ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    May 2,
    1974
    )
    CITY OF HARRISBURG
    )
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB
    74-61
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    CITY OF MT.
    OLIVE
    )
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 74-62
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    CITY OF ASHLEY
    )
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB
    74-64
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    ELDORADO WATER COMPANY
    )
    )
    3
    PCB
    74-99
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    TRIPLE OAKS WATER COMPANY
    )
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 74-100
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr.
    Dumelle):
    12—203
    -2-
    The above five petitioners all filed
    a Petition seeking
    a variance from the limit of 0.02 mg/i
    of copper found in Rule
    203(f)
    of the Water Pollution Rules
    in order
    to apply copper
    sulfate to public supply reservoirs
    to control algal growth.
    The Board ordered additional information concerning actual dosages,
    frequency of application, and the resulting copper concentrations
    in raw water intakes in three of the petitions; Harrisburg,
    Eldorado,
    and Triple Oaks.
    These
    three Petitioners all complied
    with the Board’s Order.
    The Agency has recommended
    a grant in
    all five cases.
    We granted the first of the 1974 seasonal algae growth
    variances in City of Nashville, PCB 74-35 on April
    18,
    1974.
    For the reasons detailed in that Opinion, the Board has decided
    to grant each of the five requests
    as recommended by the Agency.
    “However,
    a concern
    of the Board,
    is the possible buildup
    of
    copper in the bottom sediments sufficient
    to poison benthos
    or affect bottom-feeding fish,
    The requirement
    to obtain
    a permit
    from the Agency for the activity proposed by
    (Petitioner)
    is
    currently before
    the Board in the proposed amendments
    to the
    Public Water Supply Systems Rules and Regulations, R73-13”(City
    of Nashville
    supra).
    While the Board notes that differing
    water conditions,
    i.e. hardness, akalinity, nutrient loading,
    turbidity,
    temperature, etc.,
    affect
    the potential for algal
    growth,
    the Board questions
    the necessity
    of the wide difference from
    0.06 mg/l to 0.35 mg/i of recommended copper application con~
    trations
    present in these
    five cases.
    “It may be that the
    traditional amounts of copper sulfate
    always used in the past
    are being recommended by the Agency with no attempt
    to prescribe
    the least possible amount”
    (City of Mount Olive et
    al v. EPA,
    PCB 73-124,
    at 9-12, August
    9,
    1973).
    This Opinion constitutes the~Board’s findings of facts
    and conclusions of law,
    ORDER
    Each Petitioner is hereby granted a variance from Rule 203
    (f)
    of the Water Pollution Rules subject
    to the following condi-
    tions:
    I.
    That copper sulfate treatment be
    limited to one treatment
    per month for:
    City of Harrisburg,
    to be applied for
    the months
    of May, through and including September,
    1974;
    City of Mount Olive,to be applied for the months of May,
    through and including October,
    1974;
    City of Ashley,
    be
    applied for the months
    of
    April,
    through and including
    September,
    l9~74;Eldorado Water Company,to be applied for
    -3--
    the months of May, through and including October,
    1974;
    and Triple Oaks Water Company,to be applied for the
    months of June,
    through and including September,
    1974;
    2.
    That copper sulfate dosages not exceed:
    City of Harrisburg,
    600 and 500
    lbs. per treatment for the north and south
    side channels which
    at maximum dosages
    should not exceed
    0.12 mg/l respectively; City
    of Mount Olive,900
    lbs. per
    treatment in the main reservoir and
    if the supplemental
    reservoir is treated
    400
    lbs. per treatment which
    at
    maximum dosages should not exceed 0.135 and 0.11 mg/i
    respectively; City of Ashley,350
    lbs. per treatment,
    which
    at maximum dosages should not exceed 0.35 mg/i;
    Eldorado Water Company,600
    lbs.
    per treatment which
    at maximum dosages should not exceed 0.08 mg/i;
    and
    Triple Oaks Water Company,90
    lbs. per treatment
    in
    Lake Wildwood and
    500
    lbs. per treatment in Northern
    Oaks Lake which at maximum dosages
    should not exceed
    0.14 mg/l and 0.06 mg/i;
    3.
    That copper sulfate
    at the raw water intake
    to each
    treatment plant never exceed 1.0 mg/i recommendation
    of the U.S. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards;
    4.
    That
    the copper concentrations in
    the reservoir be
    measured immediately prior and after each copper sulfate
    treatment,
    and the results of the measurements be submitted
    to the Environmental Protection Agency on a monthly basis.
    IT
    IS
    SO ORDERED.
    I, Christan
    L. Moffett,
    Clerk of
    the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board,
    hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were adopted on the
    ________day of May, 1974 by
    a vote
    of
    ~j—o
    Illinois Pollution
    trol Board
    12
    —
    205

    Back to top