ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    May 29, 1974
    )
    CITY OF WHITE HALL
    )
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 74-127
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    CITY OF WAVERLY
    )
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB
    74-129
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr. Dumelle):
    The City of White Hall filed a petition for variance from
    Rule 203(f)
    of the Water Pollution Rules
    and Regulations
    (Chapter
    3)
    on April
    3,
    1974.
    The City of Waverly filed a similar petition
    on April
    4,
    1974.
    Both wish to use copper sulfate to control algae
    in their water supply reservoirs.
    On April
    18,
    1974 the Board ordered both cities
    to furnish
    information as
    to the actual levels of copper measured during the
    1973 variances
    at the raw water intake to the water treatment plant.
    The City of White Hall replied on April
    29 stating that no measure-
    ments were made last year since
    “we had no method or equipment for
    determining the level.”
    The City of Waverly replied on May
    3 and the
    levels it listed were below the 1.0 mg/i specified in the previous
    variance.
    Rule 203(f)
    sets a water quality standard of 0.02 mg/i for
    copper.
    Previous Board opinions have discussed at length the merits
    of copper sulfate treatment to prevent algae growths versus possible
    long-term bottom contamination from copper buildup.
    The entire
    matter
    is pending before the Board in R73-13, Public Water Supply
    Rules and Regulations,
    and will be shortly discussed and decided.
    The Agency recommends
    the grant
    of the two variances.
    It
    presented its own copper sampling data for White Hall but had no
    data available giVing the copper content in the raw water intake
    immediately after the June 1973 dosage using
    800 lbs~ of copper
    12—459
    -2-
    sulfate.
    Thus we do not know if the U.S. Public Health Drinking
    Water Standards were exceeded by this dosage.
    Therefore,
    in the
    interests of prudence, we grant the variance not up to the 1400
    lbs.
    requested per treatment but only at
    800
    lbs.
    and we limit
    the
    frequency to two treatments during
    the algae-growing season
    (the
    requested frequency).
    We urge the Agency
    to follow existing variances
    to make certain that conditions of the orders are observed.
    For Waverly,
    the Agency presents copper concentration data
    attributed to the petitioner but its numbers do not agree completely
    with data for the same dates submitted to the Board directly by
    the petitioner.
    We grant this variance
    as requested.
    ORDER
    Variance
    is granted to White Hall and Waverly to exceed
    the
    copper water quality standard of Rule
    203(f)
    for the purpose of
    controlling algae
    in their respective water supply reservoirs with
    copper sulfate during 1974 subject
    to the following conditions:
    1.
    The treatments shall be limited to one per month for
    the months of May through October, 1974 inclusive for
    Waverly and limited to two treatments during 1974 for White
    Hall.
    2.
    The dosages shall not exceed
    500 lbs. per treatment for
    Waverly and 800
    lbs. per treatment for White Hall.
    3.
    The
    copper concentration at
    the
    raw
    water intake
    to the
    water
    treatment ~1ant shall never exceed 1.0 mg/i.
    4.
    The
    copper
    concentration
    ~n
    the
    reservoir
    shall
    be
    measured
    immediately
    before
    and
    after
    ~ach
    copper
    sulfate
    treatment.
    The
    results
    shall
    be
    submitted
    monthly
    to
    the
    Agency.
    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
    ~he
    ~
    day
    of
    May,
    ~974
    by
    a vote
    of
    ________________________
    ~
    Illinois Polluti
    Control Board

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