WATER UPDATE

Water Quality

• Water quality during October met or exceeded State and Federal drinking water standards.

• The Valley Pumping Plant (VPP) blend ratio for the month of October was 52% MWD to 48% BOU.

Financial and Operations Update 

• The Water Cost Adjustment Charge (WCAC) account had a balance of $1,011,102 as of October 31, 2005.

• Fiscal Year 2005-06 Year-To-Date Water Fund Financial Results as of October 31, 2005:

( ) = Unfavorable

* Includes Power Plant Sales, Commercial and Industrial Reclaimed Sales

(A)       Staff is working on this.

(B)       Refund for prior year overbilling of $135k in October. There was no credit to potable water sales in CCF, therefore, the CCF volume and dollar sales do not match. In addition, MPP has not been billed for reclaimed water use because the meter installation has not been completed. Reclaimed water for MPP was budgeted for 60,403 CCF, or $82k per month.

(C)       The BOU has experienced reduced operating capacity due to carbon screen failures, water production problems associated with the persistent low water table, and well maintenance. Thus, there was an increased need for purchased water from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). The BOU had an average of 55% of operating capacity compared to a 75% budgeted capacity.

(D)       In-lieu accrual of $39k was recorded in June�05 as part of year end closing. This entry was reversed in July�05. BWP does not accrue in-lieu monthly.

.

Fiscal Year 2005-06 Water Fund Financial Reserve balances as of October 31, 2005 are summarized in the following table:

BOU Water Production

• Full Vapor Phase Granulated Activated Carbon (VPGAC) treatment capacity had been available intermittently by isolating the vessel with the damaged screen and running the reduced VPGAC filter train 5 days on and 5 days off for regeneration. The damaged screen was repaired on October 12^th and the plant went into continuous production at 7,500 gpm. The carbon retention screen in another vessel failed on October 23^rd. The plant returned to intermittent operation on one train of the VPGAC. Additional screen material ($20,000) was ordered in September in anticipation of another screen failure. This will reduce down time for the current repair. 

• The BOU well field continues to have lower than the design volume water production problems due to the persistent low water table. The low water table is also mechanically hard on the pumps since they are throttled back and not running efficiently. Wells continue to go down for maintenance as others are repaired and put back on-line. The well field capacity was up to 7,500 gpm with all but one well available in late October. Low water levels in the aquifer prevent achieving the full 9,000 gpm. Achieving a 9,000 gpm production capacity is an ongoing effort and is being addressed by the Well Field Performance Attainment Study.

• Production through the BOU in October was 7,500 gpm when both VPGAC filter trains and all wells were available. It was 4,500 gpm when only one VPGAC train was available. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• The EPA has granted conceptual approval of the design for the reconfigured VPGAC filter screen design.  Calgon Corporation is ready to begin final design of the screens as soon as the EPA clarifies the draft discharge requirements for the VPGAC filter vessels. Calgon Corporation will then complete a detailed final design for the EPA to review and approve. Final discharge requirements should be available by the end of November and design approval is now anticipated for the end of December. EPA�s approval is the controlling feature in proceeding with the project. Construction is projected to take three months. Construction will begin after EPA design approval and the order/receipt of long lead materials. Construction may begin as soon as January. The Treatment Plant will experience reduced operating capacity during project construction. Consequently, there will be an increased need for purchased water from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD).

Capital Projects

• Pacoima Spreading Project:  The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) will drain the two miles at the end of the San Fernando Tunnel so that it can be inspected.  The water cannot be discharged to the Pacoima wash because of the high salt content of the infiltrated groundwater in the tunnel.  MWD has received a permit to discharge to a City of L.A. sewer.  MWD will go out to bid in late December for a contractor to install the drain piping to the L.A. sewer and is projecting to start draining the tunnel by the end of February.  Then a large volume of water limited by the allowable rate of discharge to the sewer will require 60 days to complete the draining of the tunnel.  There are additional limitations on discharge to the sewer during periods of local rainfall.  An inspection of the two miles of currently flooded tunnel should be possible by the beginning of May.  The actual condition of the San Fernando Tunnel will be determined at that time.  The plan and schedule for the Pacoima, B-6 connection project, will be modified at that time.  

• Work began on a new 12-inch Water Main in Hollywood Way between Thornton Avenue and Winona Avenue.

• Services were tied over from the old water main to a new 8-inch water main (315 lf) in Hollywood Way between Allan and Jeffries Avenues.

