NC0082767_Draft Permit_20210323

ROY COOPER
Governor 4
MICHAEL S.REGAN
Secretary
S.DANIEL SMITH NORTH CAROLINA
Director Environmental Quality
March 23, 2021
Darlene Butler, Town Manager
Town of Spruce Pine
PO Box 189
Spruce Pine,NC 28777-0189
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NC0082767
Spruce Pine WTP
Grade PCNC Physical Chemical WPCS I
Mitchell County
Dear Permittee:
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Please review this draft carefully to
ensure your thorough understanding of the information, conditions, and requirements it contains.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the existing permit:
1. Language has been updated in Section A. (1)and Section A. (3)to require electronic submission
of effluent data. Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring
reports(DMRs).
2. Outfall map has been updated.
3. Language on the Supplement to Permit Cover Sheet has been updated.
4. The components list has been updated on the Supplement to Permit Cover Sheet.
5. The facility grade has been added in Section A. (1).
6. Units of measure have been added in Section A. (1).
7. Flow monitoring in Section A. (1)has been per the current water treatment plant strategy.
8. Monitoring for turbidity has been reduced in Section A. (1)per the current water treatment plant
guidance.
9. Monitoring for aluminum and fluoride added in Section A. (1) as the permit renewal application
stated they had the potential to be discharged.
10. Monitoring for copper has been added in Section A. (1) per the current water treatment plant
strategy.
11. Monitoring for manganese and iron have been removed in Section A. (1)as there are no longer
water quality standards.
12. Monitoring for total phosphorus and total nitrogen has been added in Section A. (1) per the
current water treatment plant strategy.
13. Monitoring for total hardness, and associated footnotes, added in Section A. (1)per the current
water treatment plant guidance.
14. Updated the footnotes in Section A. (1).
15.Toxicity language in Section A. (2) has been updated.
_� �,_ North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
�J/g 512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mall Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-16i7
r+�o� e�v 919.707.9000

The EPA approved NC 2015-2019 Water Quality Standard(WQS)Triennial Review includes new
chronic and acute dissolved metal standards for most metals. Further,the freshwater standards for
several metals are expressed as the dissolved form of the metals,and seven metals have hardness-
dependent equations.As a result,the NPDES Permitting Unit will need site-specific effluent hardness
data and instream hardness data, upstream of the discharge, for each facility monitoring these metals in
order to calculate permit limitations.Effluent hardness and instream hardness sampling, upstream of the
discharge,have been added to the permit at a monitoring frequency of quarterly. See Section A. (1)
Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements.
The NPDES standard conditions(Parts II, III, and IV)that are a part of the permit are not included in
this draft document(cover,map, and Part I). The conditions are the same as in your current permit
except that agency and division names have been updated.The latest version is available
at https://bit.ly/3k5NFaL and can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF file.
With this notification,the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by publishing a
notice in newspapers having circulation in the general Mitchell County area,per EPA requirements.
Please provide your comments,if any,to me no later than 30 days after receiving this draft
permit.
Following the 30-day public comment period,the Division will review all pertinent comments and take
appropriate action prior to issuing a final permit. If you have questions concerning the draft,please
contact me at 919-707-3619, or via e-mail [[e-mail]].
Sincerely,
Brianna Young
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting Unit
cc: NPDES Files(Laserfiche)
Asheville Regional Office
Wastewater Operator Certification Group
WSS/Aquatic Toxicology Branch

Permit NC0082767
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMI iATION SYSTEM
(NPDES)
In compliance with the provisions of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1,other lawful
standards and regulations promulgated and adopted by the North Carolina Environmental
Management Commission, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act,as amended,the
Town of Spruce Pine
is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Spruce Pine WTP
95 Clearwater Road
Spruce Pine
Mitchell County
to receiving waters designated as an unnamed tributary(UT)to Beaver Creek in the French Broad
River Basin in accordance with effluent limitations, monitoring requirements, and other conditions
set forth in Parts I, II, III and IV hereof.
This permit shall become effective
This permit and authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on February 28,2026.
Signed this day
S.Daniel Smith
Director,Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 8

