ILLINOIS
POLLUTION
CONTROL
BOARD
July
11,
1974
VILLAGE
OF
NEW
BERLIN,
)
Petitioner,
)
)
v.
)
PCB
74—133
)
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY,
)
Respondent.
)
)
VILLAGE
OF
SHIPMAN,
)
Petitioner,
)
)
v.
)
PCB 74—187
)
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY,
)
Respondent.
)
OPINION
AND
ORDER
OF
THE
BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
These
two
proceedings
are
variance
requests
to
use
copper
sulfate
for
algae
control
in
water
supp~Ly
reservoirs.
We
grant
them
subject
to
the
conditions in the Order,
The Village of New Berlin
filed its petition on April
10,
1974.
The
Board on April
30 entered
an Order requesting information
as
to actual
copper levels attained in the finished drinking water under 1973 dosing.
On May 22 the Village of New Berlin replied to state that they had never
measured copper levels
and
in fact had not used copper sulfate in
1973.
The
Agency
recommends
a
grant
of
the
variance’from
Rule
203(f)
of
the
Water
Pollution
Regulations
to
exceed
the
level
of
0.02
mg/l
for
copper
for
the
Village
of
New
Berlin.
The Village of Shipman filed its variance petition on May 21,
1974.
The Board
on May 23 asked for information as to actual copper levels
measured
in the raw water intake under previous variance (PCB73—259).
On
June
17
the laboratory analysis for September
1973
was
subini~ted.
The
laboratory
data
are
not
clear,
The
Board
order
in
PCB73—259
required
that
copper
in
the
raw water
intake
not
exceed
1.0
mg/l.
This
exact level is shown for this sampling location.
However a 6
ounce
sample for the
lake
before copper sulfate was added shows a blank
(presumably zero) while a 2 ounce similar sample showed 0.90 mg/l of
copper.
This discrepancy is not explained.
And
if
the
natural level
of
copper
is
in
fact
0.90
mg/l
in
the
lake,
then no need
might
exist
to
add more copper.
The Agency should review these sampling data beca~use
they are not consistent
and
closely check new data from
Shiptxtan.
13—43
On June
17,
1974 the Agency filed its recotmuendation.
It recognized
the data discrepancies and attributed them to mislabelling or switching
of bottles.
The Agency gives other copper data which show levels from zero
to only 0.18 mg/i for five samples and
all
are
thus far below the 1,0 mg/l
limit set by Board
order.
As we have said in many similar opinions,
the use of copper sulfate
is presently now under Board review in
the Public Water Supply proceeding.
Secondly,
the alternatives to its use seem not satisfactory.
Lastly, the
poisoning of the bottom sediments by copper has not been shown and may be
a long term hazard.
Thus we urge the Agency to study alternatives.
We
urge the
two petitioners here to use as little copper sulfate as possible.
ORDER
1,
Variance
is granted to the Village of New Berlin
and
to the
Village of Shipman to exceed the 0.02 mg/i copper level set
forth in Rule 203(f)
during
1974.
2.
Treatments with copper sulfate shall be limited to one
per
month
(May
through September for New Berlin; June through
September for Shipman).
The quantity used shall not exceed
150
lbs.
per treatment for New Berlin and 400
lbs. per treat~
merit for Shipman.
If
it is shown
to the Agency that
the
dosage for Shinnian will not control algae,
then 500
lbs. may
be used,
3.
Copper concentrations in the raw water intake to the
treatment
plant shall never exceed
1.0 mg/i.
They shall be measured
and reported
to
the Agency monthly.
4.
The copper concentrations in the reservoir shall
be
measured
before
and after each treatment and the results submitted
monthly
to the Agency.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I,
Christan I. Noffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board
do hqreby certify that the Board adopted
ti’e above Opinion
and
Order
this
II~~
day of July,
1974 by a vote of
~to
0
Chris ~
Illinois Pollution ControfBoard
13 —44