[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6284416,"mediaKeyId","2580230-70110988aafc50b1be47acc58f1ae333","parentId",2580230,"title","Water utility flags Senate Bill 3, PFAS concerns and costs if land-application of biosolids is banned","audioSeconds",486,"startMs",1229000,"endMs",1715000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2580230-70110988aafc50b1be47acc58f1ae333&start=1229&end=1715","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2580230-70110988aafc50b1be47acc58f1ae333/thumbnail_1229000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6284416/Oklahoma/Water-utility-flags-Senate-Bill-3-PFAS-concerns-and-costs-if-land-application-of-biosolids-is-banned","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284416-668d9d10ca370a9e47181838b5dc5112/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174085&Signature=UVKU-CCc-NwEzQxbLoCV7qvpZm3VwjrLHbKNYM-x6b5aJerA3YXk8KZAiX~uNKjZ9vp0efGNPo6Xq01t5r88hp4cG9kw0-Hh5J3sZUMnTIEKfIstqDKutw5a1MonXqRw96mt64Zc~XkcA-tKG1h4jZozL25n3YgBpTqjxWm7RVar4z2gEvHdO5XN80HJBLSWSvjBZTuhDMbu-QYYxHTTgbh0PGIxpUIUmURgG55VX~r2TFiadk77BwDv8UWeCSbth-oe-4SG0uE~rleyPKdCebKs8RFqvXN8~RaQ-UxVNwo2Fw01n2HmBP0qiWPmoWJETMReNSAEiL0KlK79Ws3O0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Oklahoma","date","2025-03-12T07:29:36Z","article","City water utility staff told the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust that Senate Bill 3 would ban land application of biosolids in Oklahoma, a change staff warned could cause near-term operational and cost impacts for the utility.

Director Browning briefed the trustees during his general manager’s report. He said the utility currently uses about 11,000 acres for land application of biosolids and that the system produces “almost 400 tons a day.” Browning said the utility has been monitoring PFOS levels in biosolids and that concentrations at the city’s application sites are in parts per billion; by contrast, Browning said the Environmental Protection Agency’s health-based value for PFOS in drinking water is 4 parts per trillion, a metric for direct-consumption water that staff said does not translate directly to land-application risk.

Browning told trustees the EPA had completed a health assessment but had not published a timetable for setting maximum PFAS levels for biosolids. He said the utility believes a total immediate ban would be premature and has discussed a transition approach with state legislators that could allow several years for alternatives such as changes to dewatering processes.

Why it matters: Many wastewater systems rely on land application as a final biosolids-management option. Browning said a sudden ban would force large operational changes, could require substantial landfill hauling capacity and cost increases, and would affect rural landowners who currently receive biosolids for beneficial reuse.

Key details

- Legislation. Browning described Senate Bill 3 as legislation that \"would ban, prohibit the application of biosolids onto lands in Oklahoma.\" He said a related house bill did not advance out of committee this year; the house bill would have required additional signage and other measures but is not moving forward this session.

- Scale and quantity. Browning said the utility has about 11,000 acres used for land application and produces almost 400 tons of biosolids per day. He said hauling all solids to landfills would cost about $6,000,000 per year just for hauling.

- PFAS monitoring and regulatory context. Browning said the utility is monitoring PFOS in sludge and that the EPA has completed a health assessment for PFAS but has not set maximum levels for biosolids; staff are awaiting federal guidance. Browning said the EPA’s drinking-water reference for PFOS (4 parts per trillion) is not directly comparable to parts-per-billion concentrations measured in biosolids because pathways and exposure differ.

- Policy approach suggested by staff. Browning said he has met with state lawmakers, including \"Senator Green,\" and asked that legislators consider a multi-year transition (for example, a five-year phase) so utilities have time to modify solids handling (Browning cited changes underway at Deer Creek and Chisholm Creek) rather than face an immediate prohibition.

Context and next steps

Browning said he will continue discussions with state legislators and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and will seek to clarify the Oklahoma Municipal League’s (OML) position. He framed land application as a beneficial reuse channel that remains practical while alternatives such as landfill disposal and major process changes are evaluated.