Legislative Update

• Refer to the attached legislative reports.

ELECTRIC UPDATE

Electric Reliability

There were twelve, 4 kV and thirteen, 12 kV feeder outages in October. These outages interrupted services for 9,717 customers for 5,504 minutes.

• On October 7, a squirrel interrupted service on Hollywood Way HW-6 to 1,126 customers for 78 minutes.

• On October 17, lightning and an emergency repair took out three, 4 kV feeders Burbank B-24 and 25 and Alameda A-10 and interrupted service to 653 customers for 273 minutes.

• There were two power outages in October that affected the Golden State Distributing Station: October 19, for 4 hours and 31 minutes, and October 23, for 8 hours and 35 minutes. Golden State Substation serves 270 customers, in which 250 are commercial and 20 residential. Major customers include the Empire Center, BGP Main Terminal Building, M. David Paul campus at Empire and Ontario Street and the Airport Hilton. BWP Marketing staff contacted customers during the outages.  Staff arranged for a follow up meeting with the customers on November 1 at the airport Hilton. The cause of both outages was a failed sectionalizing circuit breaker. The probable cause of failure was a breakdown of the glass insulators. BWP is working with the manufacturer to confirm the failure mode and to make sure the replacement breaker will be reliable.

• The Victory Distributing Station also experienced a power outage for 37 minutes on October 31. The Victory Substation serves a total of 7,391 customers which consist of 634 commercial and 6,757 residential customers. The cause of the outage was a failed lightning arrester in the station. BWP staff believes the arrester had been struck by lightning during a recent thunderstorm, which weakened it to a point that it failed a short time afterwards.

Despite these power outages in October, BWP�s overall reliability continues to be strong. As of October 31, 2005, the system-wide average is 0.2266 outages per year, compared with an industry average of 1.2 outages per year. As of October 31, 2005, the average service availability is 99.9919%, exceeding the City goal of 99.99%. The average outage length is 63.19 minutes, compared with an industry average of 80 minutes.

The following table shows the system-wide reliability statistics for Fiscal Year 2005-06 through October 31, 2005, as compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2004-05:

Financial and Operations Update

• �        Fiscal Year 2005-06 year-to-date Power Financial Results as of October 31, 2005:

 ( ) = Unfavorable

(A)       Primarily due to replacement power costs for MPP which went into commercial operation on September 22, 2005. The Budget assumes the commercial operation date of May 25, 2005. Impact of the MPP delay in commercial operation is $3.5 million. Running Lake and Olive has added $250k to retail power supply variance.  

(B)       Finance charge of $1.7 million related to Sempra Energy invoices in October 2005. This entry will be reversed for November 2005.

(C)       In-lieu accrual of $364k was recorded in June�05 as part of year end closing. This entry was reversed in July�05 and no monthly accrual was made in this FY 2005-06.

Fiscal Year 2005-06 Power Fund Financial Reserve balances as of October 31, 2005 is summarized in the following table:

Local Generation Operations Update

Unit Status

• Magnolia Power Project went into firm operation on September 22, 2005.

• Olive 1 is in hot-standby and available for normal service.

• Olive 2 is in hot-standby and available for normal service.

• Lake One is available for normal service.

• The micro-turbine project is complete. This unit generates 300 kilowatts per hour on average. 

• Hydro energy production for October was 53,700 kwh as compared to the goal of 71,000 kwh. The year-to-date actual hydro production is 289,500 kwh as compared to the goal of 317,000 kwh.

October 2005 Unit Data

Energy Crisis Update

Staff continues to pursue its interests in order to collect monies still owed to the City as a result of the California Energy Crisis. The City is currently owed approximately $4.8 million for energy sales made during the crisis.

SCADA/EMS

The tie lines to Glendale are in operation.  There are continuing metering problems at the Western Receiving Station (Glendale).  The meters are reading correctly but the reads sent to the SCADA Center are not always correct.  It has been decided to replace the MWH meters at Western.

BWP Engineering staff continues to work with Siemens New Energy to implement the New Energy Scheduling software that will be used for Magnolia. During October, the DCS from Magnolia started sending data to SCADA. 

The PSA for upgrading the Telvent SCADA system was approved and a purchase order was issued.  Burbank�s IT Department is buying the master station and operator station equipment for the upgrade and has issued a purchase order.

Telecom

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Disney to connect Team Disney to 6904 Tujunga Avenue in North Hollywood through LADWP Receiving Station �E.

