NC0024244_SOC (application),_20191024

Engineering
Landscsuape Arehrtgecture
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September 24, 2019
Mr. Michael Leggett, PE
NCDEQ-Division of Water Resources �C�e I`2019!CD
PERCS Unit G V G
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 QCTG 0
RE: City of Albemarle Public Utilities NCDEQ!DWRIM ES
City of Albemarle Sewer Collection System
Collection System Permit No. NC0024244
Special Order by Consent (SOC)
Dear Mr. Leggett:
On behalf of the City of Albemarle and the City of Albemarle Public Utilities the following and
attached documents shall begin the process for the Application for a Special Order by Consent
(SOC) for the above referenced Collection System (Permit # WQCS0016) owned and operated by
the City of Albemarle. The Albemarle Collection System has been the sources of several SSOs and
NOVs issued to the City. It is the City's intent to address these issues through the SOC process as
well as applications for funding of the planned improvements. The following items are included in
this transmittal:
1. Application for SOC
2. Processing Fee ($400.00)
3. Engineering Narrative / Report addressing the need for the SOC, cause and remedy to
address the problems the system is experiencing. Included in the Narrative/Report is the
anticipated compliance schedule and supporting documentation.
4. SOC Resolution Form
5. Certification is provided in the Engineering Narrative/ Report
The City has submitted the proposed project improvements to NCDEQ DWI for consideration of
funding in the September 30th, 2019 Application Cycle. The included compliance schedule has
accounted for the funding schedule. Should you have any questions or need any additional
information please feel free to contact me or Adam Kiker, PE at [phone] or the following
emails [e-mail] or [e-mail].
Sincerely,
LKC Engineering, PLLC
tlferK7
Suzanne Martin
I,KC Engineering,P1,1,C,140,Aqua Shed Court,,Aberdeen,North Carolina 28315
PI I:910/420-1437*FAX: [phone]*License No.P-1095

NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES RECEIVED
PERCS UNIT OCT 0�2D19
NCDEQIDWRINPDES
CITY OF ALBEMARLE PUBLIC UTILITIES
SPECIAL ORDER BY CONSENT
COLLECTION SYSTEM PERMIT NO. NC0024244
ALBEMARLE
NORTH CAROLINA
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PREPARED BY:
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LKC ENGINEERING, PLLC
140 AQUA SHED COURT
ABERDEEN, NC 28315

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL ORDER BY CONSENT (SOC)
I. PERMIT RELATED INFORMATION:
1. Applicant(corporation,individual, or other): City of Albemarle
2. Print or Type Owner's or Signing Official's Name and Title:
Michael Ferris, City Manager S19 7
3. Facility Name (as shown on Permit): Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
4. Owner Phone: [phone] (or)
5. Owner Email:[e-mail]
4. Application Date: August 27, 2019
5. NPDES Permit No. (if applicable): NC0024244
6. Name of the specific wastewater treatment facility(if different from 1.3. above):
II. PRE-APPLICATION MEETING:
Prior to submitting this completed application form, applicants must meet with the appropriate
regional office staff to discuss whether or not an SOC is appropriate for this situation. Please
note the date this meeting occurred and who represented the permittee:
Representative: Judy Redwine Date: August 19, 2019
III. ADDITIONAL FLOW OR FLOW REALLOCATION:
In accordance with NCGS 143-215.67(b), only facilities owned by a unit of government may
request additional flow.
Additional flow may be allowed under an SOC only in specific circumstances. These
circumstances may include eliminating discharges that are not compliant with an NPDES or
Non-discharge permit. These circumstances do not include failure to perform proper
maintenance of treatment systems, collection systems or disposal systems. When requesting
additional flow, the facility must include its justification and supporting documentation.

