CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING/SPECIAL PRESENTATION CITY OF ITHACA COMMON COUNCIL

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CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK Telephone: 607-274-6570 Department of Public Information & Technology Fax: 607-274-6432 Julie Conley

1 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK Telephone: Department of Public Information & Technology Fax: Julie Conley Holcomb, City Clerk OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING/SPECIAL PRESENTATION CITY OF ITHACA COMMON COUNCIL Please note that Common Council will hold a meeting on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY In preparation for the start of the 2019 budget review process, there will be a special presentation from the Department of Public Works: Parking, Water and Sewer, and Streets and Facilities. Public speaking will not be entertained at the meeting. If you have a disability that will require special arrangements to be made in order for you to fully participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at at least 48 hours before the meeting. Out of consideration for the health of other individuals, please try to refrain from using perfume/cologne and other scented personal care products at City of Ithaca meetings. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Dated: June 21, 2018 An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification.

CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Michael J. Thorne, P.E., Superintendent Telephone: 607/274-6531 Fax: 607/274-6587 TO: FROM: Svante Myrick, Mayor Common Council Michael J.

2 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Michael J. Thorne, P.E., Superintendent Telephone: 607/ Fax: 607/ TO: FROM: Svante Myrick, Mayor Common Council Michael J. Thorne, P.E. Superintendent of Public Works DATE: June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems INTRODUCTION The Department of Public Works, Water & Sewer Division, is responsible for the treatment and distribution of clean water to City businesses and residents, and for the collection and treatment of wastewater. This memo focuses on the pipe networks located between our water and wastewater treatment plants, which make up most of the water distribution and sewer collection systems. The water distribution system is a vital component of the City s infrastructure, providing safe, clean water for public use at pressures and volumes required for firefighting. It starts at the Ithaca Water Treatment Plant, and then branches out to our residential, commercial and industrial properties through a network of pipes, valves, storage tanks, and pumping stations. While the Water Treatment Plant is new, the distribution system is aging, creating problems which include: rusty water; reduced flow due to natural tuberculation; pipe breaks and water outages; and insufficient fire flows to our hydrants and building fire suppression systems. The sewage collection system captures wastewater from residential, commercial, and industrial properties through a network of pipes and pumping stations, and directs it to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The sewage collection system is also aging, creating capacity issues due to broken and undersized pipes, and allowing excessive flows due to inflow and infiltration (I & I), which taxes our wastewater treatment facility. The purpose of this memo is to inform Common Council of the current state of our distribution and collection systems and to introduce a proposal to reverse the negative trends we are observing. CURRENT CONDITIONS Water Distribution System The largest component of the distribution system is our pipe network, which includes 91 miles of cast iron and ductile iron water pipe, ranging from 4 inches to 24 inches in diameter. The design life of iron pipes is 100 years, although the City has some pipes that are nearly 150 years old and others that have failed in less than 50 years. For the purpose of this memo, we will assume a 100-year average service life. Ideally, we should replace 1% of our distribution pipes each year. The following table shows the age distribution of our pipes in 25 year increments. An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification.

3 Page 2 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Pipe Age Current Inventory Ideal Inventory Miles % Miles % % % % % % % % % % % Total 91.2 miles 100% 91.2 miles 100% The weighted average age of our pipe network is 80 years old it should be 50 years old and more than one third of our distribution system is over 100 years old. There are several reasons why the City should be concerned with the age of the pipes. First, the number of water main breaks has been steadily increasing over the past 30 years, as shown in the following chart Water Main Breaks Past 30 Years R² = Number of Breaks As pipes continue to age, we expect this trend to continue. There have been 13 water main breaks so far in 2018, occurring from January 1 st to May 31 st, and we expect more in the late fall. Water main breaks require immediate attention by our W&S crews (regardless of the time of day or weather conditions), disrupt water services to customers, create rusty water problems in the vicinity of the break, disrupt traffic, and damage our roadways. Many of our valves are old, and isolating these events is often challenging because the valves frequently break or do not fully open or close as they should. The second concern with older pipes is tuberculation, which is the formation of rust deposits on the inside of pipes. This phenomenon has many undesirable side effects which include reduced water main diameter, lower pressures, and reduced flow.

