NC0062855_Performance Annual Report 2014_20150126

Mayor Lonnie B. English
Commissioners:
Mayor Pro-Tem A. H. Davis, Jr.
Joey Boswell
Terri Holt
Nikki Green
Kevin Stewart
TOWN OF ROBBINS
PO Box 296
Robbins, NC 27325
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
January 26, 2015
NC Division of Water Quality
NPDES Permit Issuing Authority
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
RE: System Performance Annual Report
NPDES Permit Number: NC0062855
Town of Robbins, Moore County, NC
i'ater Quality Regional
FEB "t .h 7iii15
Operations Section
Fayetteville Regional Office
Town Manager
Jeff Sheffield
Dear Permitting Authority:
Enclosed is the 2014 Annual Performance Report for the Town of Robbins Wastewater
Treatment Plant. We believe the report to be complete and accurate. Our customers will
be notified of the availability of the report through the local newspaper or water/sewer
bills.
A copy of this report has been forwarded to the Fayetteville Regional Office. If you have
any questions, or require more information, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Tommy Gibbons
Town of Robbins WWTP Manager/ORC
Tgibbons2Ayahoo.com
910-948-2431

GENERAL INFORMATION
Facility/System Name: Town of Robbins Wastewater Treatment Plant
NPDES Permit Number: NC0062855
Collection System Permit Number: WQCS00124
Responsible Entity: Town of Robbins
CONTACT INFORMATION
Permittee: Jeffery Sheffield, Town Manager
PO Box 296
Robbins, NC 27325
910-948-2431
WWTP ORC: Tommy Gibbons, Utilities Manager/WWTP Chief Operator
PO Box 296
Robbins, NC 27325
910-948-3063
Collections ORC: A.H. Davis Jr.
PO Box 296
Robbins, NC 27325
910-948-2431
DESCRIPTION OF TREATMENT PROCESS
All wastewater is conveyed to the Robbins WWTP via a permitted collection system. The
collection system consists of approximately 8.4 miles of gravity sewer, 1.5 miles of force main,
and three duplex pump stations.
The Town of Robbins WWTP is an extended aeration facility. It has a design capacity of
1.3 MGD. Treatment is initiated at a preliminary treatment unit (headworks), which consists of
a grit removal unit, semi -cylindrical fine screen, and a manual bar screen. De -gritted and
screened wastewater is pumped to a secondary treatment unit. Dual activated sludge
treatment units are provided with integral center -feed clarifiers. Mixing and aeration are
provided by diffused aeration. Caustic soda is added at the head of the system to add alkalinity.
Aluminum sulfate is added prior to the clarifiers to facilitate setting of the solids and to help
remove phosphorus. Clarified effluent is disinfected by chlorination, and then de -chlorinated
with sulfur dioxide. Settled sludge is either returned to the system as Return Activated Sludge
or wasted to an aerobic digester for further stabilization. After digestion is completed, the
stabilized sludge is land applied in liquid form onto permitted land application sites. The

effluent from the wastewater treatment plant is discharged into the Deep River, in the Cape
Fear River Basin.
COMPLIANCE PERFORMANCE
The Town of Robbins WWTP and Collection System are regulated, by the NC Department
of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR). The Town holds a National Pollutant
Elimination System (NPDES) permit that includes water quality limits and sample monitoring
requirements. The NPDES permit requires the Town to test 15 different constituents in the
treated water. The monitoring frequency for these constituents are set at various intervals such
as continuous, daily, weekly, two times per week, monthly, and quarterly.
The Wastewater Treatment Plant consistently achieves 92-99% efficiency of removal of
BOD and TSS. The following is a summary of the testing for parameters that are assigned Water
Quality Standards by the NPDES permit.
Please Note: The summary may not include parameters that only incorporate a
monitoring requirement, nor does it include daily process control testing.
Effluent Characteristics #Required #Conducted
Flow Continuous Continuous
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 52 53
Total Suspended Solids 52 53
Ammonia (NH3 as N) 52 53
Dissolved Oxygen
52 285
PH
52 249
Temperature °C
249 285
(Excluding weekends and holidays)
Fecal Coliform
52 54
Total Chlorine Residual
104 205
Conductivity 52 53
Total Nitrogen
12 15
Total Phosphorus
52 53
Total Copper
4 4
(Total Copper monitoring reduced by permit from monthly to quarterly effective 03/31/2013)
Total Mercury
Chronic Toxicity
4
4
4
4

In addition to the required testing, the Town conducted approximately 1,500 in-house
control tests to ensure the proper operation of the wastewater treatment plant. Some of the
plant control tests were PH, temperature, ammonia, alkalinity, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, settle
ability, suspended solids, and oxygen uptake rate.
SUMMARY OF PERMIT VIOLATIONS
Permit violations that occurred at the WWTP during 2014 were 30 occasions where the
"total chlorine residual" was in access of the "Daily Maximum Limit of 28 ug/I, however all 30
occasions were under 50 ug/I and are still considered to be compliant by NCDENR standards.
In April 2014 Robbins WWTP received a violation on Effluent parameter for TSS (Total
Suspended Solids). The limits by permit for TSS are as follows: 21.0 mg/I Monthly Average, 31.0
mg/I Weekly Average. On 04/19/2014 reported value was 38.0 mg/I (Weekly Average
Exceeded), 04/26/2014 reported value was 32.5 mg/I (Weekly Average Exceeded), 04/30/2014
reported value 21.960 mg/I (Monthly Average Exceeded).
Additional Notes:
Robbins WWTP personnel and contractors worked to remove several acres of standing
timber that had grown around the WWTP over the years. Many of these trees had grown over
water and sewer lines causing damage to the underground line. The trees also dropped leaves,
pine straw, and other debris into the treatment basins causing damage to pumps as well as the
treatment process. During the summer and fall of 2014 most of these trees were cut down. This
has stopped a great majority of the damage to the treatment basins that affected our Effluent
Discharge Permit Limitations.
Town of Robbins WWTP equipment is aging and several repairs need to be made.
WWTP staff has worked diligently this year on plant maintenance and making whatever repairs
that could -be made. Notably the 300,000 gallon digester is offline due to needing a
replacement blower. This digester has been offline for several years. Quotes for repair have
been obtained by WWTP ORC, from Charles Underwood Assoc. and Carolina Technical Services.
Currently there is not a set date for repairs to begin on this project due to cost and budget.

WWTP has four 100 hp, main aeration blowers and currently 1 of these blowers are
offline.
WWTP gas chlorination system was taken offline due to failing submersible pumps in
effluent well. This was designed to use reclaimed water, however the 4" submersible pumps
would not hold up to any debris in effluent discharge. During periods of heavy rainfalls the
pumps repeatedly clogged and failed resulting in high repair costs. After several attempts to
repair WWTP ORC took the gas chlorination offline and switched to liquid Sodium Hypochlorite
for disinfection and Sodium Bisulfite for dechlorination.
The Town of Robbins has contracted with The Wooten Company, Engineering
Contractors, to assess and prioritize the repairs to the town's infrastructure and treatment
facilities. A plan to make these repairs is currently being reviewed. There is no set date for
repairs to begin, however it is likely that some of the repairs will begin in 2015.

CERTIFICATION
I have personally examined this report and I am familiar with the information contained
therein. Based upon my inquiry of the individuals immediately responsible for obtaining the
information reported herein, I believe that the submitted information is true, accurate, and
complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information.
Signed this 2 a day of Fek i 4./ , 2015
Jeff Sheffield, Town Manager