services for analysis and monitoring of the City's surface water supply, monitoring for the presence of naturally occurring contaminants in our groundwater wells and the monitoring and analysis of streams and bayous that are affected by our wastewater treatment plant discharges. Under the agreement, USGS will provide approximately 30% of the cost of the services provided to the City.
This is a 60-month agreement, effective date as the date of the last signature by the United States Geological Survey and the City of Houston. This agreement is shared between the Drinking Water Operations and Wastewater Operations Branches. Scientific work conducted for the Drinking Water Operations Branch includes source water and ground water monitoring for water quality and long term supply issues. This work is supplemented by Drinking Water Operations personnel collecting and analyzing samples for routine parameters, while the USGS laboratory analyzes for those parameters which cannot be analyzed in-house. They also provide expert technical analysis of sample data collected to assist operations.
Wastewater Operations Branch utilizes the USGS to conduct wet and dry weather sampling at seven instream sites for fecal coliform, E. Coli, streptococci, pH, temperature, conductance, dissolved oxygen, metals, discharge, and carbonaceous biological oxygen demand for permit compliance demonstration per agreement.
Agreement Cost: The total cost of this agreement is $5,225,061.45 to be allocated as follows.
|
Estimated Fiscal Operating Impact
|
|
Recurring or One-Time
|
Recurring
|
|
Fund Name
|
FY19
|
Outyear 1
|
Outyear 2
|
Outyear 3
|
Outyear 4
|
Total
|
|
Water and Sewer Operating Fund
|
$1,024,320.00
|
$1,034,563.20
|
$1,044,908.83
|
$1,055,357.92
|
$1,065,911.50
|
$5,225,061.45
|
|
Total
|
$1,024,320.00
|
$1,034,563.20
|
$1,044,908.83
|
$1,055,357.92
|
$1,065,911.50
|
$5,225,061.45
|
ESTIMATED FISCAL OPERATING IMPACT:
No significant Fiscal Operating impact is anticipated as a result of this agreement.
"Funding for this item is included in the FY2019 Adopted Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required as stated in the Financial Policies."
___________________________
Carol Ellinger Haddock, PE
Director
Houston Public Works