Page 3 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Tuberculation most often forms in older cast iron pipes that do not have a cement lining.

When flow in a tuberculated pipe suddenly increases due to a water main break, fire hydrant flushing, or fire-fighting activities, the rust breaks free and ends up as reddish-brown water at the tap.

4 Page 3 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Tuberculation most often forms in older cast iron pipes that do not have a cement lining. Pipes that normally have low flows or that are located on the outskirts of the system have a higher tendency to rust. When flow in a tuberculated pipe suddenly increases due to a water main break, fire hydrant flushing, or fire-fighting activities, the rust breaks free and ends up as reddish-brown water at the tap. Water & Sewer crews address tuberculation by hydrant flushing, automatic flushers, and routine water main cleaning, which are time-consuming, expensive, and not always effective. Current staffing does not allow us to keep up with this maintenance as frequently as we should. The third concern with older pipe relates to fire safety. Tuberculation restricts the flow in those pipes, and new development projects are having difficulty meeting minimum flow requirements for fire sprinkler systems. In addition, engineering standards have changed over the decades to require minimum pipe sizes for fire flows. According to the 2012 edition of Recommended Standards for Water Works, the minimum pipe size for distribution systems that supply fire hydrants is 6-inch diameter, and many municipalities adopt an 8-inch minimum diameter as part of good engineering practice. The City has over 5 miles of 4-inch diameter water main, nearly 6% of our system. We have almost 37 miles of 6-inch water main (approximately 41%), most of which is unlined cast iron pipe which is more prone to tuberculation. In October 2016 the Ithaca Fire Department started testing hydrants throughout the City in accordance with National Fire Protection Agency Standard 291 (NFPA 291). As of May 16, 2018, nearly half of the City s hydrants have been tested, with the following results: Hydrant Color Flow (gpm) NFPA 291 Description Hydrants % in Tested Category Blue >1500 Very Good Flow % Green Good for Residential Areas % Yellow Marginally Adequate % Red Inadequate % Black <250 Non-Functioning % Total % Out of the City hydrants tested so far, one out of every four has inadequate flow (or worse) according to NFPA guidelines. The cause of the low flows could be due to pipe size, tuberculation, or both. As the hydrant testing progresses, Water & Sewer staff will look for trends in the data and perform a more detailed investigation to determine the best way to increase fire flows.

