WQ0019504_Final Permit_20011005

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D., Acting Director
MR. BARRY L. WEBB, CITY MANAGER
TOWN OF BELMONT
POST OFFICE BOX 431
BELMONT, NC 28012
Dear Mr. Webb:
A
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NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
October 5, 2001
Subject: Permit No. WQ0019504
Town of Belmont
Town of Belmont Water Treatment Plant
Distribution/Land Application of Alum
Residuals
Gaston County
In accordance with your application received on January 10, 2001 as well as the additional information
received on July 01, 2001; July 13, 2001; July 30, 2001; and September 27, 2001; we are forwarding herewith
Permit No. WQ0019504, dated October 5, 2001, to the Town of Belmont for the operation of a program to
distribute / land apply alum residuals from potable water treatment processes.
This permit is being issued to approve the distribution/land application of alum residuals on
unspecified fields. Note that the residuals shall not be referred to as "biosolids" or as meeting Class A
requirements as stipulated in 40 CFR Part 503 in marketing them to potential recipients.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until September 30, 2006 and shall be subject
to the conditions and limitations as specified therein. Please pay particular attention to the monitoring and
reporting requirements contained in this permit. Failure to establish an adequate system for collecting and
maintaining the required operational information will result in future compliance problems. Upon renewal, the
conditions of this permit may change due to alum residuals policy issues.
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 30 days following receipt of this permit. This
request must be in the form of a written petition, conforming to Chapter 150B of North Carolina General
Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings, 6714 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-
6714. Unless such demands are made, this permit shall be final and binding.
1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617 Telephone [phone] Fax [phone]B
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/10% post -consumer paper

If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact J R Joshi at [phone]
extension 363.
Sincerely,
t
Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D.
cc: Gaston County Health Department
Mooresville Regional Office, Water Quality Section
Mooresville Regional Office, Groundwater Section
Groundwater Section, Central Office
Technical Assistance and Certification Unit
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
Dennis Key, Southern Soil Builders, Inc.
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NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
PERMIT FOR THE DISTRIBUTIONILAND APPLICATION OF ALUM RESIDUALS
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
Town of Belmont
Gaston County
FOR THE
operation of a program for the distribution/land application of alum residuals from the treatment of potable
water. The program shall result in the distribution of up to 200 dry tons per year of residuals from the sources
listed in Condition II.2., with no discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received
on January 10, 2001 as well as the additional information received on July 01, 2001; July 13, 2001; July 30,
2001; and September 27, 2001 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 September 30, 2006 and shall be subject
to the following specified conditions and limitations:
I. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The distribution/land application of residuals program shall be effectively maintained and operated
as a non -discharge system to prevent the discharge of any wastes resulting from the operation of
this program.
2. This permit shall become voidable in the event of failure of the residuals program to adequately
protect the assigned water quality standards of the surface waters and d oundwaters.
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 program.
4. In the event that the residuals program is not operated satisfactorily, including the creation of
nuisance conditions, the Permittee shall take any immediate corrective actions as may be required
by the Division of Water Quality (Division).
Diversion or bypassing of the untreated residuals or leachate from the residual treatment facilities
is prohibited.

6. All leachate must be reused as a wetting agent for the processing of residuals or routed to the head
of the treatment plant.
7. The following buffer zones shall be maintained:
a. 100 feet from any public or private water supply source, waters classified as SA or SB, and
any Class I or Class Il impounded reservoir used as a source of drinking water for both
methods,
b. 100 feet from any streams classified as WS or B, any other stream, canal, marsh or coastal
waters and any other lake or impoundment for surface application,
c. 50 feet from any streams classified as WS or B, any other stream, canal, marsh or coastal
waters and any other lake or impoundment for subsurface application,
d. 50 feet from property lines for both surface and subsurface application methods;
e. 50 feet from public right of ways for both application methods,
f. 25 feet from downslope interceptor drains, surface water diversions, groundwater drainage
systems and surface drainage ditches for both application methods.
