WQ0002712_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20191108

ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
LINDA CULPEPPER
Director
Mr. Steven Peeler, Director
Public Works and Utilities
City of Lincolnton
P.O. Box 617
Lincolnton, North Carolina 28093
Dear Mr. Peeler:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
November 8, 2019
Subject: Land Application Inspection Report
City of Lincolnton
Permit #WQ0002712
Land Application of Residuals
Lincoln County
On November 6, 2019, Edward Watson of the Mooresville Regional Office (MRO) performed a
Compliance Inspection of the WWTP residuals processing and the recently added land
application fields for the renewal application of permit WQ0002712.
The MRO would like to thank Mr. Don Burkey of the City of Lincolnton and Mr. Alex Fox of
Synagro for their assistance during this site visit.
O&M Records, Residuals Processing records, Storage and the Residuals Loading area were
reviewed during the site visit. The recently acquired land application fields were also reviewed
as part of the permit renewal application.
The facility and the LA fields were found to be in compliance with the permit.
D Q
� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
Mooresville Regional Office 1 610 East Center Avenue, Suite 301 1 Mooresville, North Carolina 28115
NOAn-icJwauNn i
nwm,em of eem—woviRv 704,663.1699

The attached inspection report should be self-explanatory. However, should you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me at 704-235-2198 or by email at
edward.watsonkncdenr.gov.
Sincerely,
Docu Signed by:
4d4tw H P,lut4
F161 FB69A2D84A3...
Andrew H. Pitner, P.G.
Assistant Regional Supervisor
Mooresville Regional Office
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
Enclosure: Inspection Report
CC: Mr. Donald Burkey, Jr, City of Lincolnton WWTP Supervisor (via email)
Mr. Alex Fox, Synagro (via email)

Compliance Inspection Report
Permit: WQ0002712 Effective: 02/16/15 Expiration: 01/31/20 owner: City of Lincolnton
SOC: Effective: Expiration: Facility: City of Lincolnton Residuals Land Application Progra
County: Lincoln
PO Box 617
Region: Mooresville
Lincolnton NC 280930617
Contact Person: Scott Douglas Berg Title: Phone: [phone] Ext.13
Directions to Facility:
Linconton WWTP - Frm MRO travel to NC-150 W Rt on NC150/NC-27 Lft on NC-150-BYP. from WWTP to WTP- turn Rt onto
NC-150 W Rt onto S Grove Lt on Hilltop Rt on W Hwy 150 Rt on NC-27 E Lt on N Grove cont. on Reepsville Rd.
System Classifications: LA,
Primary ORC: Robert Michael Cox Certification: 13191 Phone: [phone]
Secondary ORC(s):
On -Site Representative(s):
Related Permits:
NC0025496 City of Lincolnton - Lincolnton WWTP
NC0085588 City of Lincolnton - Lincolnton WTP
Inspection Date: 11/06/2019 EntryTime: 10:OOAM Exit Time: 02:21 PM
Primary Inspector: Edward Watson Phone:
Secondary Inspector(s):
Reason for Inspection: Routine Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Permit Inspection Type: Land Application of Residual Solids (503)
Facility Status: Compliant Not Compliant
Question Areas:
Miscellaneous Questions Record Keeping
Sampling Land Application Site
Storage
(See attachment summary)
Treatment
Pathogen and Vector Attraction
Page 1 of 5

Permit: WQ0002712 Owner - Facility: City of Lincolnton
Inspection Date: 11/06/2019 Inspection Type : Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Inspection Summary:
On November 6, 2019, MRO staff performed a Compliance Inspection of the residual sludge generated at the City of
Lincolnton's WWTP. Sludge treatment is performed by anaerobic digestion. The WWTP has approximately 6 weeks of
storage capacity. Currently, Synagro is applying the sludge monthly under RLAP permit W0002712.
The WWTP is rated for 6.0 MGD flow. However, the facility is operating at 2.1 MGD flow. The greater majority of the influent
is a domestic waste stream with a small component of textile influent flow.
During the site visit, two of the digestors were empty. However, there is approximately a three-foot thick sludge blanket on
the bottom of both empty digestors. MRO staff commented on removing the accumulated sludge to increase storage
capacity in the digestors. A third digestor has sludge, but the digestor lid is damaged and sludge is transferred slowly from
the third digestor so as not to allow the tilted lid from falling.
During the site visit, new fields NC-LT-47, 48, and 49 were reviewed to look at surface drainage features that were observed
on the topographic maps presented in the application package. Fields NC-LT-49-1 has a surface drainage feature created by
an erosion feature that generated a preferential flow path cutting through the field and enters a wash -out gully. Standing
water was observed in the wash -out gully during the site visit. Field NC-LT-48-8 has a similar surface drainage feature on the
SW corner of the left finger of this field. However, no water was observed in the erosional feature during the site visit. Field
NC-LT-48-5 borders a wetland on the SW side of the field that will require buffering.
Page 2 of 5

