NC0048577_Draft Permit_20191030

ROY COOPER
M1`tl MICHAEL S. REGAN
LINDA CULPEPPER
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
October 30, 2019
Gary Davenport
Robeson County Water Department
265 McGirt Rd
Maxton,NC 28364
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NC0048577
Maxton WTP
Grade I Physical Chemical WPCS
Robeson County
Dear Mr. Davenport:
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Please review this draft carefully to ensure a
thorough understanding of the information, conditions,and requirements it contains.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the existing permit:
➢ Regulatory citations have been added.
➢ Iron has been removed from the Effluent table in Section A.(1)as there are no longer water quality
standards for Iron and the permit renewal application indicates that Iron sulfate or Ferrous sulfate does not
have the potential to be discharged.
➢ Former Footnote#5 in Section A. (1)has been removed as this is no longer required.
➢ Monitoring frequency for Turbidity has been updated to Monthly in Section A. (1)per current water
treatment plant guidance.
➢ Quarterly monitoring for Hardness has been added to the Effluent table in Section A. (1)per current water
treatment plant guidance.
➢ Zinc has been added to the Effluent table in Section A. (1)with a corresponding footnote as the permit
renewal application indicates Zinc-orthophosphate or Sweetwater CP1236 has the potential to be
discharged, and the parameter was inadvertently left out of the previous permit renewal.
➢ Copper has been removed from the Effluent table in Section A. (1) as our analysis has shown there is no
reasonable potential to exceed water quality standards.
➢ Section A. (4)and Footnote#1 in Section A. (1)has been updated regarding electronic submission of
effluent data. Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports
(DMRs).
➢ Section A. (2)and Footnote#3 in Section A. (1)has been updated with a new Whole Effluent Toxicity
(WET)chronic testing effluent concentration of 0.92%.
➢ The Supplement to Cover Sheet page has been updated to include the maximum,monthly average flow,
stream index and HUC code.
➢ A Permit Reopener—Whole Effluent Toxicity special condition(Section A. (3))has been added as the
facility has failed multiple toxicity tests over the past three years.
➢ The limit for Total Residual Chlorine has been updated.
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617
919-707-3712

➢ Fluoride limit has been removed in the Effluent table in Section A. (1)as our analysis has shown there is
no reasonable potential to exceed water quality standards.The monitoring frequency has been updated to
Quarterly as the permit renewal application indicates Fluoride has the potential to be discharged.
➢ Manganese has been removed from the Effluent table in Section A.(1)as there are no longer water quality
standards for this parameter.
The NC 2007-2014 Water Quality Standard(WQS)Triennial Review was approved by the NC Environmental
Management Committee(EMC)on November 13,2014. The US EPA subsequently approved the WQS revisions
on April 6,2016 with some exceptions.The NC Division of Water Resources NPDES Permitting Unit is required
to implement the new dissolved metal standards in all permits public noticed after April 6,2016.
The new standards for most metals include acute standards.Further,the freshwater standards for several metals
are expressed as the dissolved form of the metals,and seven metals have hardness-dependent equations.As a
result,the NPDES Permitting Unit will need site-specific effluent hardness data and instream hardness data,
upstream of the discharge, for each facility monitoring these metals in order to calculate permit limitations.
Effluent hardness and instream hardness sampling,upstream of the discharge,has been added to this permit at a
monitoring frequency of quarterly. See Section A. (1)Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements.
The NPDES standard conditions(Parts II,III and that areapart of the permit are not included in this draft
�
document(cover,map,and Part I).The conditions are the same as in your current permit except that agency and
division names have been updated. The latest version is available at https://bit.ly/2BZ4xxx and can be viewed
online or downloaded as a PDF file.
With this notification,the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by publishing a notice in
newspapers having circulation in the general Robeson County area,per EPA requirements. Please provide your
comments,if any,to me no later than 30 days after receiving this draft permit.
Following the 30-day public comment period,the Division will review all pertinent comments and take
appropriate action prior to issuing a final permit. If you have questions concerning the draft,please contact me at
the telephone number listed at the bottom of this page,or via e-mail [[e-mail]].
Sincerely,
Sydney Carpenter
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting
cc: NPDES File
Fayetteville Regional Office
Operator Certification Program
Aquatic Toxicology Unit