If the requested additional flow is non-domestic, the facility must be able to demonstrate the
ability to effectively treat the waste and dispose of residuals. The applicant must provide a
detailed analysis of the constituents in the proposed non-domestic wastewater.
The total domestic additional flow requested: NA gallons per day.
The total non-domestic additional flow requested: NA gallons per day.
The total additional flow(sum of the above): NA gallons per day.
Please attach a detailed description or project listing of the proposed allocation for additional
flow, with an explanation of how flow quantities were estimated. Further, any additional flow
requested must be justified by a complete analysis, by the permittee, that additional flow will not
adversely impact wastewater collection/treatment facilities or surface waters.
IV. NECESSITY NARRATIVE:
Please attach a narrative providing a detailed explanation of the circumstances regarding the
necessity of the proposed SOC. Include the following issues:
• Existing and/or unavoidable future violations(s) of permit conditions or limits(s),
• The existing treatment process and any process modifications that have been made to
date to ensure optimum performance of existing facilities,
• Collection system rehabilitation work completed or scheduled (including dates),
• Coordination with industrial users regarding their discharges or pretreatment facilities.
Identify any non-compliant significant industrial users and measure(s) proposed or
already taken to bring the pretreatment facilities back into compliance. If any industrial
facilities are currently under consent agreements, please attach these agreements,
• Date and outcome of last Industrial Waste Survey,
• Whether or not the facility is acting as a regional facility receiving wastewater from other
municipalities having independent pretreatment programs.
V. CERTIFICATION:
The applicant must submit a report prepared by an independent professional with expertise in
wastewater treatment. This report must address the following:
• An evaluation of existing treatment units, operational procedures and recommendations
as to how the efficiencies of these facilities can be maximized. The person in charge of
such evaluation must sign this document.
• A certification that these facilities could not be operated in a manner that would achieve
compliance with final permit limits. The person making such determination must sign
this certification.
• The effluent limits that the facility could be expected to meet if operated at their
maximum efficiency during the term of the requested SOC (be sure to consider interim
construction phases).
• Any other actions taken to correct problems prior to requesting the SOC.
2

VI. PREDICTED COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE:
The applicant must submit a detailed listing of activities along with time frames that are
necessary to bring the facility into compliance. This schedule should include milestone dates for
beginning construction, ending construction, and achieving final compliance at a minimum. In
determining the milestone dates, the following should be considered:
• Time for submitting plans, specifications and appropriate engineering reports to DWR for
review and approval.
• Occurrence of major construction activities that are likely to affect facility performance
(units out of service, diversion of flows, etc.) to include a plan of action to minimize
impacts to surface waters.
• Infiltration/Inflow work, if necessary.
• Industrial users achieving compliance with their pretreatment permits if applicable.
• Toxicity Reduction Evaluations (TRE), if necessary.
Proposed Compliance Schedule:
1. Complete Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 1 December 2014 (met)
2. Begin construction on Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 2 July 2019 (met)
3. Apply for funding for Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 3 September 2019
4. Receive Letter of Intent to Fund for Phase 3 March 2020
5. Submit finished plans and specs for review for Phase 3 September 2021
6. Executed construction contract for Phase 3 March 2022
7. Finish construction on Phase 3 March 2023
8. Review infrastructure improvements for maintaining compliance September 2023*
*Additional studies, assessments, and capital projects will be reviewed at this time
VII. FUNDING SOURCES IDENTIFICATION:
The applicant must list the sources of funds utilized to complete the work needed to bring the
facility into compliance. Possible funding sources include but are not limited to loan
commitments, bonds, letters of credit,block grants and cash reserves. The applicant must show
that the funds are available, or can be secured in time to meet the schedule outlined as part of this
application.
If funding is not available at the beginning of the SOC process, the permittee must submit a copy
of all funding applications to ensure that all efforts are being made to secure such funds.
Note: A copy of the application should be sufficient to demonstrate timeliness unless regional
office has reason to request all information associated with securing funding.
3

Funding Source Identification:
The City of Albemarle is applying for either Clean Water SRF or State Wastewater
Reserve Funding for the Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 3 Project in the Fall of 2019.
Completion of the Phase 3 Project is contingent upon the City receiving funding from
either CWSRF or SWWR in the form of a zero-percent interest loan and a grant
component.
If favorable funding is not received from the Fall 2019 cycle, the Compliance Schedule
listed above will need to be modified.
THE DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS APPLICATION
PACKAGE UNLESS ALL OF THE APPLICABLE ITEMS ARE INCLUDED WITH THE
SUBMITTAL.
Required Items:
a. One original and two copies of the completed and appropriately executed application
form, along with all required attachments.
• If the SOC is for a City / Town, the person signing the SOC must be a ranking
elected official or other duly authorized employee.
• If the SOC is for a Corporation / Company / Industry/ Other, the person signing
the SOC must be a principal executive officer of at least the level of vice-
president, or his duly authorized representative.
• If the SOC is for a School District, the person signing the SOC must be the
Superintendent of Schools or other duly authorized employee.
Note: Reference to signatory requirements in SOCs may be found in the North
Carolina Administrative Code [T15A NCAC 2H .1206(a)(3)].
b. The non-refundable Special Order by Consent (SOC) processing fee of$400.00. A
check must be made payable to The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources.
c. An evaluation report prepared by an independent consultant with expertise in
wastewater. (in triplicate)
4

