NCG551184_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20210603

June 3, 2021
Mr. Garcia Ramiro Castro
2533 Brogden Rd.
Creedmor, NC 27522-9220

Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection
Single Family Wastewater Treatment System
NPDES General Permit NCG550000
Certificate of Coverage NCG551184
Facility Name: 4727 Redwood Road
Durham County

Dear Garcia Ramiro Castro,

On April 29, 2021 Chris Smith from the Raleigh Regional Office visited your single-family
residence (SFR) wastewater treatment system to evaluate compliance with the subject General
NPDES Permit. No one was at home at the time of the inspection.

Our records indicate the treatment system consists of a septic tank, sub-surface sand filter, tablet
chlorinator with chlorine contact chamber, and discharge pipe.

General NPDES Permit NCG550000 and Certificate of Coverage (COC) NCG551184 authorize
the discharge of domestic wastewater from your treatment system to receiving waters designated
as an unnamed tributary to Panther Creek classified Water Supply (WS-IV), Nutrient Sensitive
Water (NSW), and Critical Area (CA) in the Neuse River Basin. The authorized discharge is in
accordance with the effluent limits and monitoring requirements established within the General
Permit. The items below show what conditions were noted at your facility:

Findings during the inspection were as follows:
1. NCG550000 - Ownership: According to Durham County deed of records, Garcia
Ramiro Castro owns the residence and property located at 4727 Redwood Road in
Durham, North Carolina. As the property owner, you are also the owner of the existing
single-family wastewater treatment system, which treats the domestic wastewater from
the residence and releases the effluent to the receiving waters indicated above. Because
the treatment system makes an outlet to waters of the state, it is an activity for which the
subject permit is required. To comply with North Carolina General Statute § 143-
215.1(a), which requires a person to obtain a permit to make an outlet into the waters of
the state, you will need to complete and submit the attached NCG550000 Ownership
Change Form to the Division. If you have any questions regarding change in permit
ownership or completing the form, then please contact Chris Smith [phone]
DocuSign Envelope ID: 628F0070-F2AB-4220-89F7-A2863AECC220

Garcia Ramiro Castro, NCG551184
June 3, 2021 Page 2 of 3

2. Treatment system operation: The wastewater treatment system shall be maintained at
all times to prevent seepage of sewage to the surface of the ground.
3. Pumping the septic tank: You are required to inspect the septic tank at least yearly to
determine if solids must be removed or if other maintenance is necessary. Septic tanks
should be pumped out every five years or when the solids level is found to be more than
1/3 of the liquid depth in the septic tank compartment, whichever is greater. A pumping
company can check the status periodically and determine when pumping is required.
Within 30-days of receiving this letter, please send a copy of the most recent
receipt/invoice to this office showing the date the septic tank was last checked and/or
pumped out. The General NPDES Permit requires the permittee to retain records
associated with sewage disposal activities for a period of at least 5 years. During the
inspection, the septic tank could not be located.
4. Disinfection: Your system may be lacking disinfection, either chlorine tablets or a UV
light system. New rules put into place on August 1, 2007 require all SFR systems to have
a means of disinfection. During the inspection, the existing chlorinator could not be
located. Within 30-days of receiving this letter, please send a schedule to this office
that states your plan for correcting this deficiency.
5. Analyzing the effluent: Part 1. C., Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements,
within General Permit NCG550000 requires a permittee to sample and analyze the
effluent leaving his/her treatment system prior to discharge annually. Parameters to be
sampled and analyzed include Flow, BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), Total
Suspended Solids, Fecal Coliform and Total Residual Chlorine. Within 30-days of
receiving this letter, please let this office know if you have monitored your effluent
discharge within the last 12 months and provide this office with a copy of the lab results
if you have. If you have not monitored your effluent, then please collect a representative
sample of the effluent, have it analyzed by a certified commercial laboratory and submit
the results to this office no later than August 30, 2021. If, during this time, you are
unable to collect a representative sample of the effluent discharge due to insufficient flow
from the discharge pipe, then update this office with that information and continue to
monitor the discharge and if conditions for sampling become favorable, then arrange to
collect a sample. Failure to monitor the effluent discharge as required is a violation of
NPDES General Permit NCG550000.
6. Locations of treatment units are unknown: Within 30-days of receiving this letter,
provide this office with a sketch or map of the location of the treatment units (septic tank,
sand filter, chlorinator, contact chamber) in relation to the permitted residence.
7. Discharge outlet location. The permittee is required to conduct a visual review of the
outfall location at least twice each year (one at the time of sampling) to ensure that no
visible solids or other obvious evidence of system malfunctioning is observed. Any
visible signs of a malfunctioning system shall be documented and steps taken to correct
the problem. The end of discharge pipe was not visible nor accessible the day of the
inspection. To comply with the general permit monitoring requirements, you need to be
able to sample and analyze the effluent from your SFR system through the discharge
DocuSign Envelope ID: 628F0070-F2AB-4220-89F7-A2863AECC220

Garcia Ramiro Castro, NCG551184
June 3, 2021 Page 3 of 3

pipe. You need to keep the area around the discharge pipe cleared of vegetation, soil and
leaves. Please take the necessary steps to ensure the discharge outlet is visible and
accessible. Maintaining the area will allow you to monitor the discharge and to collect
effluent samples as required by the subject permit.

The wastewater treatment system should be periodically inspected to ensure the treatment
components are always maintained and in good operating order. You are also reminded to
maintain all monitoring data and associated maintenance records onsite for a minimum of
three years and available for inspection.

Within 30-days receipt of this letter, please submit a written response to this office indicating
the actions you will take or have taken to comply with or resolve the issues noted in items 2-7
above.

If you have questions or comments about this inspection or the requirements to take corrective
action (if applicable), then please contact Chris Smith at 919-791-4257

Sincerely,

Vanessa E. Manuel, Assistant Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Raleigh Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ

Attachment(s): EPA Water Compliance Inspection Report
Permit Name/Ownership Change Form

Cc: RRO/SWP Files
Laserfiche

DocuSign Envelope ID: 628F0070-F2AB-4220-89F7-A2863AECC220