NC0023736_NC NOV-2021-TX-0064_20211115

«STATE,,,
'4f�a \ay
ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S.BISER a
Secretary ey�,Rxa
S.DANIEL SMITH NORTH CAROLINA
Director Environmental Quality
November 15,2021
CERTIFIED MAIL: 7011 2000 0002 3103 0974
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Elisa Triplett
City of Lenoir Public Utilities
PO Box 958
Lenoir,NC 28645
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION:NC NOV-2021-TX-0064
Whole Effluent Toxicity(WET)Testing
NPDES Permit No.NCO023736/001
Gunpowder Creek W WTP
Caldwell County
Dear Ms.Triplett:
This is to inform you that a review of your toxicity self-monitoring report forms for September 2021 indicate a
violation of the toxicity limitation specified in your NPDES Permit.
You should take whatever remedial actions are necessary to eliminate the conditions causing the effluent toxicity
violation(s). Your efforts may include conducting a Toxicity Reduction Evaluation(TRE),a site-specific study
designed to identify the causative agents of effluent toxicity,isolating the sources of toxicity,evaluating the
effectiveness of toxicity control options,and confirming reductions in effluent toxicity. Please be aware that North
Carolina General Statutes provide for assessment of civil penalties for violations ofNPDES permit limitations and
requirements.
The reverse side of this Notice contains important information concerning your Whole Effluent Toxicity Monitoring
and Reporting Requirements. We encourage you to review this information;if it would be helpful to discuss this
situation or possible solutions to resolve effluent toxicity noncompliance,please contact Zach Thomas at(919)743-
8439 or zacharv.thomas(a)ncdennizov.
Sincerely,
!�;iCindy Moore, logy Branch Supervisor
Division of Water Resources,NCDEQ
Attachment
cc: Elisa Triplett(via email: IrtIblett(a ci.lenoir.nc.us)
Landon Davidson,ARO(via email: landon.davidsonancdenr.sov)
ATB Enforcement File&Laserfiche
101-D_0 Q�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources I Ella Lab
4401 Reedy Creek Road 1 1621 Mail Service Center I Raleigh North Carolina 27699-1621
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919.743.8400

WHOLE EFFLUENT TOXICITY MONITORING AND REPORTING INFORMATION
The following items are provided in an effort to assist you with identifying critical and sometimes overlooked toxicity testing and
reporting information. Please take time to review this information.The items helow do not address or 1 udall the toxicity
testing and reporting requirements contained in your NPDF.S permit. If you should have any questions about your toxicity
testing requirement,please contact Zach Thomas with the Aquatic Toxicology Branch at(919)743-8439 or Cindy Moore at(919)
743-8442.
➢ DATA SUBMITTAL: Thep re mittee is responsible for ensuring that toxicity testing is conducted according to the permit
requirement and that toxicity report forms are appropriately filed.
➢ The reporting of whole effluent toxicity testing data is a dual teuuirement.
➢ 1)All toxicity test results must be entered(with the appropriate parameter code)on your monthly Electronic Discharge
Monitoring Report(eDMR)and,
➢ 2)Your Toxicity test data("AT"form)must be submitted to the Aquatic Toxicity Branch via:
Email to: ATForms.ATBftancdenr.goy
--OR---
North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicity Branch
16211 Service Center
Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1621
• T x'c'ly test resultshall he filed with the Water.5riences Section no later than 40 days after the end of the reporting
yt'riod(eg,January test result is due by the end of February).
• To determine if your AT test forms were received on time by the Division of Water Resources,you may consider submitting
your toxicity test results certified mail.return receipt requested to the Water Sciences Section or email to the above address,
receiving e-confirmation.
• The Aquatic Toxicity Test forms shall be signed by the facility's Operator in Responsible Charge(ORC)except for facilities
which have not received a facility classification. In these cases,a duly authorized facility representative must sign the AT form.
The AT form must also be signed by the performing lab supervisor.
➢ FAILED TESTS:
• Toxicity test condition language contained in your NPDES permit may require use of multiple concentration toxicity testing
upon failure of any single quarterly toxicity test. If the initial pass/fail test fails or if the chronic value is lower than the permit
limit,then at least two multiple concentration toxicity tests(one per month)will be conducted over the following two months.
As many analyses as can be completed will be accepted. If your NPDES permit does not require use of multiple concentration
toxicity testing upon failure of any single quarterly test,you may choose to conduct either single concentration toxicity testing
or multiple concentration toxicity testing per the Divisions WET enforcement initiatives effective July 1,1999. Follow-up
multiple concentration toxicity testing will influence the Division's enforcement response.
➢ INVALID TESTS:
• If you receive notification from your contract laboratory that a test was invalidated,you should immediately notify the Water
Sciences Section at(919)743-8439 and provide written documentation indicating why the test was invalidated and the date
when follow-up testing will occur.
➢ TESTING MONTHS:
• Toxicity testing months are specified by the NPDES Permit,except for NPDES Permits which contain episodic toxicity
monitoring requirements(eg,if the testing months specified in your NPDES permit are March,June,September,and
December,then toxicity testing must be conducted during these months).
➢ EPISODIC MONTIORING:
• If your NPDES Permit specifies episodic monitoring and your facility does not have a discharge from January 1-June 30,then
you must provide written notification to the Water Sciences Section by June 30 that a discharge did not occur during the first
six months of the calendar year.
➢ NO DIS_CHARC.E.:
➢ If your facility is required to conduct toxicity testing during a month in which no discharge occurs,you should complete the
information block located at the top of the AT form indicating the facility name,permit number,pipe number,county and the
month/year of the subject report. You should also write"No Flow"on the AT form,sign the form and submit following normal
procedures.
D_E W North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources I Rio Lab
4401 Reedy Creek Road 1 1621 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1621
••ir wr� /� 919.743.8400