APPLICANT'S CERTIFICATION:
(NO MODIFICATION TO THIS CERTIFICATION IS ACCEPTABLE)
I, Michael Ferris , attest this application for a Special Order by Consent (SOC) has
been reviewed by me and is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand if
all required parts of this application are not completed and if all required supporting information
and attachments are not included, this application package may be returned as incomplete.
(Please be advised that the return of this application does not prevent DWR from collecting all
outstanding penalties upon request). Furthermore, I attest by my signature that I fully
understand that an upfront penalty, which may satisfy as a full settlement of outstanding
violations, may be imposed. {Note: Reference to upfront penalties in Special Orders by
Consent may be found in the North Carolina Administrative Code [T15A NCAC 2H
.1206(c)(3)]].}
&A(/' Date V7/7,
Signature of igning Official
Michael Ferris, City Manager
Printed Name of Signing Official
THE COMPLETED APPLICATION PACKAGE, INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL AND TWO
COPIES OF ALL SUPPORTING INFORMATION AND MATERIALS, SHOULD BE SENT
TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
POINT SOURCE BRANCH
1617 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
RALEIGH,NORTH CAROLINA 27699-1617
IF THIS APPLICATION IS FOR A NON-DISCHARGE SYSTEM,THEN SEND TO:
NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
AQUIFER PROTECTION SECTION
1636 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
RALEIGH,NORTH CAROLINA 27699-1636
5

Engineering
Landscape Architecture
Surveying
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City of Albemarle
Wastewater Treatment Plant and Collection System
NPDES Permit No. NC0024244
Collection System Permit No. WQCS0016
Special Order by Consent — Engineering Narrative
General
The City of Albemarle owns and operates a sewer collection system (#WQCS0016) and 12.0 MGD Wastewater
Treatment Facility (#NC0024244) on 1040 Coble Avenue in Stanly County that discharges to Long Creek in the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. The City's system is comprised of gravity sewer mains, pump stations, and force
mains and primarily serves the domestic and industrial customers inside the City limits, plus portions of Stanly
County's sewer system close to the City limits.
History of Non-Compliant Events
Since the two major rainfall events in the Fall of 2018 (Hurricanes Florence and Michael), Albemarle has
experienced regular non-compliant events at the Long Creek WWTP. The cause of this is generally attributed to
the high levels of inflow and infiltration entering the City's sewer lines, and the WWTP's inability to handle
sustained elevated flows with low influent concentrations of BOD and ammonia. The City's gravity sewer system,
particularly the larger diameter outfalls, are old and have surpassed their expected useful life. Observations by
City staff and LKC indicate the condition of many of these lines as poor, and the lines are in need of replacement
or rehabilitation.
Many of the older, larger gravity sewer lines are located beside creeks, and the pipeline elevation is close to or
below the creek elevation. When the creek levels rise during rain events, the gravity pipes are surrounded by
ground water. The old pipes that have been videoed over the past five years show signs of failure and are likely
significant sources of infiltration, especially when the groundwater table rises.
In the fall of 2018, after Hurricanes Florence and Michael and the continued rainfall events through the winter,
the creek elevations rose and remained high for many months. Albemarle's WWTP experienced regular,
sustained high flows and low influent BOD and ammonia levels, creating a challenging environment for the
WWTP to maintain compliance with its current process. The City received several Notices of Violations during
this time period, as summarized below:
140 Aqua Shed Court,Aberdeen,North Carolina 28315* PIL 910/420-1437* FAX: [phone]
License No.P-1095

