WQCS00102_Annual Performance_20220829

RECEIVED
2021 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT A U G 2 9 2022
FOR THE TOWN OF BEAUFORT
WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY AND NCDEQIDWRINPDES
COLLECTION SYSTEM
FISCAL YEAR:JULY 1,2021 to JUNE 30,2022
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Facility/System Name: Town of Beaufort Wastewater Treatment Plant
Town of Beaufort Collection System
Responsible Entity: Town of Beaufort
WWTP Contact: Donovan Willis
WWTP ORC
[phone]
Collections Contact: Elbert Godette
Collection System ORC
[phone]
WWTP NPDES Permit Number: NC0021831
Collection System NPDES Permit Number: WQCS00102
Description of Collection System:
The Town of Beaufort operates a sanitary sewer collection/interceptor system currently serving over 3200
sewer connections comprised mostly of domestic wastewater. It consists of more than twenty miles of 6-
inch to 12-inch gravity mains,approximately 4.3 miles of 4-inch to 12-inch force mains,twenty-five
pumping stations,and associated service laterals located throughout the entire corporate limits of
Beaufort.There are two existing sewer force mains—one located along Highway 101 extending to the
Jarrett Bay Marine Industrial Complex,and the other located along Highway 70 East extending to East
Carteret High School.
Routine cleaning and inspection of the collections system was performed to help lessen the possibility of
a SSO.
The Town's Collection System did not have any spills to report during the fiscal year.
Description of Wastewater Treatment Plant:
Until-February,2010,the Town of Beaufort owned and operated a dual-train secondary wastewater
treatment plant with a design capacity of 1.50 MGD.The facility was originally constructed as a 0.75
MGD plant in 1969.The plant was expanded in 1986 to increase capacity to the current level.A
replacement facility was constructed adjacent to the existing facility. Completion of the new tertiary
wastewater treatment plant occurred in February,2010.
The influent flow from the collection system is held in the influent pump station. It is then pumped to the
Preliminary Treatment Unit(PTU)and the flow is recorded using a magnetic flow meter. The flow is

then screened using a mechanical fine screen as it enters the PTU,or through a manual bar screen built in
parallel with the mechanical fine screen.This manual bar screen can be used during a failure of the
mechanical fine screen,or to augment it when hydraulic flows become too high thereby preventing
overflows from the PTU. After passing through the fine screen,flow enters the grit chamber,where most
inorganic materials are aerated and settled to the bottom. An auger removes the grit material from the
system. After the grit chamber,the flow is gravity fed to the oxidation ditch.
As the flow enters the oxidation ditch, it enters mixing tanks where it is combined with return activated
sludge from the clarifiers,then discharged into the aeration basin. Microorganisms from the activated
sludge in the aeration basins survive on wastes contained in the influent streams.This aerobic
environment is maintained by the dissolved oxygen obtained through the use of rotors mounted at specific
locations in the aeration basin.The activated sludge exits the aeration basin and flocs,then settles,in the
clarifiers.The settled sludge is discharged to the oxidation ditch mixing tanks and the clarified effluent is
discharged into the filter feed pump station.The effluent is then pumped to a deep bed filter where most
of the remaining particulate is removed before being pumped to the contact chamber. Excess liquid
sludge concentrations are reduced by wasting the solids to the aerated digesters. After time and
concentration levels are reached,liquid sludge is pumped to a 3-belt filter belt press. Polymer is
introduced to the sludge allowing the water to separate from the solids. The resulting cake residual is
stored until removal from the facility.
Disinfection of the effluent is achieved in the contact chamber through the injection of sodium
hypochlorite to the stream and a contact time of at least 30 minutes. At the end of the contact chamber,
the effluent is dechlorinated with sodium bisulfate to remove excess chlorine not used during the
disinfection process. The treated effluent is post-aerated before exiting the contact chamber to increase
the dissolved oxygen concentrations in the discharge stream.The effluent is then discharged into the
receiving waters in Taylor's Creek at the end of Leonda Drive on Front Street.
II. PERFORMANCE
12-month Performance:
During the 12 month fiscal year period 2021-2022,the wastewater treatment plant processed over 243
million gallons of raw wastewater. During the process,over 559,000 pounds of solids were removed,and
over 187,000 pounds of Biological Oxygen Demand were removed.The BOD removal rate was 98.1%
this fiscal year. The TSS removal rate remained over 99%for the twelfth consecutive year.
With the completion of our tertiary WWTP,we are able to easily pass Enterococci testing. This was not
possible with the old plant. The new plant is also responsible for the increase in percent removals for
BOD and TSS.
Over the past year,grit buildup has been removed from various areas of the plant.A cake sludge haul
occurred in the spring. Daily cleaning and/or maintenance was performed to keep the plant operating as
efficiently as possible.
Compliance:
The Town of Beaufort's Wastewater Treatment Plant and Collection System is inspected annually by the
Wilmington regional office of the NC Division of Water Quality(DWQ). There was one Notice of
Violation(NOV)given to the Town of Beaufort's WWTP for not reporting a May acute toxicity report.
This occurred and was resolved due to communication errors with the Town's contract laboratory. The
Collection System did not receive a NOV over the past year. No fish kills or other environmental impacts
were reported due to any spills or overflows by the WWTP or collection system.

Many overflows,or SSO's,are caused by the accumulations of fats,oils,and greases(FOG)in the
wastewater collection system. While the collection system is designed to handle and safely transport
sanitary waste to the wastewater treatment plant,too much FOG placed into the system can cause clogs
and result in an overflow,especially after high flow events such as heavy rains.Dumping fats and oils
derived from animal and vegetable sources, including meats,nuts,cereals,and beans,down any drain, in
either a home or business,can cause a stoppage that forces raw,untreated waste to spill into our yards,
streets;and streams.The Town has adopted a sanitary sewer ordinance in an attempt to reduce the
frequency of grease-related overflows.
III. NOTIFICATION
Copies of the Town's Sanitary Sewer Ordinance,reports of SSO's within the Collections System,and this
Wastewater Treatment Plant report are available upon request from the Beaufort Town Hall and/or the
Division of Water Quality upon request. You may also visit the Town of Beaufort's website at
www.beaufortnc.org for updated progress reports of the sewer system rehabilitation and the Wastewater
Treatment Plant.
IV. CERTIFICATION
To the best of my knowledge,this report is complete and accurate.If anyone has any questions,concerns,
or would just like-to schedule a tour of the Wastewater Treatment Plant to learn more about the system,
feel free to contact the facility or the Town of Beaufort's Public Utilities Director.
Respectfully,
Donovan Willis
Town of Beaufort
Public Utilities Director
252-838-0197
[e-mail]