8. A copy of this permit and a spill prevention and control plan shall be maintained in all residuals
transport and application vehicles.
9. No residuals shall be stored at any location other than at the water treatment facility at any time,
unless approval has been requested and obtained from the Division.
10. Specific residual application area boundaries shall be clearly marked prior to and during
distribution/land application.
11. Maximum slope for the distribution/land application of residuals shall be 10 percent for surface
application and 18 percent for subsurface application.
II. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
The facilities and distribution/land application program shall be properly maintained and operated
at all times.
2. No residuals other than the following are hereby approved for distribution in accordance with this
permit:
Permit Volume
Source County Number (Dry Tons/Year)
Town of Belmont WTP Gaston PWS No. 01-36-015 200
3. All residuals shall be adequately stored to prevent leachate runoff until treated. The finished
product may be placed on a concrete pad, placed under shelter or covered until such time as it is
distributed/land applied. If an alternate storage site is to be used, approval must be obtained from
the Division.
4. No other residuals other than those specified under Condition II.2. above may be distributed/land
applied. The Permittee shall request and obtain a permit amendment from the Division for each
additional residual source prior to acceptance of that residual.
5. For residuals to be distributed/land applied, the residuals shall be essentially pathogen -free, as
evidenced by the testing of seven separate and representative samples of the residuals for the
presence of fecal coliform in accordance with Condition III.3. of this permit. Distribution/land
application of the residuals shall be strictly forbidden if any sample results in a fecal coliform
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density of 1,000 most probable number (MPN) or coliform forming units (CFU) per gram of total
dry solids. Note that utilization of the geometric mean shall not be allowed to meet this condition.
For a residual to be distributed for application to the land, the following must be satisfied:
The Ceiling Concentrations (Dry Weight Basis) and the Pollutant Monthly Average
Concentrations (Dry Weight Basis) must be maintained:
Ceiling Monthly Average
Concentrations Concentrations
Parameters mg/kg . mg-/k
Arsenic
75
41
Cadmium
85
39
Copper
4,300
1,500
Lead
840
300
Mercury
57
17
Molybdenum
75
--
Nickel
420
420
Selenium
100
100
Zinc
7,500
2,800
A suitable, non -direct food chain, vegetative cover crop shall be maintained on all fields to receive
distributed/land applied residuals. When distributing/land applying the residuals, the application
rates of plant available nitrogen (PAN) shall not exceed the following, unless prior approval has
been requested and obtained from the Division:
Crop _ PAN (pounds/acre/year) Crop , PAN (pounds/acre/year)
Alfalfa
Bermuda Grass (Hay, Pasture)
Blue Grass
Corn (Grain)
Corn (Silage)
Cotton
Fescue
200
Milo
100
220
Forest (Hardwood, Softwood)
75
120
Small Grain (Wheat, Barley, Oats)
100
160
Sorghum, Sudex (Pasture)
180
200
Sorghum, Sudex (Silage)
220
70
Soybeans
200
250
Timothy, Orchard, & Rye Grass
200
The lifetime loading for aluminum for any field shall not exceed 10,000 pounds of aluminum per
acre.
9. Upon classification of the facility by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification
Commission (WPCSOCC), a certified residuals operator shall be appointed to be in responsible
charge (ORC) of the residuals program. The operator must hold a certificate of the type
classification assigned to the residuals program by the WPCSOCC. A certified back-up operator
of the appropriate type should also be appointed to comply with the conditions of 15A NCAC 8G
.0202. All residuals shall be applied by a certified land application of residuals operator.
10. Adequate provisions shall be taken to prevent wind erosion and surface runoff from conveying
pollutants from the residuals treatment area onto the adjacent property or into any surface waters.
1I. Surface -applied residuals shall be plowed or disced in within 24 hours after distribution/land
application on fields with no cover crop established. An acceptable cover crop shall be established
within 30 days of the distribution/land application event.
12_ For fields that are prone to flooding or those that are within the 100-year flood elevation, residuals
shall be distributed/land applied only during periods of dry weather. The residuals shall be
incorporated into the soil within 24 hours after distribution/land application.