NPDES Permit NC0048577
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
(NPDES)
In compliance with the provisions of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1, other lawful standards
and regulations promulgated and adopted by the North Carolina Environmental Management
Commission, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, the
Robeson County Water Department
is hereby authorized to discharge treated wastewater from a facility located at
Maxton Water Treatment Plant (WTP)
265 McGirt Road
Maxton
Robeson County
to receiving waters designated as the Lumber River, within the Lumber River Basin, in accordance
with effluent limitations, monitoring requirements, and other applicable conditions set forth in Parts I,
II, III, and IV hereof.
The permit shall become effective
This permit and the authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on July 31, 2024.
Signed this day
ID)IE A FIN
Linda Culpepper, Director
Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 8

NPDES Permit NC0048577
SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET
All previous NPDES Permits issued to this facility, whether for operation or discharge are hereby
revoked, and as of this issuance, any previously issued permit bearing this number is no longer
effective. Therefore, the exclusive authority to operate and discharge from this facility arises under the
permit conditions,requirements, terms, and provisions described herein.
Robeson County Water Department
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate a conventional water treatment plant with a discharge of wastewaters from
media filter backwash and sedimentation basins. This water treatment plant currently has a design
potable flowrate of 12.0 MGD and a maximum, monthly average wastewater discharge of
approximately 0.3589 MGD. This facility is located at 265 McGirt Road, Maxton in Robeson
County. Water and wastewater treatment includes the following components:
• Aeration
• Filtration and sedimentation
• 200,000-gallon equalization basin
• Dual 150-gpm equalization pumps
• Two (2) Clarifier/sludge thickeners
• Four(4) sludge drying beds
• Four(4) 200-gpm filtrate pumps
• Effluent pump station
• Dechlorination equipment
• Chemical usage consists of:
o Fluoride
o Sodium Hydroxide
o Sodium Hypochlorite
o Zinc-orthophosphate
o Calcium Thiosulfate
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into the
Lumber River, currently classified B; Sw; HQW waters [Stream Index: 14-(4.5)] in sub-basin
03-07-51 [HUC: 0304020303] of the Lumber River Basin.
Page 2 of 8

NPDES Permit NC0048577
PART I
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
Grade I Physical Chemical WPCS [15A NCAC 08G .0302]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the
Permittee is authorized to discharge filter backwash via Outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited
and monitored) by the Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS LIMITS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[eDMR Code] Monthly Daily Measurement Sample Sample
Average Maximum Frequency Type Location
Flow(MGD) [50050] Continuous Recording Effluent
Total Suspended Solids(mg/L) [C0530] 30.0 mg/L 45.0 mg/L 2/month Grab Effluent
Turbidity(NTU) [00070] Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Total Residual Chlorine2(pg/L) [50060] 28 pg/L 2/month Grab Effluent
pH(su) [00400] Not<6.0 or>9.0 2/month Grab Effluent
standard units
Total Fluoride(pg/L) [00951] Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Zinc(pg/L) [01092] Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Phosphorous(TP)(mg/L) [C0665] Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Nitrogen(TN)(mg/L) [C0600] Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Chronic WET Testing3 [TGP3B] Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Hardness-Total as Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
[CaCO3 or(Ca+Mg)]4 (mg/L) [00900]
Hardness-Total as Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Upstream
[CaCO3 or(Ca+Mg)]5 (mg/L) [00900]
Footnotes:
1. The permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the Division's eDMR system
[see Section A. (4)].
2. The Division shall consider TRC effluent values reported below 50 µg/L to be compliant with the permit.
However,the Permittee shall continue to record and submit all values reported by a North Carolina-certified
laboratory method(including field certified), even if these values fall below 50µg/L.
3. Whole Effluent Toxicity(WET)testing-testing of Ceriodaphnia dubia shall be performed as 7-day
pass/fail test at 0.92%effluent concentration,during January,April,July and October [See Section A.
(2.)].
4. Effluent hardness sampling should be performed in conjunction with testing for hardness dependent metals
(zinc).
5. The Permittee shall sample instream hardness,upstream of the facility's discharge. The sample shall be
representative of the hardness in the receiving stream. If the Permittee is a member of the Monitoring
Coalition Program, sampling for instream hardness may be waived as long as the Monitoring Coalition
agrees to sample hardness at the nearest upstream location, at a minimum frequency of quarterly,and the
Permittee has obtained approval from DWR-NPDES Permitting Unit that the upstream station being
monitored by the Coalition is representative of the receiving stream for this discharge. The Permittee is
responsible for submitting instream hardness test results with its permit renewal application package. If
Page 3 of 8

