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Home My WebLink AboutWQ0002052_CEI_20201001 October 01, 2020 Greg Marana Milliken & Company 2080 NC Hwy 226 Bostic, NC 28018 SUBJECT: Compliance Inspection Report Golden Valley Plant Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0002052 Rutherford County Dear Permittee: The North Carolina Division of Water Resources conducted an inspection of the Golden Valley Plant on 9/23/2020. This inspection was conducted to verify that the facility is operating in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified in Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0002052. Please carefully review all findings and comments noted within the summary of the inspection report. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 828-296-4686 or via email at mikal.willmer@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, Mikal Willmer, Environmental Specialist II Water Quality Regional Operations Section Asheville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ ATTACHMENTS: Inspection Report Ec: LF Compliance Inspection Report Permit:WQ0002052 Effective:04/01/17 Expiration:03/31/22 Owner :Milliken & Company SOC: Contact Person: Region: County: Directions to Facility: Rutherford Asheville Lee Slusher Effective:Expiration:Facility:Golden Valley Plant 2080 NC Hwy 226 Bostic NC 28018 Title:Phone:864-503-1844Sr. Environmental Engineer From Asheville: Take I-40 East to Exit 86 ( Hwy. 226). Travel approximately 18 miles on Hwy. 226 south to Milliken-Golden Valley Plant located on the left. Secondary ORC(s): 828-247-4300Phone:27004Certification:Michael D FortenberryPrimary ORC: SI,System Classifications: On-Site Representative(s): Related Permits: Secondary Inspector(s): Primary Inspector: Inspection Date:Exit Time:Entry Time: Phone: 09/23/2020 10:00AM 11:30AM Mikal Willmer 828-296-4686 Facility Status: Permit Inspection Type: Reason for Inspection:Inspection Type: Not CompliantCompliant Routine Wastewater Irrigation Compliance Evaluation Question Areas: Treatment Flow Measurement-Effluent Treatment Flow Measurement-Influent Miscellaneous Questions Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Use Records Treatment Record Keeping Treatment Lagoons End Use-Irrigation Treatment Flow Measurement Storage (See attachment summary) Page 1 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0002052 09/23/2020 Compliance Evaluation Milliken & Company Routine Inspection Summary: Inspectors Mikal Willmer and Caitlin Caudle, conducted a compliance evaluation inspection of the Milliken Spray Irrigation System on September 23, 2020. This inspection was conducted to determine whether the treatment units and spray field are being operated and maintained in compliance with Permit No. WQ0002052. Greg Marana, Barbara Warlick and Mike Fortenberry, were present and assisted in the inspection. Overall the facility appeared to be in compliance; however, the useable irrigation acreage should be evaluated for accuracy. Additionally, please review and update the listed SI ORCs and Backup ORCs. Currently two invalid individuals are listed as backups and Ms. Warlick is not listed. Comments and observations noted during the inspection are summarized below. Lagoon: The 1.36 MG lagoon is fenced and locked. The liner type is unknown and historical records regarding the installation are unavailable. This lagoon was already present when the current spray system was permitted. At the time of the inspection, there was a surface film of algae within the lagoon. ORC stated they have not had any issues with algal or vegetative mats clogging the pumps. She periodically removes any mats that have accumulated. The area immediately surrounding the lagoon appears to be mowed frequently and the dam appeared to be free of erosion and damage from burrowing animals. Milliken contracts with an exterminator to trap musk rats as needed. There is still a damp area at the toe slope of the dam nearest to the pump building. This is a relatively low lying area in the flood plain and the First Broad River sits approximately 70 feet away. As noted in previous inspections, please continue to monitor this area for signs of increased moisture to rule out any potential of seepage from the lagoon. Spray Field: Irrigation was not occurring at the time of the inspection. The field was in the process of being baled. Milliken has an agreement with a staff member to cut and bale the field twice a year. The field appeared to be in good condition. A few minor ruts were noted on the southern edge of the field, however, this