Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents to promote drinking water research. This MOA will be funded out of the Water Utility General Operating Budget based on the cost schedule attached to the MOA. Maximum costs per academic year shall be:
9/1/21 to 8/31/22 $46,361
9/1/22 to 8/31/23 $47,531
9/1/23 to 8/31/24 $48,908
Funding is provided in MUNIS account 86292300-54810-00000. No additional appropriation is required.
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 to 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 research program has been a significant financial benefit to Madison Water Utility. Operational savings alone resulting from recommendations of this Drinking Water Research collaboration with the University of Wisconsin during its 19 year history is estimated to exceed $1.250 million or an average of $65,700 per year. These savings continue to increase annually as system optimization expands. Estimated salary and benefit savings of this program over the past 19 years exceeds $415,000 or an average annual salary savings of in excess of $21,800. During the 3 years included in the scope of this MOA period, projected savings to Madison Water Utility is estimated to exceed $300,000 per year; 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.
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.