NPDES Permit NC0048577
Coalition membership is cancelled or the Coalition terminates instream hardness sampling at the approved
station,the Permittee will immediately notify the Division and resume sampling for instream hardness,
upstream of its discharge.
All samples collected should be from a representative discharge event.
THERE SHALL BE NO DISCHARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN OTHER THAN TRACE AMOUNTS.
A. (2.) CHRONIC TOXICITY MONITORING (QUARTERLY)
[15A NCAC 02B .0500 et seq.]
The permittee shall conduct quarterly chronic toxicity tests using test procedures outlined in the
"North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chronic Effluent Bioassay Procedure," (Revised December 2010, or
subsequent versions).
The effluent concentration defined as treatment two in the procedure document is 0.92%. The testing
shall be performed as a Ceriodaphnia dubia 7-day pass/fail test. The tests will be performed during
the months of January,April,July and October. These months signify the first month of each
three-month toxicity testing quarter assigned to the facility. Effluent sampling for this testing must be
obtained during representative effluent discharge and shall be performed at the NPDES permitted final
effluent discharge below all treatment processes.
All toxicity testing results required as part of this permit condition will be entered on the Effluent
Discharge Monitoring Form (MR-1) for the month in which it was performed, using the parameter
code TGP3B. Additionally, DWR Form AT-1 (original) is to be sent to the following address:
North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicology Branch
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1621
Or, results can be sent to the email, ATForms.ATB@a,ncdenr.gov.
Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Water Sciences Section no later than 30
days after the end of the reporting period for which the report is made.
Test data shall be complete and accurate and include all supporting chemical/physical measurements
performed in association with the toxicity tests, as well as all dose/response data. Total residual
chlorine of the effluent toxicity sample must be measured and reported if chlorine is employed for
disinfection of the waste stream.
Should there be no discharge of flow from the facility during a month in which toxicity monitoring is
required, the permittee will complete the information located at the top of the aquatic toxicity (AT)test
form indicating the facility name, permit number, pipe number, county, and the month/year of the
report with the notation of"No Flow"in the comment area of the form. The report shall be submitted
to the Water Sciences Section at the address cited above.
Page 4 of 8

NPDES Permit NC0048577
Should the permittee fail to monitor during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required, then
monthly monitoring will begin immediately. Upon submission of a valid test, this monthly test
requirement will revert to quarterly in the months specified above.
Should any test data from this monitoring requirement or tests performed by the North Carolina
Division of Water Resources indicate potential impacts to the receiving stream, this permit may be re-
opened and modified to include alternate monitoring requirements or limits.
NOTE: Failure to achieve test conditions as specified in the cited document, such as minimum control
organism survival, minimum control organism reproduction, and appropriate environmental controls,
shall constitute an invalid test and will require immediate follow-up testing to be completed no later
than the last day of the month following the month of the initial monitoring.
A. (3.) PERMIT RE-OPENER: WHOLE EFFLUENT TOXICITY MONITORING
[NCGS 143-215.1(b)]
Whole Effluent Toxicity monitoring results indicating aquatic toxicity may result in Division of Water
Resources re-opening this permit or requesting by letter that further action be taken. Additional metals
testing, a toxicity identification evaluation, a toxicity reduction evaluation, and/or an assessment of
discharge treatment alternatives may be requested.
A. (4.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[NCGS 143-215.1(b)]
Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) and
program reports. The final NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule was adopted and became effective on
December 21, 2015.
NOTE: This special condition supplements or supersedes the following sections within Part II of this
permit(Standard Conditions for NPDES Permits):
• Section B. (11.) Signatory Requirements
• Section D. (2.) Reporting
• Section D. (6.) Records Retention
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D. (2.) and Section E. (5.) (a)]
The permittee shall report discharge monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR's
Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) interne application.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
submitted electronically using eDMR. The eDMR system allows permitted facilities to enter
Page 5 of 8