appeared to be outside of the active irrigation zone. The ORC visually inspects the field before each spray event. One spray head was down due to an issue with the control valve and it was in the process of being repaired. Four spray heads have been taken offline due to concerns with the proximity to several mobile homes that moved in after the facility was permitted. This reduced the wetted area by approximately 1.16 acres. Milliken was not required by DWR to reduce their acreage since the system was permitted before the houses were constructed. There appears to be some discrepancies between the acreage of the wetted area and the net acreage listed in Attachment B of the permit. The most recent facility site maps indicate 5.97 acres are active irrigation zones; however, the net acreage listed on the permit is 12.25. Adding the 1.16 acres back into the acreage would only account for a total of 7.14 acres. Please note the annual loading rate of 57.2 inches was based on 12.25 acres. Only half of the permitted acreage is used and therefore Milliken should aim to keep the hydraulic loading below half the permitted annual loading rate (28.6 inches). It is recommended Milliken request a modification to attachment B based on the reduced acreage unless all 12.25 acres can be utilized. This discrepancy was mentioned in previous renewals, but does not appear to have been adjusted. It should also be noted that while this discrepancy does exist, Milliken has not historically approached 28.6 inches in a rolling 12-month period. Monitoring and Calibrations Records: All maintenance and calibration records were reviewed electronically before the inspection. The soils report did not indicate a need for lime for 2019 or 2020. ESPs were less 15. The cover crop appeared to be in good condition. Continue to visually inspect the crop and review the soils report for any deficiencies or signs of toxicity. Influent and effluent meters were calibrated within the past year. The spray heads were calibrated in December of 2017. Calibration of the irrigation equipment will not be required until the next permit cycle. A review of the monitoring records did not indicate any exceedances of permit limits. The SARs from March and May were less than one. Page 2 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0002052 09/23/2020 Compliance Evaluation Milliken & Company Routine Type Yes No NA NE Single Family Drip Single Family Spray, LR Activated Sludge Drip, LR Activated Sludge Spray, HR Reuse (Quality) Activated Sludge Spray, LR Recycle/Reuse Infiltration System Lagoon Spray, LR Treatment Yes No NA NE Are Treatment facilities consistent with those outlined in the current permit? Do all treatment units appear to be operational? (if no, note below.) Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Influent Yes No NA NE Is flowmeter calibrated annually? Is flowmeter operating properly? Does flowmeter monitor continuously? Does flowmeter record flow? Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately? Flow meters were calibrated on 10/25/2019 by Clear Water Inc. Ms. Warlick indicated the influent flows are approximately 10,000 to 11,000 gallons per day. Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Use Records Yes No NA NE Is water use metered? Are the daily average values properly calculated? Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Effluent Yes No NA NE Is flowmeter calibrated annually? Is flowmeter operating properly? Does flowmeter monitor continuously? Does flowmeter record flow? Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately? This is an inline meter to the spray field. The meter in use was received on 5/15/19 from Niagra meters and installed on 3/23/20. Comment: Page 3 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0002052 09/23/2020 Compliance Evaluation Milliken & Company Routine Record Keeping Yes No NA NE Is a copy of current permit available? Are monitoring reports present: NDMR? NDAR? Are flow rates less than of permitted flow? Are flow rates less than of permitted flow? Are application rates adhered to? Is GW monitoring being conducted, if required (GW-59s submitted)? Are all samples analyzed for all required parameters? Are there any 2L GW quality violations? Is GW-59A certification form completed for facility? Is effluent sampled for same parameters as GW? Do effluent concentrations exceed GW standards? Are annual soil reports available? # Are PAN records required? # Did last soil report indicate a need for lime? If so, has it been applied? Are operational logs present? Are lab