Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes a three-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the University of Wisconsin to promote drinking water research and improve water quality. Budget appropriation is anticipated to be authorized within the Water Utlity's annual operating budget to accomodate the annual cost of the research designated in the agreement as follows:
2019 - $44,030
2020 - $45,272
2021 - $46,563
Title
Authorizing the Mayor and the City Clerk to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin for the purpose of continuing to promote drinking water research that will help improve system water quality, improve energy efficiency, protect the public health, and improve system operations and efficiency.
Body
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility is tasked with the responsibility of efficiently and reliably providing safe drinking water to the citizens of the City of Madison; and
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility has conducted research on water quality, distribution system operation, pumping efficiency, and system modeling with the UW Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 2002 and wishes to continue that relationship; and
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility is constantly looking for and evaluating ways to optimize system operations, improve system efficiency, maintain and improve the existing high quality of water, and protect the public health; and
WHEREAS, the financial benefit to Madison Water Utility operations resulting from recommendations of this Drinking Water Research agreement with the University of Wisconsin during its 16 year history is estimated to exceed $600,000 or an average of $37,500 per year and the savings continues to increase annually. Estimated salary and benefit savings of this program over the past 16 years exceeds $570,000 or an average annual savings of $35,600; and
WHEREAS, the graduate program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides an excellent resource in drinking water research that Madison Water Utility wishes to continue to support and utilize.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Common Council of the City of Madison authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin for the purpose of promoting drinking water research to improve the water quality within the Madison water system, protect the public health, and improve system operations; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that progress reports of on-going research shall be shared with the Madison Water Utility Board and that final reports of the findings from research projects carried out under this agreement shall be delivered in the form of a Master's thesis to the Utility.