Permit NC0082767
SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET
All previous NPDES Permits issued to this facility,whether for operation or discharge are hereby
revoked.As of this permit issuance, any previously issued permit bearing this number is no longer
effective.Therefore,the exclusive authority to operate and discharge from this facility arises under
the permit conditions, requirements,terms, and provisions included herein.
The Town of Spruce Pine
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate a conventional water treatment plant[coagulation, flocculation,
sedimentation, filtration] with a discharge of wastewaters from filter backwash. This water
treatment plant currently has a design potable flowrate of 1.6 MGD and an estimated discharge
of 0.040 MGD. This facility is located at the Spruce Pine WTP, 95 Clearwater Road in Spruce
Pine in Mitchell County.Water and wastewater components consist of:
• Two(2)anthracite multimedia gravity sandfilters, each with backwash flow meters
• One(1) anthracite multimedia gravity sandfilter(proposed as needed)
• Collection/settling tank for backwash wastewater
• Wastewater discharge [currently connected to city sewer]
• Alternate wastewater discharge sample port and gravity line to unnamed tributary [not
currently active]
• Chemical usage consists of:
• Chlorine
• Alum
• Caustic
• Orthopolyphosphate
2. Only after notifying the Asheville Regional Office(ARO)a minimum often(10)working days
prior to discharging to waters of the state to provide for site inspection, as warranted,then
3. Discharge from said treatment works via Outfall 001, at the location specified on the attached
map,to an unnamed tributary (UT)to Beaver Creek[Stream segment: 7-2-41-(2)], a waterbody
currently classified C-Trout within subbasin 04-03-06 [HUC: 060101080104] of the French
Broad River Basin.
Page 2 of 8

Permit NC0082767
PART I
A. (1) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq.; 02B .0500 et seq.]
Grade PCNC Physical Chemical WPCS [15A NCAC 08G .0302]
During the period beginning on the effective date of the permit and lasting until expiration,the
Permittee is authorized to discharge treated backwash wastewater from Outfall 001. Such
discharges shall be limited, monitored and reported' by the Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTIC LIMITS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Parameter Code Monthly Daily Measurement Sample Sample
Average Maximum Frequency Type Location
Flow(MGD) 50050 Continuous Recording Effluent
Total Suspended Solids C0530 30.0 mg/L 45.0 mg/L 2/month Grab Effluent
Total Residual Chlorine 2 50060 17 pg/L 2/month Grab Effluent
pH 00400 Not<6.0 s.u.or>9.0 s.u. 2/month Grab Effluent
Turbidity(NTU)3 00070 Monthly Grab Effluent
Aluminum(pg/L) 01105 Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Copper(pg/L) 01042 Quarterly Grab Effluent
Fluoride(pg/L) 00951 Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Zinc(pg/L) 01092 Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Nitrogen(mg/L) C0600 Quarterly Grab Effluent
Total Phosphorus(mg/L) C0665 Quarterly Grab Effluent
Hardness—Total as
[CaCO3 or(Ca+Mg)]4 00900 Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
(mg/L)
Hardness—Total as
[CaCO3 or(Ca+Mg)]5 00900 Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Upstream
(mg/L)
Chronic Toxicity 6 TGP3B Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Footnotes:
1. The permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the NC DWR's eDMR
application system [see Section A.(3)].
2. Limit and monitor only if the facility adds chlorine or chlorine derivatives to water that is eventually
discharged.The Division shall consider all effluent TRC values reported below 50 pg/L to be in
Page 3 of 8

Permit NC0082767
compliance with the permit.However,the Permittee shall continue to record and submit all values
reported by a North Carolina certified laboratory(including field certified),even if these values fall
below 50 µg/L.
3. Effluent turbidity shall not exceed 50 NTUs or cause the natural background turbidity to be increased.If
the effluent exceeds 50 NTUs the Permittee shall take an upstream and downstream measurement of
turbidity and demonstrate that the natural background turbidity,measured upstream of the discharge,is
not increased.All samples(upstream,downstream,and effluent)shall be taken within the same 24-hour
period.NTU—Nephelometric Turbidity Unit.
4. Effluent hardness sampling should be performed in conjunction with testing for hardness dependent
metals(copper).
5. The Permittee shall sample instream hardness,upstream of the facility's discharge.The sample shall be
representative of the hardness in the receiving stream.If the Permittee is a member of the Monitoring
Coalition Program,sampling for instream hardness may be waived as long as the Monitoring coalition
agrees to sample hardness at the nearest upstream location, at a minimum frequency of quarterly,and the
Permittee has obtained approval from DWR-NPDES Permitting Unit that the upstream station being
monitored by the Coalition is representative of the receiving stream for this discharge.The Permittee is
responsible for submitting instream hardness test results with its permit renewal application package.If
Coalition membership is cancelled or the Coalition terminates instream hardness sampling at the
approved station,the Permittee will immediately notify the Division and resume sampling for instream
hardness,upstream of its discharge.
6. Chronic 7-day test,P/F(Ceriodaphnia dubia)at 90%during the months of February,May,August,
and November[see A.Section(2)].
The Permittee shall discharge no floating solids or foam visible in other than trace amounts.
All samples shall accurately represent the physical and chemical character of the effluent.
Page 4 of 8