Engineering developed a fiber optic job for Disney to connect Team Disney to Disney, 3000 Clybourn Ave.

Engineering developed a fiber optic job for Disney to connect Disney Channel to Ascent Media, 2901 W. Alameda Ave.

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Technicolor to connect 1117 Isabel St. to 919 N. Victory Blvd.

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Technicolor to connect 1117 Isabel St. to 919 N. Hollywood Way.

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Technicolor to connect 1117 Isabel St. to 1136 Weddington St. in North Hollywood through LADWP Receiving Station �E.

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Technicolor to connect 250 E. Olive Ave. to 919 N. Victory Blvd.

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Technicolor to connect 250 E. Olive Ave. to 919 N. Hollywood Way.

Engineering developed a fiber optic service proposal for Technicolor to connect 250 E. Olive Ave. to 1136 Waddington St. in North Hollywood through LADWP Receiving Station �E.

BWP field personnel completed a fiber optic job for Disney to connect Disney Frank Wells to Disney 800 Main St.

Engineering personnel released a fiber optic job to prepare fiber relocation for the MPP Co-Locate Room.

Engineering personnel released, and BWP field personnel completed, a fiber optic job for Disney to connect Team Disney to 4151 Prospect in Los Angeles through LADWP Receiving Station �E.

BWP Administration Building, Phase III Interior Remodel

The 90% set of construction drawings were submitted to plan check on September 26. Review was complete and plans returned to BWP with comments on October 27. BWP has met with Perkowitz+Ruth to discuss the comments and handoff for the next set of changes.    

Electrical Distribution

Since July 2005, 39 power poles have been replaced or installed, 27 pole replacements have been engineered, and 26 issued to the field. As a result of thunderstorms in October, BWP replaced 6 overhead transformers. Engineering continues its design work to rebuild existing facilities in the Alameda feeder areas to 12 kV. This work includes replacements of 4 kV rated transformers, re-insulating of the power lines, and any other necessary system improvements. As part of this effort, projects to rebuild one pad mounted transformer and three customer stations to 12 kV were issued to the field in September. In October, 2 additional pad mounted transformer replacements with dual voltage rated units were engineered. Engineering coordinates the process of station rebuilds with customers. This requires a full day outage for each station.

Since July 2005, 6 pad mounted customer stations have been engineered (the Community Services Building and The Hydrogen Station for Public Works in October), 3 issued to the field and 5 energized. Since July, as a result of field testing, 6 deteriorated pad mounted transformers and a pad mounted switch were replaced. Two more transformer replacements were issued in October.

Final design of the Warner Ranch industrial circuit from the Capon Switching Station at Warner Ranch was approved and Warner Bros. has started the civil construction. All electrical equipment (pad mount switch and pad mount transformer, etc.) has arrived. This project is expected to be completed by December 31, 2005 pending completion of the civil work by Warner Bros.

On July 26, 2005 City Council approved a contract with ABB Inc. in the amount of $3.9 million for replacement of the old and undersized power transformers at the Olive Switching Station. BWP staff is working with the contractor on the final design and developing a schedule for this project. ABB submitted all bonds and insurance documents for review and approval, and a Purchase Order was issued on August 24, 2005. Transformers were ordered by ABB immediately after City Council approval to ensure delivery on schedule. A kick-off meeting was held on August 22, 2005, followed by design review meetings on October 4 and October 25, 2005. A tentative schedule has been developed by ABB which shows construction starting in early November 2005, delivery of the transformers in mid-February 2006, and energization of the first power transformer in mid-March 2006 and the second power transformer in mid-June 2006. Completion and close out of the project is estimated in the summer of 2006.

BWP staff could not take the A-4 power transformer out of service on October 17 as initially planned due to reliability concerns of the 34,500-volt network in the Burbank Downtown area and its vicinity, and the high cost of fuel to run Lake 1 for the next 4.5 months during the replacement of this transformer. BWP developed and implemented a contingency plan to establish a temporary tie line between the Olive Switching Station and Burbank Substation.  The temporary tie was tested and energized on November 1, 2005.  This is working very well and will maintain reliability of the 34,500-volt network.  It will save roughly $750,000 in what it would cost to run Lake 1.  Lake 1 is available on an as needed basis. The old A-4 transformer has been disconnected, the oil pumped out, the radiators stripped off and the reactors removed from the pads. The transformer has been disposed of by ABB Inc, the old cable span pulled out by a BWP crew, and demolition of the pad work was started on November 14, 2005.