Ending

Trustees did not take an action on the legislation during the meeting. Browning said staff would continue engagement with the legislature and DEQ and update the board as the policy process unfolds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust - March 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City water utility staff told the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust that Senate Bill 3 would ban land application of biosolids in Oklahoma, a change staff warned could cause near-term operational and cost impacts for the utility.","taxTitle","Other Public Meetings, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma","taxId",69689,"location","Oklahoma","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6284421,"Oklahoma City trustees approve resolution to pursue FEMA BRIC funding for Overholser Dam rehabilitation",703,536000,1239000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2580230-70110988aafc50b1be47acc58f1ae333&start=536&end=1239","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2580230-70110988aafc50b1be47acc58f1ae333/thumbnail_536000.jpg","/articles/6284421/Oklahoma/Oklahoma-City-trustees-approve-resolution-to-pursue-FEMA-BRIC-funding-for-Overholser-Dam-rehabilitation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284421-fb7dc2e79d1c8df4b9466f55ee486ea7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174085&Signature=UCeFv7reH1EFjGvfyzhMlFXY0OiLfYZk0RHuDCHULEThJwmA1jKeJ9tQebJmJLATYuzcjBAe35JcGsstkh72XiwOfi53u-UjofPKi9bPtPxymffZlR-PNEmi4uJdOFhC-uktLhbicsahgZdi94PiuHrQMgeoAhfA8JQ1WXpQA65M4NutzlqVCLMcTH81Jq79sD14XXy20T1tfFXohvrVRWINCfCBz-GHuGf4usEb7UK0gWa8zWcKLXfhzEtkjDjSU8YKulE-c8KhQsC1kOkkVrDTo3hHAxeTax1OWvYpb2J7-FdstbqwTvzNxKUCb5wH4xQ6CHPPQpXxPOvcMIUqcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A consultant gave trustees of the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust an update on proposed rehabilitation work at Overholser Dam and the board voted to approve a resolution to pursue FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant funding.

Friese and Nichols’ representative said the estimated cost for the project is \"56 and a half million dollars\" and described a scope that would remove the dam’s existing floodgates, increase structural stability and repair deteriorated concrete. The consultant said the city’s application to FEMA is in process and noted an application due date of April 18, while a new BRIC notice of funding opportunity was expected soon.

Why it matters: The dam’s concrete spillway and gate systems date to the 1920s and have shown corrosion, coating loss and metal loss, according to the presentation. Trustees were told the work is intended to bring the structure into compliance with current federal and state hydraulic and dam safety criteria.

Most important details

- Scope. The consultant described permanently removing all mechanical floodgates and replacing them with fixed labyrinth weirs (V-shaped notch weirs) to create a maintenance-free spillway; adding concrete ballast in hollow sections to increase mass and stability (a method previously used in a 2004 project); repairing spalls and cracks; and raising a portion of Overholser Drive west of the spillway so the roadway meets current hydraulic elevation criteria.

- Historic and aesthetic concerns. A trustee urged staff to evaluate aesthetic impacts and the value of preserving historical appearance, noting the dam’s century-old features and asking the consultant to look for ways to minimize visual changes while meeting safety requirements.

- Flooding and design standard discussion. In response to trustee questions, the consultant said Overholser Drive has not been inundated historically and described prior work done in 2004 at the center overflow spillway. The consultant also said design must meet the elevation of the 75% probable maximum flood (PMF) with freeboard per state and federal criteria; because the low point of the dam is west of the spillway, that elevation currently sits above the road and requires raising the roadway or otherwise mitigating overtopping risk.

- Grant process. The consultant explained FEMA BRIC is nationally competitive and that the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) would review the draft before upload to FEMA’s portal. Jennifer Wasinger of the consulting firm was present to answer detailed grant questions, the presentation said.

Trustees’ action and other votes at the meeting

- Minutes approval (February 25): motion approved; vote recorded as \"motion carries\" in the meeting transcript; mover/second not named in the record.

- Consent docket (7 items): motion approved; mover/second not named in the record; transcript records \"The motion carries.\" The docket included consultant selections, contract awards, change orders and an easement.

- BRIC resolution: trustees made and seconded a motion to approve the resolution to pursue BRIC funding; the transcript records the motion carried. The meeting minutes do not name the mover or second or provide a roll-call tally.

Context and next steps

Friese and Nichols’ representative said the application is being prepared and OEM review would be part of the submittal process. If the city proceeds, additional design work and funding negotiations would follow; the presentation noted prior ballast work from 2004 as a precedent for the stabilization approach.

The consultant and trustees discussed the historic character of the dam, the relative merits of retaining visible hoists and other architectural features, and the necessity of raising Overholser Drive to meet hydraulic design rules. Trustees asked staff and the consultant to continue refining the design and cost details as the BRIC application moves forward.

Ending

The board approved the resolution to pursue the FEMA BRIC grant and the presentation concluded with staff and consultants continuing work on design details and the application timeline.","A consultant gave trustees of the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust an update on proposed rehabilitation work at Overholser Dam and the board voted to approve a resolution to pursue FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant funding.","actionData","errors"]

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Water utility flags Senate Bill 3, PFAS concerns and costs if land-application of biosolids is banned

Oklahoma City trustees approve resolution to pursue FEMA BRIC funding for Overholser Dam rehabilitation