ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    September 18, 1975
    VILLAGE OF ARGENT~,
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    PCB 75—182
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    VILLAGE OF CERRO GORDO,
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    PCB 75—183
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    OPINION OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
    This Opinion supports the Orders entered in these two cases
    on July 17, 1975 which granted the variances with conditions.
    Interim Opinions and Orders were entered in both cases on
    June 26, 1975. For Argenta and Cerro Gordo, the Orders required
    information on the separate fiscal estimates for the sewage
    treatment plant oL lagoons, respectively; the extent, if any,
    of an algae bloom problem on Lake Decatur; and lastly, any information
    as to the existence of taste or odors occurring in public waters
    supplies taken from Lake Decatur and caused by algae.
    18
    —
    552
    —2—
    Responses were received on July 9, 1975 in both cases
    from the same consulting engineering firm. For Argenta, it
    was stated that algae has occurred in Lake Decatur but that
    turbidity “had always kept the algae problem under control”.
    Algae was reported in the northern shallow area of Lake Decatur.
    Taste and odors in Decatur’s water supply “have never been
    uncontrollable”. A new Decatur water plant is said to make
    control of taste and odors “less of a problem”.
    An Agency response, received July 10, 1975 quotes the
    Illinois State Water Survey report as showing that Lake Decatur
    should be subject to occasional algae growths. The Agency
    points out that the Decatur water plant uses activated carbon
    as a final polishing process and thus controls taste and odors.
    The new fiscal data showed a cost for the Argenta sewage
    treatment plant alone of $640,000 compared to $620,000 alone for
    the land treatment alternative. Furthermore, the land has a
    salvage value of $250,000. And the annual maintenance and
    operation costs are listed at $6,700 with a $3,000 revenue
    offset for land treatment compared to annual costs of $30,000
    to run the proposed sewage treatment plant.
    For Argenta, the land treatment alternative thus appears
    much less costly and certainly not “prohibitive” as originally
    stated in the Petition. However, the Petition is not clear
    as to whether land treatment was an alternative to the sewage
    treatment plant or an “add—on” process. In any event, the Board
    has usually left the choice of methods of compliance to the
    Petitioner. We grant Argenta a variance from the phosphorus
    water quality standard until July 1, 1977 but shall require
    that provision be made in the sewage plant design for phosphorus
    removal facilities (adequate space, blanked pipe flanges, etc.)
    should the algae problem on Lake Decatur increase in intensity.
    While the phosphorus contribution from Argenta to Lake Decatur
    appears small it may be the largely algae-reactive ortho-
    phosphate type compared to the stream load of phosphorus bound
    to soil particles and hence not growth stimulating to algae.
    For Cerro Gordo, the preceding discussion as to algae
    blooms on Lake Decatur also holds. The new fiscal data shows
    a cost for the lagoon treatment facility of $363,730. The
    land treatment facility is estimated to cost an additional
    $611,000 (less a salvage value of $250,000). The land treatment
    facility is evidently an “add—on” process to the lagoons but
    this was not clear in the Petition.
    18
    —
    553
    —3—
    Again, as for Argenta, we grant the variance to Cerro
    Gordo but require that provision be made for future phosphorus
    removal facilities should these be found necessary. We note
    that the Preliminary Report on Lake Decatur attached to the
    consultant’s response terms the Lake as “eutrophic” and phosphorus-
    limited. The phosphorus loading rate is given as more than
    7 times the “dangerous” rate.
    We agree witn the Agency that more research is needed
    on the phosphorus question as it applies to lake eutrophication.
    And time does not permit that to be done in this variance
    proceeding.
    This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
    conclusions of law.
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board, hereby certify the above Opinion was adopted on the
    /f#*
    day
    of September, 1975 by a vote of
    ______________________
    ChristanL.
    Ck~AfL~
    1,
    Moff
    ~
    t, lerk
    Illinois Pollution Control Board
    18
    —
    554

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