NC0049867_NOV-2020-PC-0418 Response_20201020

Strickland, Bev
From: [e-mail]
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 9:54 AM
To: Basinger, Corey
Cc: Scheller, Roberto
Subject: [External] Town of Cleveland
Attachments: Facility Inspection 2020 - Response.docx
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Please find attached the Town's response to NOV-2020-PC-0418. I apologize for not sending sooner, however,
Commissioner Osborne who is over the wastewater system for the Town, suffered a stroke last Monday and
the letter was not finalized until now.
Cordially,
Cathy Payne, CMC, CLGFO
Town Clerk/Finance Officer
Town of Cleveland
704-278-4777
[e-mail]

Town of Cleveland
302 East Main Street
P.O. Box 429
Cleveland, NC 27013
[phone]
October 13, 2020
NCDEQ
Attention: W. Corey Basinger
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Mooresville Regional Office
610 East Center Ave, Suite 301
Mooresville, NC 28115
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Dear Mr. Basinger:
This letter is in response to the above violation and the inspection of the Cleveland WWTP on
September 10, 2020.
Inspection Area
Secondary Clarifiers: At the time of the inspection effluent was clear with what appeared to be small
grease particles going over weirs. FOG program should be enforced, and grease traps inspected.
The Town FOG program is being enforced on the Towns very few restaurants that the Town does have.
The restaurants submit their grease pump out forms to the Town when the pump out occur. We inspect
the Restaurants annually; however, most grease is from residential and we will be working to do more
public awareness of the issue and the environmental impact may could occur.
Record Keeping: Compliance History indicates facility has numerous limit BOD violations.
After reviewing past records', it is unclear to as the exact cause for the BOD limit violations in the past.
When reviewing past records', it appears that there was potentially an illegal dump on the system that
may have impacted the treatment facility loading issues. Other concerns regarding the BOD violations,
while not exactly certain, when reviewing past wasting entries it appears that a time -based wasting rate
in hours was being recorded, rather than gallons. Records indicate over wasting if wasting was done in
hourly basis as indicated and then other times there was extended periods of no wasting at all. The
times of no wasting was due to digester full and inability to haul during winter months.
Other concerns that may have caused BOD violations was the uncertainty of why so much lime was
being applied and if in fact the lime was being properly applied and no records as exact dosage method.

On a more scientific approach, factors that can affect BOD results is oil/grease will increase BOD as well
as potential for the Sulfur Dioxide used for dichlorination can potentially give and increase/false number
reading in BOD if an over dosing in S02.
Various concerns and issue can be factors into the past BOD issues and further data will be needed
based on new operational strategies.
Drying Beds: Drying Beds had excessive vegetation.
The drying beds vegetation was removed and was previously scheduled to be remove prior to inspection
and as noted the beds can be utilized for back-up, during winter months if needed.
Record Keeping: PH meter calibration sheet should have serial # or ID# to identify meter being
calibrated.
The PH meter calibration sheet was recently revised and our operator had inadvertently left off the
meter information on the sheets; however, it was immediately corrected during the inspection.
Disinfection Gas: The alarm system_had failed to operate during the inspection. After the inspection, it
was found that a wire was not reconnected after the meter was serviced on August 215Y by Carolina
Technical Services, Danny Kruchkow, who had just replaced the S02 alarm.
Record Keeping : A comment on page #4 from the on site inspection made note the wastewater
treatment can not handle industries durine peak flow operations and is therefore reauired to submit to
the office steps the Town plans to take to correct these actions.
The Town has already taken actions with a wastewater treatment plant study for possible expansion or
modifications.
It should be noted that the case that our facility can't handle industries loads during peaks is very
subjective. The BOD loading rates and TSS loads on our influent are within the designs criteria and as
previously noted the issue may arrive from several factors which none our design at this time.
Sincerely,
;V;V
Patrick Phifer
Mayor