NPDES Permit NC0048577
monitoring data and submit DMRs electronically using the internet. The eDMR system may be
accessed at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr.
If a permittee is unable to use the eDMR system due to a demonstrated hardship or due to the
facility being physically located in an area where less than 10 percent of the households have
broadband access, then a temporary waiver from the NPDES electronic reporting requirements
may be granted and discharge monitoring data may be submitted on paper DMR forms (MR 1, 1.1,
2, 3) or alternative forms approved by the Director. Duplicate signed copies shall be submitted to
the following address:
NC DEQ/ Division of Water Resources/Water Quality Permitting Section
ATTENTION: Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
See"How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below.
Regardless of the submission method, the first DMR is due on the last day of the month following
the issuance of the permit or in the case of a new facility, on the last day of the month following the
commencement of discharge.
Starting on December 21, 2020, the permittee must electronically report the following compliance
monitoring data and reports, when applicable:
• Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports;
• Pretreatment Program Annual Reports; and
• Clean Water Act(CWA) Section 316(b) Annual Reports.
The permittee may seek an electronic reporting waiver from the Division (see"How to Request a
Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below).
2. Electronic Submissions
In accordance with 40 CFR 122.41(1)(9), the permittee must identify the initial recipient at the time
of each electronic submission. The permittee should use the EPA's website resources to identify
the initial recipient for the electronic submission.
Initial recipient of electronic NPDES information from NPDES-regulated facilities means the
entity (EPA or the state authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES program) that is the
designated entity for receiving electronic NPDES data [see 40 CFR 127.2(b)].
EPA plans to establish a website that will also link to the appropriate electronic reporting tool for
each type of electronic submission and for each state. Instructions on how to access and use the
appropriate electronic reporting tool will be available as well. Information on EPA's NPDES
Electronic Reporting Rule is found at:
https://www.federalregi ster.gov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-24954/national-pollutant-discharge-
elimination-system-npdes-electronic-reporting-rul e
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NPDES Permit NC0048577
Electronic submissions must start by the dates listed in the"Reporting Requirements" section
above.
3. How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting
The permittee may seek a temporary electronic reporting waiver from the Division. To obtain an
electronic reporting waiver, a permittee must first submit an electronic reporting waiver request to
the Division. Requests for temporary electronic reporting waivers must be submitted in writing to
the Division for written approval at least sixty(60) days prior to the date the facility would be
required under this permit to begin submitting monitoring data and reports. The duration of a
temporary waiver shall not exceed 5 years and shall thereupon expire. At such time, monitoring
data and reports shall be submitted electronically to the Division unless the permittee re-applies for
and is granted a new temporary electronic reporting waiver by the Division. Approved electronic
reporting waivers are not transferrable. Only permittees with an approved reporting waiver request
may submit monitoring data and reports on paper to the Division for the period that the approved
reporting waiver request is effective.
Information on eDMR and the application for a temporary electronic reporting waiver are found on
the following web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
4. Signatory Requirements [Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.)
(d)1
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part
II, Section B. (11.)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II,
Section B. (11.)(b). A person, and not a position,must be delegated signatory authority for eDMR
reporting purposes.
For eDMR submissions, the person signing and submitting the DMR must obtain an eDMR user
account and login credentials to access the eDMR system. For more information on North
Carolina's eDMR system,registering for eDMR and obtaining an eDMR user account, please visit
the following web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
Certification. Any person submitting an electronic DMR using the state's eDMR system shall
make the following certification [40 CFR 122.22]. NO OTHER STATEMENTS OF
CERTIFICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED:
"I certify, under penalty of law, that this document and all attachments were prepared under my
direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel
properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person or
persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the
information, the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief true, accurate,
Page 7 of 8

NPDES Permit NC0048577
and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information,
including the possibility of fines and imprisonment for knowing violations."
5. Records Retention [Supplements Section D. (6.)l
The permittee shall retain records of all Discharge Monitoring Reports, including eDMR
submissions. These records or copies shall be maintained for a period of at least 3 years from the
date of the report. This period may be extended by request of the Director at any time [40 CFR
122.41].
Page 8 of 8

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Robeson County Water Department
Maxton Water Treatment Plant (WTP)
Facility
Location -
''''-
Receiving Stream: Lumber River Stream Segment: 14-(4.5) Scale 1:24,000 -
Drainage Basin: Lumber River Basin Sub-Basin: 03-07-51
Latitude: 34°46'35" Longitude: 79°19'49" NPDES Permit NC0048577
Stream Class: B;Sw,HQW HUC: 03040203 North
USGS Quad: Wakulla,NC Robeson County