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PowerPoint Presentation shown at the City Council Work Session & Special Meeting for the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment.

The City of Portsmouth Works to Address EPA Wastewater Mandates

The City of Portsmouth owns and operates two wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) that must comply with separate National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. These permits, issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with concurrence of the NH Department of Environmental Services (NH DES), define how much the City has to treat the wastewater before it can be discharged to the Piscataqua River. The WWTFs are located at Pease International Tradeport and Peirce Island.

Aerial photo of the Pease International Tradeport WWTFAerial photo of the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility

The City and its Department of Public Works (DPW) Sewer Division are working to improve the City’s wastewater system to protect the environment and meet EPA’s wastewater mandates. The City is currently under a legal order (Consent Decree) from the EPA to upgrade the Peirce Island WWTF to secondary treatment. The upgrade project will be the single largest capital expense for the sewer system to date. The City was recently notified by EPA that the Peirce Island secondary treatment permit would be made more stringent by requiring nitrogen removal to 8 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Unrelated to the order, the City anticipates the draft permit for the Pease WWTF will also be more stringent and will result in another significant WWTF upgrade.

The pie chart below illustrates the capital costs of the DPW that are driven by mandated regulatory requirements (42.6%).

This pie chart illustrates the sewer division’s budget for fiscal year 2013 as a percent of the sewer rate. The budget categories include personnel, chemicals, utilities, repairs and maintenance, contract labs, stock materials, other operating costs, permits legal fees, equipment/minor capital, capital projects, OPED liability and minor adjustments. The capital projects category includes interest, principal and revenue projects and percentages and are based on cash requirements. The total budget is $11,381,839. Capital projects that are driven by regulatory requirements consume the largest percentage of the budget at 42.6%, followed by personnel at 18.4% and other operating costs at 12.2%. The remainder of the categories consume less than 8% each.

What does this mean to Portsmouth Sewer Ratepayers?

 

Sewer Use Rates

Your sewer rates will increase. Based on initial estimates, sewer rates may double in the next five years. The City urges ratepayers to be involved in decisions that affect your quality of life. Sign up at left to receive email updates and notices.

The line chart below shows the potential rate increases associated with meeting the anticipated permit for nitrogen removal to 8 mg/L.

BELOW GRAPH TO BE UPDATED UPON COMPLETION OF THE WATER SEWER RATE STUDY

This line graph illustrates sewer user rate projections as presented at a June 23, 2010 public meeting. It compares sewer rate projections if the City is required to meet the anticipated wastewater treatment facility permit limit for nitrogen removal to 8 milligrams per liter and shows the difference in impacts if the City is required to immediately and fully implement the upgrades to meet requirements or is allowed to phase them in. The graph also indicates the 2% of mean household income rate is $1,200, which is an important consideration in affordability calculations. Rates are considered affordable if they are at or below this figure. The 2012 user rate is approximately $800 for phased and non-phased upgrades. Rates for the scenarios diverge mid-year, with non-phased rates rising more steeply from 2016 to a peak of almost $1,800 in 2019. They begin to decline after 2019. Phased rates rise more slowly and reach a peak of just slightly over $1,600 in 2023. They decline after 2023. Non-phased rates decline to $1,400 and phased rates to just under $1,400 in 2035. Phased rates decrease the burden on rate payers by keeping rates lower overall.

Environmental Benefit

We all share the goal of protecting the environment. Mandated improvements to the wastewater system should be based on sound science that can demonstrate environmental benefits. 

What We Are Doing to Ensure Your Money Is Spent Wisely

The City continues to work with other communities and regulators to improve the scientific understanding of the Great Bay to ensure scarce public resources are spent wisely. The City is participating in the Great Bay Municipal Coalition to contest regulatory permit actions that are not supported by science.