sheets available for review? Do lab sheets support data reported on NDMR? Do lab sheets support data reported on GW-59s? Are Operational and Maintenance records present? Were Operational and Maintenance records complete? Has permittee been free of public complaints in last 12 months? Is a copy of the SOC readily available? No treatment units bypassed since last inspection? Calibration/maintenance records, NDMRs and GW-59s reviewed before inspection. Effluent monitoring varies from groundwater monitoring. PAN is not required. Facility is only hydraulically limited. Soil fertility analysis for 2019 and 2020 were reviewed before inspection. ESP <15. pH levels do not indicate a need for lime. Comment: End Use-Irrigation Yes No NA NE Are buffers adequate? Is the cover crop type specified in permit? Is the crop cover acceptable? Is the site condition adequate? Is the site free of runoff / ponding? Is the acreage specified in the permit being utilized? Page 4 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0002052 09/23/2020 Compliance Evaluation Milliken & Company Routine Is the application equipment present? Is the application equipment operational? Is the disposal field free of limiting slopes? Is access restricted and/or signs posted during active site use? Are any supply wells within the CB? Are any supply wells within 250' of the CB? How close is the closest water supply well? Is municipal water available in the area? # Info only: Does the permit call for monitoring wells? Are GW monitoring wells located properly w/ respect to RB and CB? Are GW monitoring wells properly constructed, including screened interval? Are monitoring wells damaged? As noted in the permit, several homes were constructed within the 400' buffer on adjacent properties after the facility was permitted. Milliken has discontinued use of part of the spray field, as noted in previous inspections and permits, as a precautionary measure. One spray head was down and isolated at the time of the inspection due to an issue with the control valve. Some minor ruts along one edge of the field possibly due to equipment used to cut and bale the field, but did not appear to be causing any significant ponding issues. All GW monitoring wells were locked and had barriers around them to prevent vehicular damage. Comment: 001 - Treatment Lagoons Yes No NA NE Lagoon Type None Primary/Secondary Primary Influent structure Banks/berms (seepage and erosion) Vegetation (excessive vegetation on banks/berms) Liner Liner Type Unknown Baffles/curtains Freeboard Marker Required freeboard 2 Feet Actual freeboard 3.5 Feet Are increments clearly marked on gauge at adequate intervals? Has the water level gauge been surveyed w/ respect to lowest point on dike? wall? Page 5 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0002052 09/23/2020 Compliance Evaluation Milliken & Company Routine No Evidence of overflow Acceptable color Floating mats Excessive solids buildup Aerators/mixers Effluent structure Lagoon cover Page 6 of 6 Certificate Of Completion Envelope Id: 92179CF257E342408BCF764FE0AD1EBD Status: Completed Subject: Please DocuSign: WQ0002052_CEI_ltr.docx, WQ0002052_CEI_insp.pdf Source Envelope: Document Pages: 7 Signatures: 1 Envelope Originator: Certificate Pages: 1 Initials: 1 Mikal Willmer AutoNav: Disabled EnvelopeId Stamping: Disabled Time Zone: (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) 217 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27699 Mikal.willmer@ncdenr.gov IP Address: 149.168.204.10 Record Tracking Status: Original Oct 1, 2020 | 14:08 Holder: Mikal Willmer Mikal.willmer@ncdenr.gov Location: DocuSign Signer Events Signature Timestamp Mikal Willmer mikal.willmer@ncdenr.gov Environmental Specialist North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 149.168.204.10 Sent: Oct 1, 2020 | 14:08 Viewed: Oct 1, 2020 | 14:08 Signed: Oct 1, 2020 | 14:09 Freeform Signing Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign In Person Signer Events Signature Timestamp Editor Delivery Events Status Timestamp Agent Delivery Events Status Timestamp Intermediary Delivery Events Status Timestamp Certified Delivery Events Status Timestamp Carbon Copy Events Status Timestamp Witness Events Signature Timestamp Notary Events Signature Timestamp Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps Envelope Sent Hashed/Encrypted Oct 1, 2020 | 14:08 Certified Delivered Security Checked Oct 1, 2020 | 14:08 Signing Complete Security Checked Oct 1, 2020 | 14:09 Completed Security Checked Oct 1, 2020 | 14:09 Payment Events Status Timestamps