ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    October 25, 1973
    IN THE MATTER OF:
    THE PETITION FOR VARIANCE OF:
    )
    PCB 73-321
    WILLIAM ROMANO
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Dr. Odell)
    The Petitioner, William Romano, filed a petition for
    variance which was received by the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board on August 6, 1973. The Petitioner requests a variance
    from Order 7 of ~gue of Women Voters v. North Shore Sanitary
    District, PCB 70-7, 12, 13, and 14, to obtain a sewer connection
    for a proposed single-family dwelling to be built in Gurnee,
    Illinois.
    The Petitioner sold his home in Deerfield, Illinois, in
    November, 1972, in order to work at Cherry Electric in Gurnee,
    Illinois. He is now living in an apartment with his family. In
    June, 1973, he purchased a vacant lot in Gurnee. An existing
    sewer is within 90 feet of his lot. For tax reasons, he wants
    to invest in a new home on the lot within one year after he sold
    his previous home. When he purchased the vacant lot in Gurnee
    he thought that sewer permits would be released in August or
    September, 1973. In his letter of August 1, 1973, to the
    Pollution Control Board, the Petitioner stated that (a) he had
    not been able to obtain a sewer connection permit from the
    North Shore Sanitary District, and (b) they suggested that he
    write to PCB.
    On September 18, 1973, the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board received from the Environmental Protection Agency a
    recommendation concerning the variance request from William
    Romano.
    The proposed sewer connection would be tributary to the
    Clavey Road sewage treatment plant, which is owned and operated
    by the North Shore Sanitary District.
    9
    647

    —2--
    Order
    7
    of: PCI3 70—7,
    12,
    13, and
    14, of March 31, 1971,
    stated that:
    “The 1)istrict
    shall nt permit any additions
    to present sewer connections,
    or new sewer connections,
    to its
    facilities
    until
    the district: can demonstrate that it can
    adequat;ely treat the wastes From those new sources so as not
    to vjo~ate the Rnvironmental
    ProLection /\ct, or the Rules and
    Requla
    tions promulgated thereunder.
    After
    improvements at.
    the Clavey Road plant, the District
    was permitted to add
    1,677 living
    units (North Shore
    Sanitary
    )Jstmctv.1:nvir0nmental_~otecl~.i2~~c,
    PCI3 71—343, March 2,
    1972) 1:0
    the
    sewers tributary
    to the Clavey
    Road
    plant for a
    (‘rio(1 of one year after January 31, 1972, (PCB 71—343,
    January
    Ii, 1.972)
    on
    the condition that:
    “The District
    shall
    maint:aln a
    rnonLhly
    average effluent of 20 mg/I BOD5 and 25 mg/i
    suspnded so~ids at the Clavey Road
    plant.”
    fn
    I:he Rnvironmontal
    Protection
    Agency report on the
    Pornano ease, a summary
    of
    the Clavey monthly operational
    reports
    I rem Auqus
    t:
    ,
    1972
    ,
    through
    June
    ,
    1973
    ,
    shows that the Clavey
    Road
    plant has failed
    Lo consi st:ently maintain an effluent
    cUaiJLy of 20 mg/I ROD3 (this standard was met in only one,
    January, 1971, of eleven
    months reported), which was specified
    in Lhe previous paragraph (PCB
    71—343
    ,
    January 31, 1972)
    .
    Sus-
    pended solids were above
    23
    mg/i during one of the eleven
    mon Lbs
    included in the
    Agency report.
    rJ~he Rnvironmcntal
    Protection
    Agency believes
    that “the
    project: to expand and upgrade the
    Clavey
    plant will
    be
    completed
    by mid—September (1973)
    .
    By that date,
    the plant should be able
    to provide secondary treatment ~or
    10
    MGD
    on a design average
    flow basis.
    The Agency notes,
    however, that
    when the Clavey
    plant can treat
    10
    MCD, the three
    lakefront plants (Lake Forest,
    Lake Bluff, and
    Carey Avenue) will he diverted to Clavey.
    When
    the lakefront
    plant flows
    are combined with present flows,
    the
    Ontotal
    October
    flow
    24,at
    the
    1973,
    Ciavey
    Mr.
    plant
    John T,
    will
    Bernbom,
    be in
    Attorney
    excess of
    in10the
    MGD.1
    Enforcement Section, Division
    of
    Water Pollution Control,
    Illinois Environmental Protection
    Agency, sent to the
    Illinois
    Pollution
    Control Board more up—to—date information
    concerning
    the operation of each of
    the North
    Shore
    Sanitary
    District
    plants.
    This report included the following information:
    ~ant
    rfefl
    million gallons per day capacity is presently
    possible.
    Full secondary treatment
    (18 MCD) expected
    by
    March 1,
    1974.
    Advanced treatment by September 1,
    1975.

    —3—
    Month
    Flow (MGD) BOD (mg/i) TSS (mg/i)
    August 1973
    6.33
    11
    13
    July
    6.34
    19
    23
    June
    7.64
    23
    20
    May
    8.19
    30
    31
    April
    10.31
    28
    22
    March
    9.21
    35
    21
    February
    6.87
    33
    20
    January
    7.56
    18
    17
    December 1972
    7.30
    21
    12
    November
    7.63
    35
    13
    October
    7.89
    30
    16
    September
    10.41
    41
    14
    Average
    7,97
    27
    19
    Lake Bluff plant
    Dry weather flows currently being pumped to Ciavey
    Road plant. Total flows to be diverted to Clavey
    Road plant no sooner than August 1, 1975. Average
    monthly flow
    =
    0.35 MGD, January through August, 1973,
    Average monthly BOD
    =
    116 mg/l, June through August,
    1973. Average monthly TSS
    =
    110 mg/i, June through
    August, 1973.
    Carey Avenue plant
    Dry weather flows will be pumped to Clavey Road plant
    in November, 1973~ Total flows to be pumped to Clavey
    Road plant by July 1, 1974. Average monthly flow
    1.29 MGD, January through August, 1973. Average
    monthly BOD
    =
    74 mg/i, June through August, 1973.
    Average monthly TSS
    =
    160 mg/i, June through August,
    1973.
    Lake Forest plant
    Dry weather flows will be pumped to Clavey Road plant
    in November, 1973. Total flows to be pumped to Clavey
    Road plant by May 1, 1975. Average monthly flow 1.17
    MGD, January through August, 1973. Average monthly BOD
    =
    60 mg/l, June through August, 1973. Average monthly
    TSS
    =
    90 mg/i, June through August, 1973.
    The above information for the Ciavey Road plant indicates
    that
    (a) its performance has improved during recent months,
    (b) it
    can efficiently
    handle a flow of
    10 MGD
    now, and (c)
    it
    can handle up to 18 MCD by March 1, 1974.
    9
    649

    —4—
    On the basis of these facts and the information given by
    the Petitioner, it is the judgment of the Board that a
    variance can be granted in the instant case to obtain a sewer
    connection so that the Petitioner can proceed with construction.
    It appears that this can be done without harming the environment,
    especially since a further increase in sewage handling capacity
    will be available at the Clavey Road plant at about the time the
    Petitioner’s home may be completed.
    ORDER
    It
    is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that the
    petition for a Variance be and is hereby granted.
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Pollution Control
    Board,
    certify that the above Opinion and Order was adopted by the
    Board on the ~
    day of cYt±~4~.~.
    ,
    1973, by a vote
    of ~
    to ~
    Christan L. Moffe ,Clerk
    Illinois Polluti ontrol Board

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