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Home My WebLink AboutNC0021474_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20220801ROY COOPER Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER Secretary RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR. Director City of Mebane Attn: Chris Rollins 106 East Washington Street Mebane, NC 27302 NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality August 2, 2022 Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection Mebane Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES Permit Number: NC0021474 Alamance County Dear Mr. Rollins: Ron Boone, of the Winston-Salem Regional Office (WSRO) of the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR), conducted a compliance evaluation inspection (CEI) of the Mebane wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on June 24th, 2022. The assistance and cooperation of Dennis Hodge, Tony Bowes, and Amanda Hill was greatly appreciated. Inspection findings are detailed in the attached water compliance inspection report. Please be aware that the Division may take enforcement action against any permittee who fails to comply with any requirement of their permit. Pursuant to NC General Statute (NCGS) 143-215.6A, a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) may be assessed against any person who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms, conditions, or requirements of any permit issued pursuant to G.S. 143-215.1. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Boone by phone at 336- 776-9690, or by email at ron.boone@ncdenr.gov. Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter. Attachments: 1. Water Compliance Inspection Report cc: Laserfiche GDE NORTH C AROLINA ' omm ep..orEMr n nt o�.iXks. Sincerely, DocuSiiggned by:by� Lti O1. 5MA.- "- 145B49E225C94EA... Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Winston-Salem Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources Winston-Salem Regional Office 1450 W. Hanes Mill Rd, Suite 300 I Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105 336.776.9800 United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA Washington, D.C. 20460 Water Compliance Inspection Report Form Approved. OMB No. 2040-0057 Approval expires 8-31-98 Section A: National Data System Coding (i.e., PCS) 1 21IIIIII 671 Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection IN I 2 IL I 3 I NC0021474 111 121 22/06/24 117 Type 1810I IIIIIIIIIII Inspector Fac Type 19I S I 2011 IIIIIIIIIII IIIIIII I IIIIII P6 Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating B1 QA Reserved I 70I I 711 172 I N I 73I 1 74 71 I I I I I I I I 180 Section B: Facility Data Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also include POTW name and NPDES permit Number) Mebane WWTP 635 Corregidor Rd Mebane NC 27302 Entry Time/Date 10:OOAM 22/06/24 Permit Effective Date 14/07/01 Exit Time/Date 12:OOPM 22/06/24 Permit Expiration Date 19/05/31 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) /// Amanda Catharine Hill/ORC/919-563-6141/ Antony Jerome Bowes/ORC/919-304-9216/ Dennis James Hodge/ORC/336-906-5583/ Other Facility Data Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number Contacted Linda R Holt,106 E Washington St Mebane NC 27302//919-563-6141/ No Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) Permit Flow Measurement Operations & Maintenar Records/Reports Self -Monitoring Progran Sludge Handling Dispo: Facility Site Review Effluent/Receiving Wate Laboratory 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 Ron Boone DWR/WSRO WQ/336-776-9690/ 1- DocuSigsened by: fysver ,G�.e�poo,ve. 7/22/2022 ` eFP4®esr2v.3 $CO Signature of Management Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date rDocuSigned by: t—)# T. SA,ae.r 145B49E225C94EA... EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete. Page# 1 3I NPDES yr/mo/day N C 0021474 I11 121 22/06/24 17 Inspection Type 18 [j (Cont.) 1 Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) Ron Boone, of the Winston-Salem Regional Office of the NC Division of Water Resources, conducted a compliance evaluation inspection of the Mebane WWTP on 6/24/22. The assistance and cooperation of Dennis Hodge, Tony Bowes, and Amanda Hill was greatly appreciated. Inspection findings are detailed below and in the accompanying checklist. Records Review: Operational records were reviewed and found to be complete, current, and compliant. This includes operator visitation logs, operations logs, maintenance logs, and other pertinent records that the operators provided during the inspection. Records are kept for at least 3 years. Analytical records are complete, current, and compliant. The permittee uses Meritech labs for BOD, nitrogen, metals, oil & grease, and cyanide. Field parameters are completed in house. Chains of custody, lab reports, etc, were all available for review. All analytical records are kept for at least 5 years. No discrepancies in reporting lab results were noted. The current permit is maintained onsite. Plant Inspection: The bar screen is operational and in good condition. The aeration basins (AB) appear to be in good condition and the mixed liquor appears healthy. The basins used floating aerators and not all run at the same time, which creates oxic and anoxic zones to aid in nutrient management. The clarifiers also appear in good condition and operating properly. The weirs appear to be level and no short circuiting was noticed in the clarifiers. The plant uses liquid sodium hypochlorite for disinfection and liquid sodium bisulfite for dechlorination. Backups for all pumps are kept on hand. The effluent flow meter is used for reporting and it was last calibrated in June of 2022. It reports both a constant flow rate as well as the total flow. The meter is calibrated quarterly so it is due again in September 2022. The plant's generators supply power for the whole facility. The effluent appeared excellent. It was very clear and there is no odor. Fish were seen in the immediate area of the outfall. The inspector has the following recommendations: Keep up the good work! No permit deficiencies or violations were noted during the inspection. Page# 2 Permit: NC0021474 Inspection Date: 06/24/2022 Owner - Facility: Mebane WWTP Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Permit Yes No NA NE (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? • ❑ El El # Are there any special conditions for the permit? El • El El Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment: None 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 operator 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? Facility has copy of previous year's Annual Report on file for review? Comment: None Laboratory Are field parameters performed by certified personnel or laboratory? Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE Page# 3 Permit: NC0021474 Inspection Date: 06/24/2022 Owner - Facility: Mebane WWTP Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Laboratory Are all other parameters(excluding field parameters) performed by a certified lab? # Is the facility using a contract lab? # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees Celsius)? Incubator (Fecal Coliform) set to 44.5 degrees Celsius+/- 0.2 degrees? Incubator (BOD) set to 20.0 degrees Celsius +/- 1.0 degrees? Comment: None Influent Sampling # Is composite sampling flow proportional? Is sample collected above side streams? Is proper volume collected? Is the tubing clean? # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees Celsius)? Is sampling performed according to the permit? Comment: None Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ • Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Effluent Sampling Yes No NA NE Is composite sampling flow proportional? • ❑ El El Is sample collected below all treatment units? • El El El Is proper volume collected? • El El El Is the tubing clean? • El El El # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 ■ El El El degrees Celsius)? Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type • El El El representative)? Comment: None Upstream / Downstream Sampling Yes No NA NE Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type, El El • El and sampling location)? Comment: Not required due to participation in the river basin association. Page# 4 Permit: NC0021474 Inspection Date: 06/24/2022 Owner - Facility: Mebane WWTP Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Bar Screens Type of bar screen a.Manual b.Mechanical Are the bars adequately screening debris? Is the screen free of excessive debris? Is disposal of screening in compliance? Is the unit in good condition? Comment: None Grit Removal Type of grit removal a.Manual b.Mechanical Is the grit free of excessive organic matter? Is the grit free of excessive odor? # Is disposal of grit in compliance? Comment: None Yes No NA NE • • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE Mode of operation Ext. Air Type of aeration system Surface 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: Surface aerators are alternated and not all are in operation at all times to create oxic and anoxic zones. 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? Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ ▪ ❑ ❑ ❑ Page# 5 Permit: NC0021474 Inspection Date: 06/24/2022 Owner - Facility: Mebane WWTP Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Secondary Clarifier Yes No NA NE 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: None Pumps-RAS-WAS Are pumps in place? Are pumps operational? Are there adequate spare parts and supplies on site? Comment: None Filtration (High Rate Tertiary) Type of operation: Is the filter media present? Is the filter surface free of clogging? Is the filter free of growth? Is the air scour operational? Is the scouring acceptable? Is the clear well free of excessive solids and filter media? Comment: Flow Measurement - Effluent # Is flow meter used for reporting? Is flow meter calibrated annually? Is the flow meter operational? (If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter? Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ ▪ ❑ ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE El El El El ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ DODOEl El El El El El El El El El El El Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Page# 6 Permit: NC0021474 Inspection Date: 06/24/2022 Owner - Facility: Mebane WWTP Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Flow Measurement - Effluent Yes No NA NE Comment: Meter is calibrated quarterly. Last calibrated in June 2022. Disinfection -Liquid Is there adequate reserve supply of disinfectant? (Sodium Hypochlorite) Is pump feed system operational? Is bulk storage tank containment area adequate? (free of leaks/open drains) Is the level of chlorine residual acceptable? Is the contact chamber free of growth, or sludge buildup? Is there chlorine residual prior to de -chlorination? Comment: Sodium hypochlorite Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ De -chlorination Yes No NA NE Type of system ? Liquid Is the feed ratio proportional to chlorine amount (1 to 1)? El • ❑ ❑ Is storage appropriate for cylinders? El El • El # Is de -chlorination substance stored away from chlorine containers? • El El El Are the tablets the proper size and type? El El • El Comment: Sodium Bisulfite Are tablet de -chlorinators operational? El El • El Number of tubes in use? Comment: None Pump Station - Effluent Yes No NA NE Is the pump wet well free of bypass lines or structures? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Are all pumps present? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Are all pumps operable? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Are float controls operable? • El ❑ ❑ Is SCADA telemetry available and operational? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Is audible and visual alarm available and operational? • ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment: None Effluent Pipe Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained? • Yes No NA NE ❑ ❑ ❑ Page# 7 Permit: NC0021474 Inspection Date: 06/24/2022 Owner - Facility: Mebane WWTP Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Effluent Pipe Yes No NA NE Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris? If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly? Comment: None ■ ❑ ❑ ❑ • ❑ ❑ ❑ Aerobic Digester Yes No NA NE Is the capacity adequate? • ❑ El El Is the mixing adequate? • ❑ El ❑ Is the site free of excessive foaming in the tank? • El El El # Is the odor acceptable? • El ❑ ❑ # Is tankage available for properly waste sludge? ■ El El El Comment: None Operations & Maintenance Yes No NA NE Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? • El El El Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex: MLSS, MCRT, Settleable • ❑ ❑ ❑ Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable? Comment: None Standby Power Is automatically activated standby power available? Is the generator tested by interrupting primary power source? Is the generator tested under load? Was generator tested & operational during the inspection? Do the generator(s) have adequate capacity to operate the entire wastewater site? Is there an emergency agreement with a fuel vendor for extended run on back-up power? Is the generator fuel level monitored? Comment: None Yes No NA NE • ❑ ❑ ❑ II El El El Page# 8