WQ0002428_Final Permit_19990624

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Wayne McDevitt, Secretary
Kerr T. Stevens, Director
June 24, 1999
Mr. Jesse H. Jones
Townsend Farms. Inc.
PO Box 709
Siler City, NC 27344
Dear Mr. Jones:
NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Subject: Permit No. WQ0002428
Townsend Farms, Inc.
Townsend Farms Hatchery
Wastewater Spray Irrigation
Chatham County
In accordance with your application received November 17, 1998, we are forwarding herewith Permit
No. WQ0002428, dated June 12, 1999, to Townsend Farms, Inc. for the continued operation of the subject
wastewater treatment and spray irrigation facilities.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until May 31, 2000, shall void Permit No.
WQ0002428 issued January 24, 1997, and shall be subject to the conditions and limitations as specified
therein. Please pay particular attention to new Groundwater Conditions (§IV), the lagoon freeboard condition
(§11.11), and wet area management practices (§1.6.). Upon satisfactory completion of the Groundwater
Conditions the permit may be renewed until May 31, 2004,
If any parts, requirements, or limitations contained in this permit are unacceptable, you have the right
to request an adjudicatory hearing upon written request within thirty (30) days following receipt of this permit.
This request must be in the form of a written petition, conforming to Chapter 150B of the North Carolina
General Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings, P . Drawer 27447, Raleigh, NC
27611-7447. Unless such demands are made this permit shall be final a binding. f you need additional
information concerning this matter, please contact Joe Pearce at (919) 73 083 exte to 44
in ly,
,/ Kerr T. Stevens
cc: Chatham County Health Department
Bob Branch, S&ME
Raleigh Regional Office, Water Quality Section
Raleigh Regional Office, Groundwater Section
Bob Cheek, Groundwater Section, Central Office
Technical Assistance and Certification Unit
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
PO Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone] Fax [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/10% post -consumer paper

NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
SPRAY IRRIGATION SYSTEM PERMIT
In accordance with the provisions of Article 21 of Chapter 143, General Statutes of North Carolina as amended, and
other applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO
Townsend Farms, Inc.
Chatham County
FOR THE
Continued operation of a 24,840 GPD spray irrigation treatment and disposal facility consisting of a 0.252 MG aerated
lagoon with two (2) 7.5 HP floating aerators, a six -zone 27.66 acre spray irrigation field, a spray irrigation treatment
and disposal facility consisting of a 1,000 gallon chlorine contact tank with a Mini -San 100 tablet chlorinator to treat
domestic waste prior to being discharged into the 0.252 MG aerated lagoon, a 0.383 MG lagoon aerated with two (2)
7.5 HP floating aerators, a 0.82 MG holding lagoon with a 30 mil nylon reinforced EPDM liner, a 320 GPM effluent
pump station with duplex pumps, high water alarms, and approximately 1,200 linear feet of 6 inch force main, and all
associated valves, piping, and appurtenances to serve Townsend Farms Hatchery near Siler City, NC, with no
discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received November 17, 1998, and in conformity
with the project plan, specifications, and other supporting data subsequently filed and approved by the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources and considered a part of this permit.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until May 31, 2000, shall void Permit No. WQ0002428
issued January 24, 1997, and shall be subject to the following specified conditions and limitations.
I. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The spray irrigation facilities shall be effectively maintained and operated at all times so that there is no
discharge to the surface waters, nor any contamination of ground waters which will render them
unsatisfactory for normal use. In the event that the facilities fail to perform satisfactorily, including the
creation of nuisance conditions or failure of the irrigation area to adequately assimilate the wastewater, the
Permittee shall take immediate corrective actions including those actions that may be required by the
Division of Water Quality (Division), such as the construction of additional or replacement wastewater
treatment and disposal facilities.
The issuance of this permit shall not relieve the Permittee of the responsibility for damages to surface or
groundwaters resulting from the operation of this facility.
The residuals generated from these treatment facilities must be disposed in accordance with General
Statute 143-215.1 and in a manner approved by the Division.
4. Diversion or bypassing of the untreated wastewater from the treatment facilities is prohibited.

