Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with the National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR) at Heidelberg University to provide funding for the continued operation of the water quality tributary loading monitoring station on the Scioto River at Chillicothe. This operation will be conducted in collaboration with the Division of Sewerage and Drainage (DOSD) and includes intensive sampling, analysis of suspended sediments, and the calculation of the separate contributions of point-source and nonpoint-source loads of phosphorus and other pollutants in the Scioto River watershed upstream of the station. The first phase of this work was completed during calendar years 2014 through 2016, with a second phase running from calendar years 2017 through 2021. This third phase will occur during calendar years 2022 through 2026.
The NCWQR, founded in 1969 by Dr. David B. Baker, is a research organization within the science departments of Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. The Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program (HTLP) began in 1974 and added the Scioto River monitoring station at Chillicothe in 1996. Presently there are 22 stations in the HTLP in Ohio and southeastern Michigan, which permit the calculation of pollutant loads from over 50% of Ohio’s land area. The NCWQR uses information from these stations to calculate the loads of nutrients, sediments, and pesticides delivered to Lake Erie and the Ohio River. The HTLP receives funding from a combination of state and federal agencies, foundations, industries, individuals through research grants, and contract or well test analyses. All of the resulting data, including those for the Scioto River Loading Station, are publicly available at the HTLP website.
Measurements of pollutant export from watersheds are used to compare the amount of pollutants derived from diffuse nonpoint sources, such as agricultural and urban storm runoff, with contributions from point sources, such as publicly owned wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities. The City of Columbus wastewater treatment plants are the two largest point-source dischargers into the Scioto River watershed. Accordingly, collecting pollutant monitoring data in the Scioto River watershed to compare Columbus discharges with those from other pollutant sources is of significant interest to the City.
In operating the Chillicothe monitoring station, NCWQR will obtain the best available data on point-source loads to the Scioto River upstream of the monitoring station, compute the proportional contributions of point-source and nonpoint-source loads of total phosphorus and other pollutants of interest to DOSD. NCWQR will upload the data to the HTLP portal and coordinate with DOSD personnel to analyze dissolved organic carbon in a subset of samples collected at the Chillicothe station during both base flow and storm runoff events.
The work for this third phase of the agreement will occur during calendar years 2022 through 2026 and will continue as an annual ongoing contract. The cost estimate for calendar year 2023 operations is a not-to-exceed amount of $45,000.00. Funding requested for future years will be based upon budgeted funds and approval by City Council.
SUPPLIER:
Heidelberg University | D365 Vendor #006982 | Federal EIN #34-4428219 | Expires 3/23/2023
Heidelberg University is a private institution and does not hold MBE/WBE status.
The university is not debarred according to the Excluded Party Listing System of the Federal Government or prohibited from being awarded a contract according to the Auditor of State Unresolved Findings for Recovery Certified Search.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$45,000.00 is budgeted in the Sewer Operating Sanitary Fund for this purchase.
$37,500.00 was spent in 2022
$69,500.00 was spent in 2021
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with Heidelberg University to provide funding and continued support to the National Center for Water Quality Research for the operation of a tributary loading station on the Scioto River and computation of point-source and nonpoint-source loads for 2023; and to authorize the expenditure of $45,000.00 from the Sewer Operating Sanitary Fund. ($45,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities wishes to enter into an agreement with Heidelberg University to provide funding and continued support to the National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR) in 2023 for the operation of a tributary loading station on the Scioto River at Chillicothe and computation of the separate contributions of point-source and nonpoint-source loads of phosphorus in the Scioto River watershed upstream of this station; and
WHEREAS, the National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR) is a research organization within the science departments of Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio and receives funding from a combination of state and federal agencies, foundations, industries, individuals through research grants, and contract or well test analyses; and
WHEREAS, the Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program (HTLP) began in 1974 and expanded to include the Scioto River monitoring station at Chillicothe in 1996; and
WHEREAS, all of the resulting HTLP data are publicly available on the HTLP portal; and
WHEREAS, there are 22 stations in the HTLP in Ohio and southeastern Michigan, which permit the calculation of pollutant loads from over 50% of Ohio’s land area; and
WHEREAS, measurements of pollutant export are used to compare the amounts of pollutants derived from diffuse nonpoint sources, such as agricultural and urban storm runoff, with contributions from point sources, such as publicly owned wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus wastewater treatment plants (Southerly and Jackson Pike) are the two largest point-source dischargers into the Scioto River watershed, and accordingly, collecting pollutant monitoring data in the Scioto River watershed to enable comparisons of Columbus discharges with other pollutant sources is of significant interest to the City; and
WHEREAS, the NCWQR will coordinate with DOSD personnel to analyze dissolved organic carbon in a subset of samples collected at the Chillicothe station during both base flow and storm runoff events; and
WHEREAS, this is a continuation of a prior agreement, with phase one running from 2014 through 2016 and phase two running from 2017 through 2021. The work for the years 2022 through 2026 is considered the third phase and will continue as an annual ongoing contract; and
WHEREAS, this funding request is for 2023, and funding for this and any future years will be based upon budgeted funds and approval by City Council; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of $45,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 6100, Sewer Operating Sanitary Fund, in object class 03, Services, per the accounting codes attached to this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Sewerage and Drainage, to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with Heidelberg University to provide funding and continued support to the National Center for Water Quality Research for phase three work for the operation of a tributary loading station on the Scioto River and computation of point-source and nonpoint-source loads for 2023; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Utilities is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement with Heidelberg University, 310 East Market Street, Tiffin, Ohio 44883-2462, to provide funding and continued support to the National Center for Water Quality Research for operation of a tributary loading station on the Scioto River and computation of point-source and nonpoint-source loads for 2023.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $45,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 6100, Sewer Operating Sanitary Fund, in object class 03, Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That this Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.