13. Residuals shall not be distributed/land applied during inclement weather or until 24 hours
following a rainfall event of 0.5-inch or greater in 24 hours. Any emergency distribution/land
application measures shall first be approved by the Division.
14. Residuals shall not be distributed/land applied to any field that is flooded, frozen, or snow
covered.
15. Adequate provisions shall be taken to control public access to fields during active use.
16. All recipients of the distributed/land applied residuals shall be provided with an information data
sheet that contains the following minimum information:
a. The name, address, and telephone number of the person who prepared the residuals.
b. The name, address, and telephone number of the person distributing/land applying the
residuals.
c. A description of the source of or the process by which the residuals were generated.
d. A summary of the results from the most recent round of residuals sampling/monitoring.
e. A summary of the volume of residuals distributed/land applied per acre.
f. A statement that the lifelong cumulative loading rate of aluminum shall not exceed I0,000
pounds per acre and an update of the cumulative load received to date.
g. A summary of the nutrients (i.e., PAN, phosphorus, and potassium) applied per acre.
h. A statement that an acceptable pH of greater than 6.0 must be maintained in the soil, residuals
and lime mixture, on all land application sites to ensure optimum yield for the crop(s) and a
list of recommendations to the recipient of the residuals regarding field use, soil testing, pH
adjustment, and other relevant agronomic information.
CP
III. MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
I. Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, residuals, soil, or plant tissue analyses)
deemed necessary by the Division to insure protection of the environment will be established and
an acceptable sampling and reporting schedule shall be followed_
2. Proper records shall be maintained by the Permittee tracking all distribution/land application
activities. The Permittee shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a consistent field
numbering/identification system. These records shall include, but are not be necessarily limited
to, the following information:
a. Source of residuals;
b. Date of residual application;
c. Information regarding the location of residual application (i.e., field owner name, address, and
telephone number; approximate field location; field number, etc.);
d. Method of application;
e. Weather conditions (i.e., sunny, cloudy, raining, etc_);
f. Soil conditions (i.e., dry, wet, frozen, etc.);
g. Type of crop(s) to be grown on field;
h. Volume of residuals applied in gallons per acre, dry tons per acre; and
i. Annual totals of dry tons per acre of residuals, annual pounds per acre of plant available
nitrogen (PAN), and annual pounds per acre of aluminum applied to each field.
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All residuals included in this permit shall be monitored by the Permittee for compliance with
Condition H. 5. of this permit. The results of all analyses shall be maintained on file by the
Permittee for a minimum of five years_ For the first calendar year following this permit's issuance,
the residuals shall be tested prior to each distribution/land application event. Should the
distribution/land application event last for more than fifteen consecutive days or should the
distribution/land application event be interrupted due to weather or other factors, the residuals
shall be tested again before proceeding with the distribution land application event. If each of the
samples from each distribution/land application event taken during the first calendar year complies
with the limits set forth in Condition I1. 5., then the monitoring frequency may be reduced to an
annual basis.