5 Page 4 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Sewage Collection System The City has nearly 86 miles of sewer mains, comprised of clay tile, transite, and PVC pipe, ranging from 4 inches to 48 inches in diameter. Two-thirds of our collection system is constructed of older clay tile or transite pipe, which have more joints that are less watertight than newer PVC sewer pipe. Groundwater infiltrates through these old joints, particularly after heavy rain storms, allowing excess water into the system. Older pipe is also more likely to have unknown connections such as roof drains and sump pumps, which are no longer legal, allowing additional water to inflow into the system during rainy weather. Collectively, infiltration and inflow (I&I) greatly increases the flow to the Wastewater Treatment Plant during wet weather, causing both capacity and treatment issues. Annually, nearly half of the wastewater treated at the plant is from I&I. There are more gaps in City records for the sewage collection system than for the water distribution system. We believe that the average age of the sewer pipes is older than the water pipes since they are not replaced as frequently. Sewer breaks are difficult to detect since the effects are not as immediately apparent as with water main breaks. Once or twice per year, a sewer pipe will collapse and cause a sewage backup, but many times these events do not cause backups and can go undetected for years. PROPOSAL To maintain a sustainable water distribution system and address water quality and fire flow issues, the City should replace 1% of its water distribution pipe (approximately 1 mile) each year. Over the past 25 years, the City has replaced an average of 0.66 miles per year. In the 15 years from 1993 to 2008, the City averaged 0.78 miles per year, but since 2008, it has only averaged 0.5 miles per year. The City should also increase replacement of sewage collection pipe. In the 15 years from 1993 to 2008, an average of 0.61 miles of sewer pipe were replaced per year, but since 2008 the average replacement rate dropped to 0.33 miles per year. The current sewer main project on E. State Street will replace approximately 0.5 miles. For the City to increase replacement of water and sewer main, additional funding will be needed for personnel, equipment, and materials. The additional crew is also needed to facilitate a more frequent program for flushing water pipe to minimize tuberculation. The crew and equipment would be capable of replacing 1 mile of either water or sewer main, so costs for both materials are included. It is likely that this crew would replace an additional 0.5 miles of water main per year, bringing the average up to 1 mile per year, and 0.5 miles of additional sewer main. The following table summarizes the funding request: Cost Category Description Nominal Cost Annualized Cost Labor 1-Working Supervisor 1-Heavy Equipment Operator 1-Maintainer 1-Light Equipment Operator 1-Seasonal Laborer $236,000 (direct salaries) $400,000 (70% benefit multiplier) Equipment Materials 1-Medium Excavator 1-10 Wheel Dump Truck 2-Crew and Service Trucks Trench Shields, Specialty Equipment 1 mile 8 water pipe, (incl. valves, hydrants, fittings, backfill, traffic control) 1 mile 8 sewer pipe (incl. manholes, fittings, bypass pump, backfill, traffic control) $515,000 $35,000 (15-year life cycle) $380,000 $325,000 (assuming ½ $270,000 mile water and ½ mile sewer) Total $760,000

Page 5 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Combined water and sewer revenues for 2018 are estimated at $11.4 million.

6 Page 5 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Combined water and sewer revenues for 2018 are estimated at $11.4 million. To pay for this program, water and sewer rates would need to be increased approximately 6.7%. If this program were in place in 2018, the City of Ithaca water rate would have been increased from $9.28 to $9.90 per 1000 gallons, and the corresponding sewer rate would have been increased from $7.75 to $8.27 per 1000 gallons. The 2018 water rates from surrounding municipalities are shown below. For comparison purposes, the effective rate includes both fixed and variable costs and is based on the EPA average household consumption of 300 gallons per day. Some municipalities, including the City of Ithaca, have a variable rate for water while other municipalities have a fixed rate and a variable rate. Prioritization and Measurement of Success The Department of Public Works will develop a prioritization plan with consideration of the following factors: Safety low hydrant flows due to tuberculation and/or undersized water main Development activity Collegetown, Downtown, and the West End Rusty water problem areas Age and type of pipe material over 100 years old; cast iron water pipe; clay tile or transite sewer pipe Coordination with street repaving projects Priorities identified in future I&I studies Effects of this increased pipe replacement effort will be observed over time, some more quickly than others: Reduction of number of hydrants with inadequate flow Reduction in rusty water complaints Reduction in number of pipe breaks Reduction in I & I flows Reduction in average pipe age Reduction in the number of sewer backups / blockages Reduction in volume of wastewater treated and pumped, and corresponding reduction in treatment and energy costs

7 Page 6 June 22, 2018 RE: Increased Funding for Water Distribution & Sewage Collection Systems Our current weighted average water pipe age is 80 years old. If we continue to replace water pipe at the current rate of 0.5 miles per year, the weighted average age 25 years from now will be 84 years old, and in 50 years it will rise to 87 years. If we increase our water main replacement rate to 1 mile per year, the weighted average age 25 years from now will be 66 years, and in 50 years it will drop to 54 years, which is close to the ideal average age. Some positive effects will be observed more quickly since we will first focus on problem areas rather than pipe age. All new water pipe will be properly sized for fire flow and will not be prone to tuberculation. All new sewer pipe will be more watertight to reduce infiltration, and any illegal inflows will be disconnected as they are discovered. SUMMARY If we continue down our current path, the water distribution system will continue to age, resulting in more frequent pipe breaks, rusty water complaints, and inadequate fire protection. The sewage collection system will also continue to age, resulting in more joint failures, increased infiltration, and capacity issues within the pipe network and at the treatment plant. This proposal to increase funding will reverse these growing problems at a reasonable cost now. To defer these maintenance issues will result in significantly higher repair costs in the future.

