Illinois Valley News

Water — its cleanliness, delivery and availability — were topics during the regular meeting of Cave Junction“s City Council on Monday night, May 10 in city hall.

The council heard details of a regional effort to monitor water pollution; passed an ordinance making the city the sole recognized tester for backflow prevention devices; and passed a resolution setting amended charges for utility service customers.

Bill Meyers, Rogue Basin coordinator with Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), spoke. He explained to the council the city role as a Designated Management Agency (DMA) within the regional framework of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program.

The TMDL program, Meyers said, is driven by the national Clean Water Act.

The act has two goals: to keep waterways “fishable,“ with thriving fish populations; and ensure that waterways are safe for “contact recreation“ (e.g. swimming, wading, and boating). Factors conflicting with the goals are bacterial loads and warm water temperatures.

The TMDL process calculates how much pollution a stream can absorb while still maintaining beneficial uses, Meyers stated.

The program looks at “permitted point sources of pollution“ in cities, such as sewers. This is because there they are regulated, so a mechanism exists to deal with problems, Meyers added.

Tougher to regulate are other pollution sources “all around us,“ he said, including lawns and street runoff.

The amount of pollution allowed is divided between the entities, cities, counties, agricultural and forestry uses, among others, with the ability to affect waters of the state.

All players have a role, Meyers said. The city“s part is developed through an implementation plan. Travis Robbins, of city public works; and City Planning Clerk Helen Early have been working on one for 12 months.

The city has programs in place for which it receives credit. Mayor Don Moore said that the city“s acquisition of 3.5 acres adjacent to its water treatment facility will give it the space to expand with deep, new holding ponds.

The ability to store more water, Moore said, will allow the city to prevent discharging into Illinois River by helping irrigate Illinois Valley Golf Course without pulling more water from the river or discharging any into it.

“That“s one of the win-win situations,“ Moore said.

The TMDL plan also identifies areas for improvement or mitigation.

“None of (these participating entities) have the money to do implement these programs as individuals; it“s much more economical to work regionally as we are developing certain parts of this program, such as developing educational materials,“ Meyers said.

DEQ has some money available, he noted. Part of it was used to fund Rogue Valley Council of Governments to provide aid to cities to develop and implement the plan.

The plans will be reviewed on a five-year basis.

The council then heard Ordinance 531 which amends various sections of municipal code, Title 13, to define who the city will accept to test backflow prevention devices on cross-connections to city water supply. The changes underscore the city“s responsibility as the provider to ensure a safe water supply, but they also appear to negate an open-end contract between the city and Eric Schaasfma, of Grants Pass Water Laboratory and Precision Testing.

Schaasfma insisted that he“d fulfilled all the obligations of the contract, and that he was being terminated without cause. He asserted further that the ordinance “excludes any private contractor ... from testing the backflow assemblies.“

He added, “What is the point of having a business license if the city can just draft a new ordinance to drive private enterprise out““

Responded City Attorney Patrick Kelly, “I don“t think that the amendments have anything to do with what he is discussing.

“It is the city“s prerogative to decide to do it internally or externally, and it is (also) in your prerogative who you accept to do the testing.“

City Recorder Jim Polk clarified that, “The water supplier is responsible for ensuring that the water is tested. The city is going to be the tester.“

The mayor explained that the costs of software, equipment and training had become more affordable, making it possible for the city to commit staff to testing approximately 300 cross-connections throughout the system.

If the decision doesn“t work out, Moore said, the city can go back the other way. No additional personnel are needed, Moore said.

“We have staff on hand to do this,“ said Moore. “Our staff was geared for the expansion that didn“t take place, so we“re actually putting our staff to work and guaranteeing their job, so I don“t have to lay somebody off.“

“We“re making our staff more productive,“ he said.

The council voted 4-0 to adopt the amendments. Councilman Margaret Miller was absent. In other business, the council voted 4-0 to adopt Resolution 735 to amend charges for the customers on the city utility system.

Included are charges such as a $125 deposit for water and sewer service; $40 restoration charge to turn on water once shut off due to delinquency; a service charge of $15 for delinquent accounts; and a service call charge.

Also recognized is the ultimate responsibility of the property owner of record, up to $200, in the event that a tenant fails to remit payment. Most of the fees increase if the service is required outside regular business hours.

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