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Home My WebLink AboutNC0032182_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20200324ROY COOPER Governor MICHAEL S. REGAN Secretary S. DANIEL SMITH Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality CERTIFIED MAIL 7018-1130-0000-1612-7239 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED March 24, 2020 Mr. John F. Lovin, Owner Lovin Marketing Company, Inc. P.O. Box 462 Boone, Nc 28607-0462 SUBJECT: Compliance Evaluation Inspection and Notice of Deficiency NOD-2020-PC-0147 Sunset Apartments WWTP NPDES Permit No. NCO032182 Watauga County Dear Mr. Lovin, On March 19, 2020, Kelli Park, of this office, met with Paul Isenhour, Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC), to perform a Compliance Evaluation Inspection at the Sunset Apartments wastewater treatment plant. This type of inspection consists of two basic parts: an in -office file review and an on -site inspection of the treatment facility. The attached EPA inspection form details the areas that were evaluated during this inspection. Deficiencies and concerns noted during the inspection are outlined below: 1) During the file review portion of the inspection Water Quality Labs was unable to produce the ORC field data collection sheets for the month of July 2019. Therefore, the inspector was unable to check data transcriptions for pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorine, and temperature for that month. 2) Ms. Park also noted a data transcription error for BOD for July 10, 2020. Operators must be more careful when transcribing data from source documentation to eDMRs to prevent such reporting errors. Amend and resubmit the eDMR. These issues represent deficiencies of the facility's NPDES permit. Thus, this letter is being sent to you as a Notice of Deficiency. Please reply in writing to this letter within 10 calendar days of its receipt. Your written reply should address each of the noted deficiencies and provide a corrective action plan along with an implementation/completion schedule to remediate them. D � North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources Winston-Salem Regional Office [ 450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 I Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105 NOh �HCARO UHA ^^ •^ �ku^m I u�•i` r 336.776.9800 Please be aware that violations of your NPDES permit, or the NC statutes and regulations under which it is promulgated, are subject to fines of up to $25,000 per day, per violation, as set forth in NC General Statute (NCGS) 143-215.6A, Enforcement Procedures, Civil Penalties. If you have any questions regarding the inspection or this report, please contact Kelli Park or me at (336) 776-9800 or by email at kelli.park(a)_ncdenr.gov or lon.snider(a)_ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, DocuSiigfc. ned by: "A. l ,ider Lon'�nic�er94EA . Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Division of Water Resources Attachments: EPA Water Compliance Inspection Report cc: WSRO United States Environmental Protection Agency Form Approved. EPA Washington, D.C. 20460 OMB No. 2040-0057 Water Compliance Inspection Report Approval expires 8-31-98 Section A: National Data System Coding (i.e., PCS) Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type Inspector Fac Type 1 IN 1 2 u 3 I NCO032182 I11 121 20/03/19 I17 18I � I 19 I s I 201 I 211IIIII 111111III II III III1 I I IIIII IIIIIIIII II r6 Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating B1 QA ---------------------- Reserved ------------------- 67 I 72 I n, I 71 I 74 79 I I I I I I I80 701 I 71 I LL -1 I I LJ Section B: Facility Data Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also include Entry Time/Date Permit Effective Date POTW name and NPDES permit Number) 10:30AM 20/03/19 17/11/01 Sunset Apartments 1217 Old Bristol Rd Exit Time/Date Permit Expiration Date Boone NC 28607 11:00AM 20/03/19 22/09/30 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) Other Facility Data Paul E. Isenhour/ORC/828-898-6277/ Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number Contacted Jason Gaston,215 Boone Heights Dr Ste 107 Boone NC 28607/Member/Manager/828-262-9807/ No Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) Permit Flow Measurement Operations & Maintenar 0 Records/Reports Self -Monitoring Progran Facility Site Review Effluent/Receiving Wate Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) (See attachment summary) Name(s) and Signature(s) of Inspector(s) Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date Kelli A Park Docusigned by: DWR/WSRO WQ/336-776-9689/ tu: PA4 3/24/2020 E B4A41 DCE74C34B9_. Signature of Management Q A Revie Docusigned by: Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date Lon Snider Luti '? SWer 3/24/2020 EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete. Page# NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type (Cont.) NCO032182 I11 12I 20/03/19 117 18 i c i Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) On March 19, 2020, Kelli Park, of this office, met with Paul Isenhour, Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC), to perform a Compliance Evaluation Inspection at the Sunset Apartments wastewater treatment plant. This type of inspection consists of two basic parts: an in -office file review and an on -site inspection of the treatment facility. The attached EPA inspection form details the areas that were evaluated during this inspection. Deficiencies and concerns noted during the inspection are outlined below: 1) During the file review portion of the inspection Water Quality Labs was unable to produce the ORC field data collection sheets for the month of July 2019. Therefore, the inspector was unable to check data transcriptions for pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorine, and temperature for that month. 