The following buffers shall be maintained:
a) 400 feet between wetted area and any residence or places of public assembly under separate
ownership,
b) 150 feet between wetted area and property lines,
c) 100 feet between wetted area and wells,
d) 100 feet between wetted area and drainageways or surface water bodies,
e) 50 feet between wetted area and public right of ways,
f) 100 feet between wastewater treatment units and wells, and
g) 50 feet between wastewater treatment units and property lines.
Some of the buffers specified above may not have been included in previous permits for this waste
treatment and disposal system. These buffers are not intended to prohibit or prevent modifications, which
are required by the Division, to improve performance of the existing treatment facility. These buffers do,
however, apply to modifications of the treatment and disposal facilities which are for the purpose of
increasing the flow that is tributary to the facility. These buffers do apply to any expansion or
modification of the spray irrigation areas and apply in instances in which the sale of property would cause
any of the buffers now complied with, for the treatment and disposal facilities, to be violated. The
applicant is advised that any modifications to the existing facilities will require a permit modification.
6. The Division is concerned about the use of the oldest portion of the sprayfield due to its proximity to a wet
weather ditch, gullies, and drainageways that are present in this portion of the site, and the general wet
condition that is sometimes evident over parts of this field. While the Division is not inclined, at this time,
to specifically limit the use of this area, we require that Townsend banns, Inc., employ management
practices that will result in diligent observation of the spray site, especially this portion of the site, so that
application limitations can be implemented when conditions require such limitations. Such limitations
may require, but will not necessarily be limited to the replacement of the sprinkler nozzles in this area with
nozzles that will yield lower instantaneous application rates.
H. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
The facilities shall be properly maintained and operated at all times.
2. Upon classification of the facility by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification
Commission (WPCSOCC), the Permittee shall employ a certified wastewater treatment plant operator to
be in responsible charge (ORC) of the wastewater treatment facilities. The operator must hold a certificate
of the type and grade at least equivalent to or greater than the classification assigned to the wastewater
treatment facilities by the WPCSOCC. The Permittee must also employ a certified back-up operator of the
appropriate type and grade to comply with the conditions of 15A NCAC SA .0202. The ORC of the
facility must visit each Class 1 facility at least weekly and each Class II, Ill, and IV facility at least daily,
excluding weekends and holidays, and must properly manage and document daily operation and
maintenance of the facility and must comply with all other conditions of 15A NCAC 8A .0202.1
3. A suitable year round vegetative cover of fescue grass shall be maintained.
4. Irrigation shall not be performed during inclement weather or when the ground is in a condition that will
cause runoff.
Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent wastewater runoff from the spray field.
6. The facilities shall be effectively maintained and operated as a non -discharge system to prevent the
discharge of any wastewater resulting from the operation of this facility.
2

The application rate shall not exceed a cumulative loading of 12.20 inches over any twelve (12) month
period at an instantaneous application rate not to exceed 0.3 inches per hour.
No type of wastewater other than that from Townsend Farms Hatchery shall be sprayed onto the irrigation
area.
9. No traffic or equipment shall be allowed on the disposal area except while installation occurs or while
normal maintenance is being performed.
10. Public access to the land application sites shall be controlled during active site use. Such controls may
include the posting of signs showing the activities being conducted at each site.
11. The liquid level in the 252,000 gallon lagoon shall be observed on at least a daily basis (and more often as
necessary) and the spillway between this lagoon and the 383,000 gallon lagoon shall be opened as often as
is necessary to prevent overflows of the lagoon.
III. MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, soil or plant tissue analyses) deemed necessary by
the Division to ensure surface and ground water protection will be established and an acceptable sampling
reporting schedule shall be followed.
Adequate records shall be maintained by the Permittee tracking the amount of wastewater disposed. These
records shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following information:
a. date of irrigation,
b. volume of wastewater irrigated,
c. field irrigated,
d. length of time field is irrigated,
e. continuous weekly, monthly, and year-to-date hydraulic (inches/acre) loadings for each field.
f. weather conditions, and
g. maintenance of cover crops.
The effluent from the subject facilities shall be monitored by the Permittee at the point prior to irrigation
every April, August, and November for the following parameters:
BOD5 NO3 as N TSS
Fecal Coliform pH
NH3 as N Sodium
Magnesium Calcium
Sodium Adsorption Ratio by Calculation
4. Three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records (as specified in condition III 2) on Form NDAR-1
shall be submitted on or before the last day of the following month. Three (3) copies of all effluent
monitoring data (as specified in condition 1I1 3) on Form NDMR-1 shall be submitted on or before the last
day of May, September, and December All information shall be submitted to the following address:
NC Division of Water Quality
Water Quality Section
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
Post Office Box 29535
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535

5. Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Raleigh Regional Office, telephone number [phone],
as soon as possible, but in no case more than 24 hours or on the next working day following the
occurrence or first knowledge of the occurrence of any of the following:
a. Any occurrence at the wastewater treatment facility which results in the treatment of significant
amounts of wastes which are abnormal in quantity or characteristic, such as the dumping of the
contents of a sludge digester; the known passage of a slug of hazardous substance through the facility;
or any other unusual circumstances.
b. Any process unit failure, due to known or unknown reasons, that render the facility incapable of
adequate wastewater treatment such as mechanical or electrical failures of pumps, aerators,
compressors, etc.
c. Any failure of a pumping station, sewer line, or treatment facility resulting in a by-pass directly to
receiving waters without treatment of all or any portion of the influent to such station or facility.
d. Any time that self -monitoring information indicates that the facility has gone out of compliance with
its permit limitations.
Persons reporting such occurrences by telephone shall also file a written report in letter form within five
(5) days following first knowledge of the occurrence. This report must outline the actions taken or
proposed to be taken to ensure that the problem does not recur.
IV. GROUNDWATER REQUIREMENTS
Prior to submittal of the permit renewal application, the permittee shall provide written information
through predictive calculations or modeling to the Groundwater Section explaining the exceedances of the
2L Standards and methods of alleviating the problem according to NCAC T15A 2L .0106 (d)(1,2) and
.0106(h) — copies attached.
Included with the groundwater investigation study, and after the installation of additional monitor wells
(number, location, and sampling frequency established by the permittee or consulting firm), the permittee
shall submit two original copies of a scaled topographic map (scale no greater than 1 ":100') signed and
sealed by a professional engineer or a state licensed land surveyor that indicates all of the following
information:
(a) topographic contour lines for the entire site,
(b) groundwater gradient contour lines for the entire site,
(c) the location and identity of each monitoring well,
(d) the location of all components of the waste disposal system,
(e) the location of all property boundaries,
(f) the location of the review and compliance boundaries,
(g) the latitude and longitude of the established horizontal control monument,
(h) the relative elevation of the top of the well casing (which shall be known as the "treasuring point"),
and
(i) the depth of water below the measuring point at the time the measuring point is established.
4

The survey shall be conducted using approved practices outlined in North Carolina General Statutes
Chapter 89C and the North Carolina Administrative Code Title 21, Chapter 56. The surveyor shall
establish a horizontal control monument on the property of the waste disposal system and determine the
latitude and longitude of this horizontal control monument to a horizontal positional accuracy of +/- 10
feet. All other features listed in a. through e. above shall be surveyed relative to this horizontal control
monument. The positional accuracy of features listed in a. through e. above shall have a ratio of precision
not to exceed an error of closure of 1 foot per 10,000 feet of perimeter of the survey. Any features located
by the radial method will be located from a minimum of two points. Horizontal control monument shall
be installed in such a manner and made of such materials that the monument will not be destroyed due to
activities that may take place on the property. The map shall also be surveyed using the North American
Datum of 1983 coordinate system and shall indicate the datum on the map. All bearings or azimuths shall
be based on either the true or NAD 83 grid meridian. If a Global Positioning System (GPS) is used to
determine the latitude and longitude of the horizontal control monument, a GPS receiver that has the
capability to perform differential GPS shall be used and all data collected by the GPS receiver will be
differentially corrected.
The maps and any supporting documentation shall be sent to the Permits and Compliance Unit,
Groundwater Section, P.O. Box 29578, Raleigh, NC, 27626-0578,
2. Existing monitor wells MW-2, MW-3, MW-4 and MW-5 (MW-IA), depicted on Attachment A, shall be
sampled every April, August, and November for the following parameters:
Water Level
pH
Chloride
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Fecal Coliforms
Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Nitrate (NO3)
Total Ammonia
Arsenic
The measurement of water levels must be made prior to sampling for the remaining parameters. The depth
to water in each well shall be measured from the surveyed point on the top of the casing.
The measuring points (top of well casing) of all monitoring wells shall be surveyed to provide the relative
elevation of the measuring point for each monitoring well_
If TOC concentrations greater than 10 mg/l are detected in any downgradient monitoring well, additional
sampling and analysis must be conducted to identify the individual constituents comprising this TOC
concentration. If the TOC concentration as measured in the background monitor well exceeds 10 mg/1,
this concentration will be taken to represent the naturally occurring TOC concentration. Any exceedances
of this naturally occurring TOC concentration in the downgradient wells shall be subject to the additional
sampling and analysis as described above.
The results of the sampling and analysis must be received on Form GW-59 (Groundwater Quality
Monitoring: Compliance Report Form) by the Groundwater Section, Permits and Compliance Unit, P.O.
Box 29578 Raleigh, N.C. 27626-0578 on or before the last working day of the month following the
sampling month.
Any additional groundwater quality monitoring, as deemed necessary by the Division, shall be provided.
4. The COMPLIANCE BOUNDARY for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15A NCAC 2L,
Groundwater Classifications and Standards. The Compliance Boundary is for the disposal system
constructed after December 31, 1983 is established at either (1) 250 feet from the waste disposal area, or
(2) 50 feet within the property boundary, whichever is closest to the waste disposal area. An exceedance
of Groundwater Quality Standards at or beyond the Compliance Boundary is subject to immediate
remediation action in addition to the penalty provisions applicable under General Statute 143-
215.6A(a)(1).