Engineering has completed the design, cost estimate, and schedule to complete the undergrounding of overhead lines along Frederick Street between Olive and Alameda Avenues. This is a joint effort between the developer and BWP. The developer is also working with Charter Communications and SBC to completely eliminate the poles along Frederick St.  Bock Co. started the duct work on August 24, 2005 and completed it before September 30, 2005. Engineering work to install new underground cable is complete and was issued to the field for construction .Cable installation is expected to be done by a BWP crew sometime between the middle of October to December 15, 2005. BWP�s portion of the project is estimated to be completed by January 31, 2006. Removal of lines will be coordinated with SBC, Charter Communications and the developer.

BWP is working with the City Attorney�s Office, Public Works Department (PW) and Community Development Department (CDD) to form an Underground Utility District 1 to accomplish the undergrounding of all overhead lines (power and communications) along Olive Ave. from the I-5 Bridge to Victory Blvd., and along Lake Street from Olive Ave. to Magnolia Blvd. To begin that process the PW Director prepared a map, or plat, and a report.  It was brought to City Council for consideration on September 13, 2005. City Council unanimously approved staff�s recommendation to go to the next step of working with SBC, Charter Communications and other affected communication companies to prepare a final plat, cost estimate and schedule for completion of undergrounding and removing overhead lines. BWP and Public Works Department had a preliminary meeting with communication companies impacted by this proposed Underground Utility District on November 2. There seems to be no opposition from SBC, Charter Communications and Verizon to form this Underground Utility District 1 and we will know more in our next meeting on December 8 when we discuss the schedule in details and issues of joint trench and cost sharing of street paving work. BWP estimates the City Council public hearing date to be sometime in February or March 2006 to form this Underground Utility District 1. Engineering has completed the final design to provide underground service to the GAC Plant and its vicinity, and ultimately remove the overhead line near the Float Shed in the BWP Yard and on the north side of Olive Ave. Bock Co. started the duct work on October 3, 2005. Cable work will be done in December 2005 or January 2006, and removal of overhead wires on the north side of Olive Ave., by January 31, 2006.  This will allow ABB to set one of the power transformers at the Olive Switching Station in mid-February 2006.

BWP Engineering is working with the Community Development Department (CDD) to build an underground/overhead electrical facility in the alley behind the old Buena Vista Library site. Some of the duct work was done along Verdugo Ave. from Fredrick St. and Buena Vista St., and the remaining duct work along Fredrick St. north of Verdugo Ave., and alleys east and west of Fredrick St., will be started in January 2006 and completed by May 31, 2006. The cable work and removal of the overhead electrical lines are scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2006.

Engineering is working with a consultant to replace the old 69 kV circuit breakers with new state-of-the-art, proper rated SF6 circuit breakers at Lincoln and Valley Substations. Ten circuit breakers were delivered to the BWP Yard in early October 2005, and the replacement was started in mid-November 2005.

Engineering is working on the design to replace the old electro-mechanical relays at Winona and Clybourn Substations with micro-processed relays.  Construction will start in the Fall of 2005.

Since July 2005, 9 additional streetlights were installed in response to requests from residents. The streetlight crew completed the series conversion project on Glenoaks Blvd. Staff eliminated Series Circuit #109 (Glenoaks, Tulare to Naomi). Two Home Depot related projects have been engineered and issued to the field. One of them is another series conversion project: Series Circuit #525 on Alameda Ave. east of Flower St.

M. David Paul will underground the streetlight system on the north side of Empire Ave. between Avon St. and Fairview St. This Job Order was issued to the field in October. As a part of this effort, BWP converted a portion of Series Circuit #303 to low voltage. In addition, BWP energized the newly installed streetlight standards on the northerly side of the Burbank Overpass.

Engineering continues working with the Redevelopment Agency on the South San Fernando Blvd. street improvement project, and with Public Works and the Traffic Signal Division on other street/traffic improvement projects. These projects include the Olive/Alameda Intersection Widening and the Empire Avenue Streetscape Project. The San Fernando Intelligent Transportation System Project is under construction.

A total of 189 remote meters were installed in October. 

Legislative Update:

Refer to the attached legislative reports.

RED:RAC:FCF:WOM:GLS:JLF

H: NOVEMBER W&E OPERATIONS REPORT

Attachments

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