The Contra Costa Clean Water Program (the “CCCWP”) consists of Contra Costa County, its 19 incorporated cities/towns, and the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (hereinafter referred to collectively as “Permittees”). The CCCWP was established in 1991 through a Program Agreement in response to the 1987 amendments to the federal Clean Water Act (the “CWA), which established a framework for regulating municipal stormwater discharges under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) Permit Program. The United States Environmental Protection Agency published final rules implementing the 1987 CWA amendments in November 1990. The rules mandate that Permittees obtain and implement stormwater permits designed to reduce and eliminate the discharge of pollutants into and from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems they own and operate. Through the CCCWP, Permittees conduct many of the mandated activities collectively (referred to as “Group Activities”), such as water quality monitoring, special studies, and public education. The roles and responsibilities of the CCCWP and Permittees are outlined in the Program Agreement, which was last updated and adopted by all Permittees in June 2010.
The CCCWP’s stormwater monitoring program covers a variety of water quality monitoring activities, special studies, and pilot projects designed to identify and evaluate sources, pathways, loadings and impacts of pollutants, such as mercury and PCBs, that reach local creeks and streams, and eventually into the San Francisco Bay; and, to investigate the effectiveness of stormwater treatment control technologies. Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure provides stormwater quality monitoring and Pollutants of Concern expertise, understands CCCWP operations, and is very familiar with the requirements of the NPDES permit.
CCCWP staff, on behalf of the Permittees, respectfully requests approval of this Contract with Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. for the period June 6, 2017 through June 30, 2020.
If this contract with Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. is not approved, the CCCWP would not be able to fulfill the permit mandates, and municipalities could be found in non-compliance with the NPDES permits issued by the Regional Water Boards. Fines totaling $10,000 per day and $10 per gallon of stormwater discharged could potentially be imposed.