ILLINOIS POLLUTION
    CONTROL BOARD
    January
    9, 1974
    )
    )
    NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT,
    )
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    PCB 74-344
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL
    PROTECTION AGENCY,
    )
    Respondent,
    )
    OPINION
    AND
    ORDER OP THE BOARD
    (by Mr. Dumeile):
    Petition for variance was filed September 23, 1974 by
    the
    North
    Shore
    Sanitary
    District
    (“District”).
    The
    petition
    requests
    an
    extension
    of
    the
    variance
    granted
    in
    PCB
    73-502
    on February 21, 1974 until December 31,
    1974.
    It asks to retain
    the use of 8,653 population equivalents (“P.E.”) remaining
    of 13,333 P.E. previously authorized for sewer connection permits
    to the District’s Waukegan sewage treatment plant.
    On September 27, 1974
    the
    Board
    ordered
    that
    prior
    proceedings
    be
    stipulated
    into
    this
    record.
    This
    was
    done
    by
    the
    District
    in
    an
    Mended
    Petition
    filed
    October
    17,
    1974.
    No
    public
    hearing
    was
    held.
    A condition of the predecessor variance, PCB 73-502, was that
    after April
    1, 1974 the Waukegan plant would have to meet an
    effluent standard of 20 mg/i BOD5 and 25 mg/I suspended solids.
    The Agency recommendation
    was
    filed December 9,
    1974.
    It
    gives operating data for the period from February through October.
    No year
    is
    given but
    presumably
    it is for 1974.
    These
    data
    show
    violations
    of the BODç limit in all but one of the seven months after
    April
    1,
    1974
    and violations of the suspended solids limit in
    each
    of the seven months.
    The average effluent strength for this period
    was 23 mg/i BOD5 and 42 mg/l suspended solids.
    The Mency believes that operational difficulties during
    construction may have caused the effluents to exceed the Board’s
    limits.
    As operational experience is gained and the problems
    incident to construction are eliminated, the treatment plant
    efficiency is expected to improve, according to the Agency.
    15—197
    -2-
    The design capacity of the plant is given as 19.9 MGD.
    Flow metering equipment has not been function and the only flow
    data available is for October 1974 which showed 19.085 MGD.
    The Agency states that were the 8,653 P.E. requested in the
    variance to be connected, 0.865 MGD additional flow would result
    and the plant would then be at 19.94 MGD or slightly over design
    capacity.
    In the past year only 480 P.E. were connected and so it is
    doubtful, states the Agency, that full 8,653 P.E. could be connected
    in the coming year.
    We
    are
    not
    given
    a full
    report
    as
    to
    the
    exact
    construction
    status
    of this plant.
    The Agency states that “construction of
    tertiary facilities is presently underway” but does not tell when
    they will be finished.
    The plant capacity in the near future,
    after construction is completed,
    is not given.
    Flow data is an important part of a waste treatment plant
    operator’s
    knowledge of his operation.
    A plant of this size should
    have accurate flow data available to the operator and to the Board.
    The single figure for October which we are given may have been
    recorded in a relatively dry month.
    In wet weather, the Waukegan
    plant may already now be exceeding its design capacity.
    We grant the variance for an additioñlt-ye.gr.
    The effluent
    to Lake Michigan may improve shortly if the Agency is correct.
    However, we limit the number of population equivalents that may
    be connected to 2,000 instead of the requested 8,653 P.E. but
    not to exceed the plant’s design capacity.
    We shall require adequate flow measurement and a
    status
    report by March 1, 1915 to the Board and Agency on timetables
    for construction and the plant capacity resulting from such construc-
    tion.
    A further report by September
    1, 1975 is required.
    This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
    conclusions of law.
    ORDER
    1.
    Variance
    iS
    granted
    from
    December
    31,
    1974
    to
    December
    31,
    1975
    for
    the
    District to connect not more than 2,000 population
    equivalents
    to
    the
    Waukegan
    sewage
    treatment
    plant
    provided
    that
    the
    plant’s
    design
    capacity
    is
    not
    exceeded.
    2.
    Adequate
    flow
    monitoring of total flows to and
    through
    the
    Waukegan
    plant
    shall
    be
    operational
    by
    March
    1,
    1975.
    15—198
    3
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    SO ORDERLJ
    I,
    Christan
    L~
    Moffett~
    Clerk
    of
    the
    Illinois
    Pollution
    Control Board, hereby certify the above
    Opinion
    and
    Order
    were
    adopted
    on
    the
    ~day
    of January, l~)75
    by
    a
    vote
    of
    Il~ipois
    Pollution
    15
    -~
    199

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