5. In accordance with 15A NCAC 2L, a REVIEW BOUNDARY is established around the disposal systems
midway between the Compliance Boundary and the perimeter of the waste disposal area. Any exceedance
r
of standards at the Review Boundary shall require remediation action on the part of the permittee.
6. All wells that are constructed for purposes of groundwater monitoring shall be constructed in accordance
with 15A NCAC 2C .0108 (Standards of Construction for Wells Other than Water Supply) and any other
state and local laws and regulations pertaining to well construction.
7. The Raleigh Regional Office, telephone number [phone], shall be notified at least forty-eight (48)
hours prior to the construction of any monitoring well so that an inspection can be made of the monitoring
well location. Such notification to the regional groundwater supervisor shall be made during the normal
office hours from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays.
8. Upon completion of all well construction activities, a certification must be received from a professional
engineer certifying that the monitoring wells are located and constructed in accordance with the Well
Construction Standards (15A NCAC 2C). This certification should be submitted with copies of the Well
Completion Form (GW-1) for each well. Mail this certification and the associated GW-1 forms to the
Permits and Compliance Unit, Groundwater Section, P.O. Box 29578, Raleigh, NC, 27626-0578,
9. For the initial sampling of the well as specified elsewhere in the permit, the permittee shall submit a copy
of the GW-1 Form (Well Completion Form) with the Compliance Monitoring Form (GW-59) for that
well. Compliance Monitoring Forms that do not include copies of the GW-1 form will be returned to the
permittee without being processed. Failure to submit these forms as required by this permit may result in
the initiation of enforcement activities pursuant to NC General Statutes 143-215.6.
V. INSPECTIONS
Adequate inspection, maintenance, and cleaning shall be provided by the Permittee to insure proper
operation of the subject facilities.
2. The Permittee or his designee shall inspect the wastewater treatment and disposal facilities to prevent
malfunctions and deterioration, operator errors and discharges which may cause or lead to the release of
wastes to the environment, a threat to human health, or a nuisance. The Permittee shall keep an inspection
log or summary including at least the date and time of inspection, observations made, and any
maintenance, repairs, or corrective actions taken by the Permittee. This log of inspections shall be
maintained by the Permittee for a period of three years from the date of the inspection and shall be made
available upon request to the Division or other permitting authority.
Any duly authorized officer, employee, or representative of the Division may, upon presentation of
credentials, enter and inspect any property, premises or place on or related to the disposal site or facility at
any reasonable time for the purpose of determining compliance with this permit; may inspect or copy any
records that must be maintained under the terms and conditions of this permit, and may obtain samples of
groundwater, surface water, or leachate.
VI. GENERAL CONDITIONS
This permit shall become voidable unless the facilities are constructed in accordance with the conditions of
this permit, the approved plans and specifications, and other supporting data.
2. This permit is effective only with respect to the nature and volume of wastes described in the application
and other supporting data.