Engineering Narrative
Page 2 of 3
TABLE 1: Summary of NOVs
Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
Tacking# Date Reason for Violation
January 15, 2019 Coliform, Fecal MF,MFC Broth,44.5 C(31616)and Nitrogen,
NOD-2019-LV-0010 Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610)limits exceeded
February 18, 2019 Nitrogen,Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610) monthly
NOV-2019-LV-0102 average limits exceeded
March 12,2019 Compliance Evaluation Inspection found significant Inflow and
NOV-2019-LV-0188 Infiltration problems
March 19,2019 Nitrogen,Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610),TSS,and
NOV-2019-LV-0187 5-Day BOD Concentrations exceeded
April 23, 2019 Nitrogen,Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610)and TSS
NOV-2019-LV-0292 limits exceeded
Nitrogen,Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610)and TSS
NOV-2019-LV-0332 May 8, 2019 limits exceeded
June 12, 2019 Nitrogen,Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610),TSS,and
NOV-2019-LV-0397 5-Day BOD Concentrations exceeded
Coliform,Fecal MF,MFC Broth,44.5 C(31616)and Nitrogen,
NOV 2019 TX 0039 July 23, 2019 Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610),TSS,and 5-Day BOD
Concentrations limits exceeded as well as a Conductivity Frequency
Violation
August 6, 2019 Coliform,Fecal MF,MFC Broth,44.5 C(31616)and Nitrogen,
NOV-2019-LM-0054 Ammonia Total(as N)—Concentration(C0610)limits exceeded
Self-monitoring report from June 2019 indicates a violation of
August 22, 2019 toxicity limitation specified in NPDES permit.
NOV-2019-LV-0570
Unavoidable Future Permit Violations and Proposed Solution(s)
Albemarle recognizes they have challenges with their sewer collection system and the ability of the WWTP to
properly treat high flows with low influent loading. The City also recognizes the solution to this problem requires
a plan that must be implemented over time through capital projects.
Starting in 2012 Albemarle applied and received funding for the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation, Phase 1 project
(CWSRF No. CS370522-04). This project featured the digging and replacing of 15,000 feet of the primary 36" and
24" gravity sewer outfalls that serve the City. The Phase 1 construction was completed in December of 2014.
In the spring of 2016, the City applied and received funding for the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation, Phase 2 project
(CWSRF No. CS370522-06). Phase 2 consists of digging and replacing 8,000 feet of 24" gravity sewer,
rehabilitating the upstream gravity outfall that connects to the Phase 1 project. Construction for Phase 2 began
in July of 2019 and will be completed in the spring of 2020.
The planned Phase 3 project will replace the next-oldest, larger-diameter outfall in the City's system, consisting of
24" and 18" gravity sewer on the western side of the system. Albemarle plans to apply for funding for Phase 3 in
September of 2019, and the schedule for implementation is discussed later in this narrative.
140 Aqua Shed Court,Aberdeen,North Carolina 28315*PI I:910/420-1437*FAX: [phone]
License No.P-1095

Engineering Narrative
Page 3 of 3
Following the completion of the Phase 3 rehabilitation project, almost 80%of the City's oldest gravity outfalls 18"
and larger will have been replaced. City staff and LKC expect significant reductions in inflow and infiltration as a
result of these projects. However, in the event the non-compliance events are a continued risk, Albemarle is
committed to future infrastructure improvements focused on maintaining compliance in both the collection
system and at the WWTP.
Compliance Schedule
The City plans to apply for CWSRF or State Wastewater Reserve funding for the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation,
Phase 3 project on September 30th, 2019. The following schedule is based upon funding availability. The
schedule may be revised per review of the SOC and or NCDEQ-DWI Funding Schedules.
Quarterly Project Updates can be provided based on the terms of the SOC.
• Complete Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 1 December 2014(met)
• Begin construction on Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 2 July 2019 (met)
• Apply for funding for Sanitary Sewer Rehab, Phase 3 September 2019
• Receive Letter of Intent to Fund for Phase 3 March 2020
• Submit finished plans and specs for review for Phase 3 September 2021
• Executed construction contract for Phase 3 March 2022
• Finish construction on Phase 3 March 2023
• Review infrastructure improvements for maintaining compliance September 2023*
*Additional studies, assessments, and capital projects will be reviewed at this time
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Adam P. Kiker, PE Date
140 Aqua Shed Court,Aberdeen,North Carolina 28315*PI I:910/420-1437* FAX: [phone]
License No.P-1095

Resolution 19-23
RESOLUTION FOR A SPECIAL ORDER BY CONSENT (SOC)
WHEREAS: The City of Albemarle's Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant has
a permit to discharge treated wastewater to Long Creek, classified Class
C waters of this State in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin; and
WHEREAS: This discharge is allowed under NPDES Permit Number NC0024244
effective , and scheduled to expire on ; and
WHEREAS: The City of Albemarle intends to focus on replacing old infrastructure in
the collection system and at Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
and
WHEREAS: The City of Albemarle agrees to maintain and operate the wastewater
treatment system and collection system at their maximum levels of
efficiency during the interim period of the Special Order by Consent and
thereafter; and
WHEREAS: The City of Albemarle has or will secure funding for necessary treatment
plant improvements or collection system improvements in the form of
grants, loans, or other cash reserves; and
WHEREAS: The City of Albemarle hereby authorizes Michael Ferris, City
Manager, to have the authority to sign and execute the Special Order by
Consent on behalf of the City of Albemarle; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Albemarle requests a Special Order by •
Consent from the Environmental Management Commission and the City of Albemarle hereby
authorizes Michael Ferris, City Manager, to sign and execute this document on behalf of the
City of Albemarle.
Adopted this_ -1 day of 4 1JZ) , 2019.
Michael Ferris, City Manager
(Type or/Print)Full Name and Title of person authorized to execute SOC
alli --- ----- 0. • '4,•-,
(Signature Full Name of person authorized to execute SOC ;. • •••••.`•
N I. y,;%,
Gerald R. "Ronnie"Michael + '.4bal
(Type or Print) Full Name of Mayor + • _may°7
1 r as pdacedj hre. :
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(Signature) Fu Name o 'Mayor
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