15 Information for June 2018 Committee of the Whole 6/27/2018 Parking Revenue and Expenses (Years 2012 to 2017) '16 to '17 % change Revenue 2,862,000 2,838,000 2,904,000 3,106,000 3,644,000 3,637,000 (7,000) 0.2% Service Charges (15,000) (26,000) (28,000) (55,000) (103,000) (125,000) (22,000) 40.0% Net Revenue 2,847,000 2,812,000 2,876,000 3,051,000 3,541,000 3,512,000 (29,000) 1.0% Salaries (657,000) (681,000) (697,000) (707,000) (588,000) (620,000) (32,000) 4.5% Benefits (215,000) (236,000) (299,000) (356,000) (347,000) (349,000) (2,000) 0.6% Phone and Utilities (90,000) (101,000) (109,000) (109,000) (100,000) (89,000) 11, % Equipment Parts & Maintenance (65,000) (90,000) (93,000) (136,000) (151,000) (189,000) (38,000) 27.9% Contracts (15,000) (14,000) (16,000) (48,000) (94,000) (133,000) (39,000) 81.3% Other Expenses (31,000) (28,000) (64,000) (55,000) (44,000) (31,000) 13, % Net operating surplus 1,774,000 1,662,000 1,598,000 1,640,000 2,217,000 2,101,000 (116,000) 7.1% Bonds/BANs (1,395,000) (1,343,000) (1,449,000) (1,467,000) (1,533,000) (1,457,000) 76, % Net Surplus before Cayuga garage 379, , , , , ,000 (40,000) 23.1% Cayuga Garage (840,000) (840,000) (960,000) (1,011,000) (1,075,000) (1,050,000) 25, % Deficit (461,000) (521,000) (811,000) (838,000) (391,000) (406,000) (15,000) 1.8% Revenue Details '16 to '17 % change Fines and boot fees 725, , , , , ,000 36, % Parking meter fees 893, , , ,000 1,208,000 1,102,000 (106,000) 10.8% Hourly garage parking 645, , , , , ,000 (17,000) 2.3% Parking permits 440, , , , , ,000 97, % Rent of real property 127, , , , , ,000 (6,000) 4.9% Special Event Parking 21,000 17,000 21,000 21,000 17,000 24,000 7, % One hour free parking coupons 9,000 17,000 10,000 36,000 65,000 46,000 (19,000) 52.8% All other revenue 2,000 1,000 6,000 4,000 4,000 5,000 1, % Total Revenue 2,862,000 2,838,000 2,904,000 3,106,000 3,644,000 3,637,000 (7,000) 0.2%

16 Parking Revenue and Expenses $4,000, $3,500,000 $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $0 Revenue Service Charges Salaries Benefits Phone and Utilities Equip Parts & Maint Contracts Other Expenses Bonds/Bans

17 Information for June 2018 Committee of the Whole 6/27/2018 Parking Related Debt (Years 2012 to 2018) Green Garage Debt 12,045,364 10,716,175 10,337,394 10,637,513 Seneca Street Garage Debt 2,091,003 4,993,131 4,738,936 4,489,131 Dryden Road Garage Debt 393, , , ,424 Parking Meter Equipment Debt 28, , , ,940 Other Parking Debt 189, ,614 89,830 76,361 Total Debt 14,747,510 16,529,693 16,188,604 16,443,369

This policy will generally explain the following in regards to the City sewerage collection systems:

This policy will generally explain the following in regards to the City sewerage collection systems: CITY OF SACO POLICY ON SEWER AND STORMWATER BACK-UPS PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to explain how and why sewer or stromwater backups occur, what to do in the event a homeowner has a backup, and