Permit: WQ0002712 Owner - Facility: City of Lincolnton
Inspection Date: 11/06/2019 Inspection Type : Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit:
Routine
Type
Yes No NA NE
Distribution and Marketing
❑
Land Application
Record Keeping
Yes No NA NE
Is GW monitoring being conducted, if required?
❑
❑ ❑
Are GW samples from all MWs sampled for all required parameters?
❑
❑ ❑
Are there any GW quality violations?
❑
❑ ❑
Is GW-59A certification form completed for facility?
❑
❑ ❑
Is a copy of current permit on -site?
❑ ❑ ❑
Are current metals and nutrient analysis available?
❑ ❑ ❑
Are nutrient and metal loading calculating most limiting parameters?
❑
❑ ❑
a. TCLP analysis?
❑ ❑ ❑
b. SSFA (Standard Soil Fertility Analysis)?
❑ ❑ ❑
Are PAN balances being maintained?
❑
❑ ❑
Are PAN balances within permit limits?
❑
❑ ❑
Has land application equipment been calibrated?
❑
❑ ❑
Are there pH records for alkaline stabilization?
❑
❑ ❑
Are there pH records for the land application site?
❑ ❑ ❑
Are nutrient/crop removal practices in place?
❑ ❑ ❑
Do lab sheets support data reported on Residual Analysis Summary?
❑ ❑ ❑
Are hauling records available?
❑
❑ ❑
Are hauling records maintained and up-to-date?
❑
❑ ❑
# Has permittee been free of public complaints in last 12 months?
❑ ❑ ❑
Has application occurred during Seasonal Restriction window?
❑
0 ❑ ❑
Comment: Soil profile descriptions were submitted for the new fields. Soil Reports will be required to be
submitted for fields NC-LT-49-3 and new field NC-CA-24, field 9. Soil Reports were submitted
for NC-LT-48, fields 1,2,3,4,5,7,8 &10. Further Soil Report information for new fields
LT-47-2,4,5,6,7&8 was also submitted with the permit renewal application. The missing Soil
Reports have been requested from SVnagro by the MRO.
PAN balance information will be oresented for the recentiv added fields in the AR once an LA
event has occured on these fields.
Pathogen and Vector Attraction Yes No NA NE
a. Fecal coliform SM 9221 E (Class A or B) ❑ ❑ ❑
Class A, all test must be <1000 MPN/dry gram ❑
Geometric mean of 7 samples per monitoring period for class B<2.0*10E6 CFU/dry gram ❑
Fecal coliform SM 9222 D (Class B only) ❑ ❑ ❑
Page 3 of 5

Permit: WQ0002712 Owner - Facility: City of Lincolnton
Inspection Date: 11/06/2019 Inspection Type : Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit:
Routine
Geometric mean of 7 samples per monitoring period for class B<2.0*10E6 CFU/dry gram
b. pH records for alkaline stabilization (Class A)
❑
❑ ❑
c. pH records for alkaline stabilization (Class B)
❑
❑ ❑
Temperature corrected
❑
d. Salmonella (Class A, all test must be < 3MPN/4 gram day)
❑
❑ ❑
e. Time/Temp on:
❑
❑ ❑
Digester (MCRT)
Compost
❑
Class A lime stabilization
❑
f. Volatile Solids Calculations
❑ ❑ ❑
g. Bench -top Aerobic/Anaerobic digestion results
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The Reduction is achieved by anaerobic digestion. PVAR method is by 38% reduction.
Laboratory analytical data indicates that a 38% reduction is being obtained by the WWTP.
Treatment Yes No NA NE
Check all that apply
Aerobic Digestion ❑
Anaerobic Digestion
Alkaline Pasteurization (Class A) ❑
Alkaline Stabilization (Class B) ❑
Compost ❑
Drying Beds
Other ❑
Comment: Drying beds are used as extra storage of residual sludge. Currently, there is about 4 inches of
sludge on the drying beds at Lincolnton's WWTP. Excess sludge is transported to the local
landfill for permanent disposal.
Sampling Yes No NA NE
Describe sampling:
Sampling is performed by composite sampling method. Sampling was not observed during the site visit.
However, the sampling results indicate significant reduction is being achieved.
Is sampling adequate? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Is sampling representative? ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment:
Land Application Site Yes No NA NE
Is a copy of the permit on -site during application events? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the application site in overall good condition? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the site free of runoff/ponding? ❑ ❑ ❑
If present, is the application equipment in good operating condition? ❑ ❑ ❑
Page 4 of 5

Permit: WQ0002712 Owner - Facility: City of Lincolnton
Inspection Date: 11/06/2019 Inspection Type : Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Are buffers being maintained?
❑
❑ ❑
Are limiting slopes buffered?
10% for surface application
❑
❑ ❑
18% for subsurface application
❑
❑ ❑
Are there access restrictions and/or signs?
❑
❑ ❑
Is the application site free of odors or vectors?
❑
❑ ❑
Have performance requirements for application method been met?
For injection?
❑
❑ ❑
For incorporation?
❑
❑ ❑
Does permit require monitoring wells?
❑
❑ ❑
Have required MWs been installed?
❑
❑ ❑
Are MWs properly located w/ respect to RB and CB?
❑
❑ ❑
Are MWs properly constructed (including screened interval)?
❑
❑ ❑
Is the surrounding area served by public water?
❑
❑ ❑
If Annual Report indicates overapplication of PAN, are wells nearby that may be impacted?
❑
❑ ❑
Are soil types consistent w/ Soil Scientist report/evaluation?
❑
❑ ❑
Is the water table greater than 173' bls.
❑
❑ ❑
Is application occurring at the time of the inspection?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
Comment: A Land Application event did not occur as part of this inspection. However, the recently
added
fields were reviewed for surface drainage features and notations were made with Synagro
staff
regarding drainage features that would require to be buffered.
Page 5 of 5