NC0043788_Draft Permit_20211201

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
S. DANIEL SMITH
Director
Amanda Davis, Executive Assistant
Columbus County
608 North Thompson St
Whiteville, NC 28472
Dear Permittee:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
December 14, 2021
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NC0043788
Acme Delco Middle School WWTP
Grade I Biological WPCS
Columbus County
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the draft
permit for your facility. 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. The facility grade has been added in Section A. (1).
3. Language for nutrient reopener has been updated in Section A. (2).
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/2BZ4xxx 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 Columbus County area, per EPA requirements. Please provide your
comments, if any, to me at the address below 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 at [e-mail].
cc: NPDES File [Laserfiche]
Wilmington Regional Office [email]
Operator Certification Program [email]
=D.E
NORTH CAROLINA
Department of Environmental Duality
Sincerely,
cl.,
Siying Chen
Environmental Specialist I
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting Unit
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
919.707.9000

Permit NC0043788
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
In compliance with the provision 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
Columbus County Schools
are hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Acme Delco Middle School WWTP
26133 Andrew Jackson Highway
Delco
Columbus County
to receiving waters designated as an unnamed tributary to Lindscomb Branch in subbasin 03-06-17 of
the Cape Fear 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 December 31, 2026.
If the permittee intends to continue to discharge at the facility beyond the term of this permit, a renewal
application must be submitted no later than July 4, 2026 (180 days before the expiration of this permit).
Signed this day
S. Daniel Smith
Director, Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 6

Permit NC0043788
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 Columbus County Schools
are hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.01 MGD wastewater treatment facility with the following
components:
• 8,000 gallon septic tank
• Recirculating sand filter bed
• Dual UV disinfection system
This facility is located in Delco at the Acme Delco Middle School WWTP off U.S. Highway 74/76
in Columbus County.
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into an unnamed
tributary to Lindscomb Branch, classified C-Swamp waters in hydrologic unit 03040206 of the Cape
Fear River Basin.
Page 2 of 6

Permit NC0043788
Part I
A. (1) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B.0400 et seq., 15A NCAC 02B.0500 et seq.]
Grade WW-1 Water Pollution Control System [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 from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitoredi by the
Permittee as specified below:
PARAMETER [PCS Code]
LIMITS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly
Average
Daily
Maximum
Measurement
Frequency
Sample Type
Sample
Location2
Flow [50050]
0.01 MGD
Weekly
Instantaneous
Influent or
Effluent
BOD, 5-day (20°C) [00310]
(April 1 - October 31)
5.0 mg/L
7.5 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
BOD, 5-day (20°C) [00310]
(November 1 - March 31)
10.0 mg/L
15.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Total Suspended Solids [00530]
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
NH3 as N [00610]
(April 1 - October 31)
2.0 mg/L
10.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
NH3 as N [00610]
(November 1 - March 31)
4.0 mg/L
20.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Dissolved Oxygen [00300]
Daily average > 6.0 mg/L
Weekly
Grab
Effluent
Dissolved Oxygen [00300]
Weekly
Grab
U & D
Fecal Coliform [31616]
(geometric mean)
200 / 100 mL
400 / 100 mL
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Total Residual Chlorine3 [50060]
17 pg/L
2/Week
Grab
Effluent
Temperature (°C) [00010]
Daily
Grab
Effluent
Temperature (°C) [00010]
Weekly
Grab
U & D
pH [00400]
> 6.0 and < 9.0 standard units
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Footnotes:
1. The Permittee shall submit discharge Monitoring Reports electronically using the Division's eDMR
submittal system [see A. (3)].
2. U: upstream at least 100 feet from the outfall. D: downstream at NCSR 1870.
3. Limit and monitoring requirements apply only if chlorine is added to the treatment system. The
Permittee shall report all effluent TRC values reported by a NC -certified laboratory [including field -
certified]. Effluent values below 50 µg/L will be treated as zero for compliance purposes.
There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts.
Page 3 of 6

Permit NC0043788
A. (2) PERMIT RE -OPENER:
SUPPLEMENTARY NUTRIENT MONITORING / TMDL IMPLEMENTATION
[NCGS 143-215.1(b)]
Pursuant to N.C. General Statutes Section 143-215.1 and the implementing rules found in the North
Carolina Administrative Code at 15A NCAC 2H.0112 (b) (1) and 2H.0114 (a) and Part II sections B-12
and B-13 of this permit, the Director of DWR may reopen this permit to require supplemental nutrient
monitoring of the discharge. The purpose of the additional monitoring will be to support water quality
modeling efforts within the Cape Fear River Basin and shall be consistent with a monitoring plan
developed jointly by the Division and affected stakeholders. In addition, the results of water quality
modeling may require that limits for total nitrogen and total phosphorus be imposed in this permit upon
renewal.
The Division may, upon written notification to the permittee, re -open this permit to incorporate or
modify effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other permit conditions when it
deems such action is necessary to implement TMDL(s) approved by the USEPA.
A. (3) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[NCGS 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)1
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
Page 4 of 6

Permit NC0043788
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.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
reported via the eDMR system no later than the last calendar day of the month following the
completed reporting period. 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:
• 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-electronic-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
Page 5 of 6

Permit NC0043788
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
4. Signatory Requirements [Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.) (d)1
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 certify, 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. I
am 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.)1
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 6 of 6

USGS Quad: Acme, N.C.
Latitude: 34°19'06"
Longitude: 78°12'53"
Stream Class: C-Swamp
Subbasin: 03-06-17
Hydrologic Unit: 03040206
Receiving Stream: UT Lindscomb Branch
NC0043788
Columbus County Schools
Acme Delco Middle School
Map not to scale