ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

October 9, 1975

VILLAGE OF POTOMAC,

Petitioner,

v.

)

PCB 75—237

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Goodman):

This matter comes before the Pollution Control Board

(Board) upon the Village of Potoma&s (Potomac) July 18,

1975, Amended Petition for Variance from Rule 408(b) of the

Water Regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency

(Agency) filed its recommendation on September

4,

1975,

Potomac is located in Vermilion County and has a population

of 900. It seeks Variance for the discharge of total

dissolved

solids from common waste water backwash filter and holding

tank which is part of an expansion to its treatment plant.

The expansion includes the replacement of one iron removal

filter with three units and the replacement of a softening

unit. The discharge from the filter and softener would be

combined in the common

backwash

filter and holding tank

and

then discharged at a

rate of five

gallons per minute into

an

existing storm

sewer which

discharges into Bluegrass Creek,

a tributary

to the middle fork of the Vermilion River.

Bluegrass Creek,

although it

has a seven—day, ten—year

low

flow

of zero, has never been observed to be dry. The middle

fork of the

Vermilion River has a seven-day, ten—year low

flow of 0.5 cfm. The

level

of total dissolved

solids in the

discharge is in the

range of

5,000

to

7,600 milligrams per

liter, a reduction

from the peak of 80,000

mg/I of the

softener discharge. The level of dissolved solids in the

final effluent

will be in the range of

4,000 mg/i.

The Board

Order

of May 16, 1974, in PCB 74-15,

granted

Petitioner a

Variance from Rule 408(b)

for a

one year period,

due to the minimal

environmental impact of the Potoma&s

discharge. This

Order required

Petitioner

to file bimonthly

reports and a

project completion schedule. The Agency

reports that

Potomac has

substantially

complied with the

Board~s Order.

Delay in completion of

the

treatment facility

occured due to delay in the delivery of electrical

equipment.

The Agency contends

that

Petitioner~s present :treatment

operation is the

best

practical way of treating its

brine

discharge wastes

outside

of discharging them to a

sewage

treatment plant

collection system.

19

—

36

---

—2—

The Board finds that there has been no change

in

circumstances since its PCB 74-15 Order relating to the

hardship which would result from denial of Variance. The

Board also finds that the granting of this Variance would

have a minimal environmental impact which is greatly out-

weighed by

the

effects a denial would have. The Board will

grant Petitioner a Variance from Rule 408(b) of the Water

Regulations until October 1, 1976.

This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact

and conclusions of law in this matter.

ORDER

It

is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that:

The Village of Potomac is granted Variance from Rule

408(b) of the Water Regulations as it pertains to dissolved

solids until

October 1, 1976, subject to the following

conditions:

(a) That Petitioner’s discharges from its holding

tank

not exceed 7,600 milligrams per liter of total

dissolved solids.

(b) That Petitioner sample the effluent from the

holding tank of its pollutional control facility

once a month during the term of their Variance and any

additional samples as the Agency may require, and

provide these samples to the Agency for analysis.

I,

Christan

L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board, hereby certify the above Opinio a d Order

were adopted on the

_____________-

day

of

______________

1975

by a vote of

.3-c

,~

~1IL~

Christan L. o~fet

,

rk

Illinois Pollution

rol Board