A MODEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR MANAGING RESOURCES, MINIMIZING WASTES AND REDUCING GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AT A CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY SERVICE DISTRICT
James A. Jacobs and Jon Elam
A green business model was developed for the Tamalpais Community Services District (TCSD), located in unincorporated Mill Valley, California. The agency performs solid waste, sewer collection and Park and Recreation services for 2,550 households. With an annual budget of $4.3 million (2008-9), TCSD focuses on managing resources and protecting groundwater and surface water, while also collecting waste. In the process of providing collection services, savings related to energy use and landfill diversion were noted. In 5 years, landfill garbage has been reduced 20% and recycling and green waste (turned into mulch) has increased by 33%. TCSD recycled more than 1,304 tons of paper, cardboard and plastics.
TCSD will collect 100 lbs of used and outdated medicines in 2009. In prior years these pharmaceutical wastes were likely dropped into toilets and released into surface waters after standard wastewater treatment or placed in the refuse containers and deposited in the landfill where the these unregulated chemicals could leach into groundwater. Other recycling programs have diverted 3 tons of electronic wastes (TVs, microwaves, computers) per year from landfills. In 2008, battery drop-off collection saved about 1,000 lbs heavy metals, mostly lead and cadmium as well as battery from leaching into the landfill groundwater. Over12 months, 600 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and 480 fluorescent lamps containing 3.0 Kg and 5.8 Kg of mercury, respectively, will be recycled and diverted from the landfill. Between 2005 and 2008, garbage collection was reduced from 2,300 to 1,900 tons, a savings of 800,000 lbs of waste not filling local landfills.
The Mill Valley area served by TCSD lies at sea level on Richardson Bay a part of the greater San Francisco Bay. Due to two tidally influenced creeks, groundwater within about 1 mile of the shoreline is usually encountered within 3 feet of ground surface. Most of the flatland in the valley was originally bay marsh, and significant subsidence occurred over the past 50 years on the residential structures, roads as well as the sewer laterals and main pipelines, causing significant wet weather inflow and infiltration. TCSD has reduced wet weather flows to it’s two nearby wastewater treatment plants by 10% by reducing infiltration and inflow and by repairing numerous broken sewer laterals and mains. One set of sewer repairs has reduced wet weather flow to one wastewater plant by 40%. With less pumping of storm water and shallow groundwater, energy consumption was reduced by 20% in 2008 from 2006. The focus on environmental sustainability has lead to a waste collections program which saves money, environmental resources and generates broad community support.
Authors: James A. Jacobs, PG, CHG, is a board member of TCSD and Chief Hydrogeologist with Environmental Bio-Systems, Inc., 707 View Point Road, Mill Valley, CA 94491; Tel: 415-381-5195;
jimjacobs@ebsinfo.com,
www.ebsinfo.com
Jon Elam is General Manager of TCSD, 305 Bell Lane, Mill Valley, CA 94941; Tel: 415-388-6393;
jelam@tcsd.us