Permit NC0082767
A.(2) CHRONIC TOXICITY PASS/FAIL MONITORING (QUARTERLY)
[15A NCAC 02B .0500 et seq.]
The permittee shall conduct quarterly chronic toxicity tests using test procedures outlined in the
"North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chronic Effluent Bioassay Procedure,"(Revised December 2010, or
subsequent versions).
The effluent concentration defined as treatment two in the procedure document is 90 %.The
testing shall be performed as a Ceriodaphnia dubia 7-day pass/fail test.The tests will be performed
during the months of February,May,August,and November. These months signify the first
month of each three-month toxicity testing quarter assigned to the facility.Effluent sampling for
this testing must be obtained during representative effluent discharge and shall be performed at the
NPDES permitted final effluent discharge below all treatment processes.
All toxicity testing results required as part of this permit condition will be entered electronically
using the Division's eDMR system for the month in which it was performed, using the parameter
code TGP3B.Additionally,DWR Form AT-1 (original) is to be sent to the following address:
North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicology Branch
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,NC 27699-1621
Or,results can be sent to the email,[e-mail].
Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Water Sciences Section no later than
30 days after the end of the reporting period for which the report is made.
Test data shall be complete and accurate and include all supporting chemical/physical
measurements performed in association with the toxicity tests,as well as all dose/response data.
Total residual chlorine of the effluent toxicity sample must be measured and reported if chlorine is
employed for disinfection of the waste stream.
Should there be no discharge of flow from the facility during a month in which toxicity monitoring
is required,the permittee will complete the information located at the top of the aquatic toxicity
(AT)test form indicating the facility name,permit number, pipe number, county, and the
month/year of the report with the notation of"No Flow"in the comment area of the form.The
report shall be submitted to the Water Sciences Section at the address cited above.
Should the permittee fail to monitor during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required,then
monthly monitoring will begin immediately. Upon submission of a valid test,this monthly test
requirement will revert to quarterly in the months specified above.
Should any test data from this monitoring requirement or tests performed by the North Carolina
Division of Water Resources indicate potential impacts to the receiving stream,this permit may be
re-opened and modified to include alternate monitoring requirements or limits.
NOTE: Failure to achieve test conditions as specified in the cited document, such as minimum
control organism survival,minimum control organism reproduction,and appropriate environmental
Page 5 of 8

Permit NC0082767
controls, shall constitute an invalid test and will require immediate follow-up testing to be
completed no later than the last day of the month following the month of the initial monitoring.
A.(3) ELECTRONIC REPORTING-DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[G.S. 143-215.1 (b)]
Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports(DMRs)and
program reports.The final NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule was adopted and became effective on
December 21,2015.
NOTE: This special condition supplements or supersedes the following sections within Part II of
this permit(Standard Conditions for NPDES Permits):
• Section B. (11.) Signatory Requirements
• Section D. (2.) Reporting
• Section D. (6.) Records Retention
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D.(2.) and Section E. (5.) (a)l
The permittee shall report discharge monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR's
Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) internet application.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month
and submitted electronically using eDMR. The eDMR system allows permitted facilities to
enter monitoring data and submit DMRs electronically using the internet. The eDMR system
may be accessed at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr.
If a permittee is unable to use the eDMR system due to a demonstrated hardship or due to the
facility being physically located in an area where less than 10 percent of the households have
broadband access,then a temporary waiver from the NPDES electronic reporting requirements
may be granted and discharge monitoring data may be submitted on paper DMR forms(MR 1,
1.1,2, 3)or alternative forms approved by the Director. Duplicate signed copies shall be
submitted to the following address:
NC DEQ/Division of Water Resources/Water Quality Permitting Section
ATTENTION: Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617
See"How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting"section below.
Regardless of the submission method,the first DMR is due on the last day of the month
following the issuance of the permit or in the case of a new facility, on the last day of the month
following the commencement of discharge.
Starting on December 21,2025,the permittee must electronically report the following
compliance monitoring data and reports,when applicable:
Page 6 of 8