2) Ms. Park also noted a data transcription error for BOD for July 10, 2020. Operators must be more careful when transcribing data from source documentation to eDMRs to prevent such reporting errors. Amend and resubmit the eDMR. These issues represent deficiencies of the facility's NPDES permit. Thus, this letter is being sent to you as a Notice of Deficiency. Please reply in writing to this letter within 10 calendar days of its receipt. Your written reply should address each of the noted deficiencies and provide a corrective action plan along with an implementation/completion schedule to remediate them. Please be aware that violations of your NPDES permit, or the NC statutes and regulations under which it is promulgated, are subject to fines of up to $25,000 per day, per violation, as set forth in NC General Statute (NCGS) 143-215.6A, Enforcement Procedures, Civil Penalties. If you have any questions regarding the inspection or this report, please contact Kelli Park or me at (336) 776-9800 or by email at kelli.park@ncdenr.gov or lon.snider@ncdenr.gov. Page# Permit: NCO032182 Inspection Date: 03/19/2020 Operations & Maintenance Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? Owner -Facility: Sunset Apartments Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex: MLSS, MCRT, Settleable Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable? Comment: Permit (If the present permit expires in 6 months or less). Has the permittee submitted a new application? Is the facility as described in the permit? # Are there any special conditions for the permit? Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public? Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection? Comment: Record Keeping Are records kept and maintained as required by the permit? Is all required information readily available, complete and current? Are all records maintained for 3 years (lab. reg. required 5 years)? Are analytical results consistent with data reported on DMRs? Is the chain -of -custody complete? Dates, times and location of sampling Name of individual performing the sampling Results of analysis and calibration Dates of analysis Name of person performing analyses Transported COCs Are DMRs complete: do they include all permit parameters? Has the facility submitted its annual compliance report to users and DWQ? (If the facility is = or > 5 MGD permitted flow) Do they operate 24/7 with a certified operatc on each shift? Is the ORC visitation log available and current? Is the ORC certified at grade equal to or higher than the facility classification? Is the backup operator certified at one grade less or greater than the facility classification Is a copy of the current NPDES permit available on site? Yes No NA NE ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Page# 3 Permit: NCO032182 Inspection Date: 03/19/2020 Owner -Facility: Sunset Apartments Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Record Keeping Facility has copy of previous year's Annual Report on file for review? Comment: There was a data transcription error on July 10th for BOD. Yes No NA NE ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ The operator log/ field data sheets were not available for the month of July. ORC is a grade 4, bORC is a grade 3 Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE Mode of operation Ext. Air Type of aeration system Is the basin free of dead spots? Are surface aerators and mixers operational? Are the diffusers operational? Is the foam the proper color for the treatment process? Does the foam cover less than 25% of the basin's surface? Is the DO level acceptable? Is the DO level acceptable?(1.0 to 3.0 mg/I) Comment: DO maintained around 1.5-2 Secondary Clarifier Is the clarifier free of black and odorous wastewater? Is the site free of excessive buildup of solids in center well of circular clarifier? Are weirs level? Is the site free of weir blockage? Is the site free of evidence of short-circuiting? Is scum removal adequate? Is the site free of excessive floating sludge? Is the drive unit operational? Is the return rate acceptable (low turbulence)? Is the overflow clear of excessive solids/pin floc? Is the sludge blanket level acceptable? (Approximately'/4 of the sidewall depth) Comment: Sludge blanket is estimated to be about 2 ft. Pumping records were avaialble. Pumped by Triple T in Feb 2020 Disinfection -Tablet Are tablet chlorinators operational? Diffused ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE ❑ ❑ ❑ Page# 4 Permit: NCO032182 Inspection Date: 03/19/2020 Owner -Facility: Sunset Apartments Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Disinfection -Tablet Yes No NA NE Are the tablets the proper size and type? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Number of tubes in use? 0 Is the level of chlorine residual acceptable? ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the contact chamber free of growth, or sludge buildup? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is there chlorine residual prior to de -chlorination? ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment: Cl tablets are placed in weirs De -chlorination Yes No NA NE Type of system ? Tablet Is the feed ratio proportional to chlorine amount (1 to 1)? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is storage appropriate for cylinders? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ # Is de -chlorination substance stored away from chlorine containers? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment: Are the tablets the proper size and type? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Are tablet de -chlorinators operational? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Number of tubes in use? 1 Comment: De -CI tablets are placed into a plastic galon container in the contact chamber Effluent Sampling Yes No NA NE Is composite sampling flow proportional? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Is sample collected below all treatment units? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is proper volume collected? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the tubing clean? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Celsius)? Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ representative)? Comment: Grab samples are taken in a holding tank after the de-cl. grab samples are put on ice Effluent Pipe Yes No NA NE Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris? ❑ ❑ ❑ If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Page# 5 Permit: NC0032182 Inspection Date: 03/19/2020 Effluent Pipe Owner -Facility: Sunset Apartments Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Yes No NA NE Comment: There is no effluent pipe. The effluent goes into a culvert that then mixes with stormwater drainages before being discharged into the recieving stream. Flow Measurement - Effluent Yes No NA NE # Is flow meter used for reporting? ❑ 0 ❑ ❑ Is flow meter calibrated annually? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Is the flow meter operational? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ (If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Comment: There is no flow meter, flow is estimated mathematically usinq a bucket and timer Upstream / Downstream Sampling Yes No NA NE Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type, an( 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ sampling location)? Comment: Page# 6