4. A residual analysis shall be conducted annually from the date of permit issuance by the Pern-duee.
The results of all analysis shall be maintained on file by the Permittee for a minimum of five
years. The residuals analysis shall include the following parameters:
Cadmium Copper Lead
Nickel Zinc Arsenic
Mercury Molybdenum Selenium
Aluminum Ammonia -Nitrogen Calcium
Magnesium Nitrate -Nitrite Nitrogen % Total Solids
pH Phosphorus Potassium
Sodium TKN
Plant Available Nitrogen (by calculation)
5. A Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis shall be conducted by the
Permittee once per permit cycle. The TCLP analysis shall include the following parameters
(please note the regulatory level in mg/L in parentheses):
Arsenic (5.0)
Cadmium (1.0)
Chlorobenzene (100.0)
o-Cresol (200.0)
Cresol (200.0)
1,2-Dichloroethane (0.5)
Endrin (0.02)
Hexachlorobenzene (0.13)
Lead (5.0)
Methoxychlor (10.0)
Pentachlorophenol (100.0)
Silver (5.0)
Trichloroethylene (0.5)
2,4,5-TP (Silvex) (1.0)
Barium (100.0)
Benzene (0.5)
Carbon tetrachloride (0.5)
Chlordane (0.03)
Chloroform (6.0)
Chromium (5.0)
m-Cresol (200.0)
p-Cresol (200.0)
2,4-D (10.0)
I,4-Dichlorobenzene (7.5)
1, 1 -Dichloroethylene (0.7)
2,4-Dinitrotoluene (0.13)
Heptachlor (and its hydroxide) (0.008)
Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (0.5)
Hexachloroethane (3.0)
Lindane (0.4)
Mercury (0.2)
Methyl ethyl ketone (200.0)
Nitrobenzene (2.0)
Pyridine (5.0)
Selenium (1.0)
Tetrachloroethylene (0.7)
Toxaphene (0.5)
2,4,5-Trichlorophenol (400.0)
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (2.0)
Vinyl chloride (0.2)
6. Three copies of all required monitoring and reporting requirements as specified in conditions 1II 1,
III 2, III 3, III 4, and 1115 shall be submitted annually on or before March 1 of the year following
the distribution/land application event to the following address:
NC Division of Water Quality
Water Quality Section
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617

7. Noncompliance notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Mooresville 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 with the distribution program which results in the land application of
significant amounts of wastes which are abnormal in quantity or characteristic.
b_ Any failure of the distribution program resulting in a release of material to receiving waters.
c. Any time that self -monitoring information indicates that the facility has gone out of
compliance with the conditions and Iimitations of this permit or the parameters on which the
system was designed.
d. Any process unit failure, due to known or unknown reasons, that render the facility incapable
of adequate residual treatment.
e. Any spillage or discharge from a vehicle or piping system during transportation of residuals.
Persons reporting such occurrences by telephone shall also file a written report in letter form
within five 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. INSPECTIONS
1. The Permittee or his designee shall inspect the residuals storage, transport, and treatment 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 maintain 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 five years from the
date of the inspection and shall be made available to the Division or other permitting authority,
upon request.
2. 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 treatment 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 kept under the terms and conditions of this permit; and
may obtain samples of groundwater, surface water, or leachate.
V. GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. This permit shall become voidable unless the distribution/land application activities are carried out
in accordance with the conditions of this permit, the supporting materials, and in the manner
approved by this Division.
2. This permit is effective only with respect to the nature and volume of residuals described in the
application and other supporting data.
3. This permit is not automatically transferable. In the event that there is a desire for the facilities to
change ownership or a name change of the Permittee, a formal permit request must be submitted
to the Division accompanied by an application fee, documentation from the parties involved, and

other supporting materials as may be appropriate. The approval of this request will be considered
on its merits and may or may not be approved_
4. Failure to abide by the conditions and limitations contained in this permit may subject the
Permittee to an enforcement action by the Division in accordance with North Carolina General
Statute 143-215.6A to 143-215.6C.
5. The annual administering and compliance fee must be paid by the Permittee within 30 days after
being billed by the Division. Failure to pay the fee accordingly may cause the Division to initiate
action to revoke this permit as specified by 15 NCAC 2H .0205 (c)(4).
6. The issuance of this permit does not preclude the Permittee from complying with any and all
statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances which may be imposed by other government agencies
(local, state, and federal) which have jurisdiction.
7. The Permittee, at least six months prior to the expiration of this permit, shall request its extension.
Upon receipt of the request, the Commission will review the adequacy of the facilities described
therein, and if warranted, will extend the permit for such period of time and under such conditions
and limitations as it may deem appropriate.
8. This permit may be modified, or revoked and reissued to incorporate any conditions, limitations
and monitoring requirements the Division deems necessary in order to adequately protect the
environment and public health.
Permit issued this the fifth day of October, 2001
NORTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
b Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D., Acting Director
Division of Water Quality
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Permit Number WQOQ19504