Permit NC0082767
• Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports;
• Pretreatment Program Annual Reports;and
• Clean Water Act(CWA) Section 316(b)Annual Reports.
The permittee may seek an electronic reporting waiver from the Division(see"How to Request
a Waiver from Electronic Reporting"section below).
2. Electronic Submissions
In accordance with 40 CFR 122.41(1)(9),the permittee must identify the initial recipient at the
time of each electronic submission. The permittee should use the EPA's website resources to
identify the initial recipient for the electronic submission.
Initial recipient of electronic NPDES information from NPDES-regulated facilities means the
entity(EPA or the state authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES program)that is the
designated entity for receiving electronic NPDES data[see 40 CFR 127.2(b)].
EPA plans to establish a website that will also link to the appropriate electronic reporting tool
for each type of electronic submission and for each state. Instructions on how to access and use
the appropriate electronic reporting tool will be available as well. Information on EPA's
NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule is found at:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-24954/national-pollutant-
discharge-elimination-system-npdes-electron ic-reporting-rule
Electronic submissions must start by the dates listed in the"Reporting Requirements" section
above.
3. How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting
The permittee may seek a temporary electronic reporting waiver from the Division. To obtain
an electronic reporting waiver, a permittee must first submit an electronic reporting waiver
request to the Division. Requests for temporary electronic reporting waivers must be submitted
in writing to the Division for written approval at least sixty(60)days prior to the date the
facility would be required under this permit to begin submitting monitoring data and reports.
The duration of a temporary waiver shall not exceed 5 years and shall thereupon expire. At
such time,monitoring data and reports shall be submitted electronically to the Division unless
the permittee re-applies for and is granted a new temporary electronic reporting waiver by the
Division. Approved electronic reporting waivers are not transferrable. Only permittees with an
approved reporting waiver request may submit monitoring data and reports on paper to the
Division for the period that the approved reporting waiver request is effective.
Information on eDMR and the application for a temporary electronic reporting waiver are found
on the following web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
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Permit NC0082767
4. Signatory Requirements (Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.)
LLII
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in
Part II, Section B. (11.)(a)or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in
Part II, Section B. (11.)(b). A person, and not a position,must be delegated signatory authority
for eDMR reporting purposes.
For eDMR submissions,the person signing and submitting the DMR must obtain an eDMR user
account and login credentials to access the eDMR system. For more information on North
Carolina's eDMR system,registering for eDMR and obtaining an eDMR user account,please
visit the following web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
Certification. Any person submitting an electronic DMR using the state's eDMR system shall
make the following certification [40 CFR 122.22]. NO OTHER STATEMENTS OF
CERTIFICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED:
"I certi, under penalty of law, that this document and all attachments were prepared under my
direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel
properly gather and evaluate the information submitted Based on my inquiry of the person or
persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the
information, the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief true, accurate,
and complete. lam aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information,
including the possibility of fines and imprisonment for knowing violations."
5. Records Retention [Supplements Section D. (6.11
The permittee shall retain records of all Discharge Monitoring Reports, including eDMR
submissions. These records or copies shall be maintained for a period of at least 3 years from
the date of the report. This period may be extended by request of the Director at any time [40
CFR 122.41].
Page 8 of 8

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NPDES Permit NC0082767
Facility Location
Receiving Stream: UT to Beaver Creek Stream Class:C;Tr scale not shown
Stream Segment:7-2-41-(2) Sub-Basin#: 04-03-06
River Basin: French Broad HUC:060101080104 SCALE USGS Quad:Spruce Pine
County: Mitchell 1:24,000 35.91925°,-82.06067°