NC0046728_Plan of Action_20050818

NPDES DOCUMENT 5CANNIN` COVER SHEET
NPDES Permit:
NC0046728
Mooresville / Rocky River WWTP
Document Type:
Permit Issuance
Wasteload Allocation
Authorization to Construct (AtC)
Permit Modification
Complete File - Historical
Engineering Alternatives (EAA)
L.P.,lan
of Action
Instream Assessment (67b)
Speculative Limits
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Permit
History
Document Date:
August 18, 2005
This document is printed on reuise paper - ignore any
content on the reYerse side

1)c, 40728
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��' William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
OD 1 `: t r North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
> Alan W. Klimek, P.E. Director
444 Division of Water Quality
Michael F. Easley, Governor
1$ August 2005
TO: Melba McGee, DENR
FROM: Alex Marks, DWQ
SUBJECT: Scoping: Town of Mooresville WWTP expansion, DWQ #13579, SCH #06-0032
The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) has reviewed the subject scoping document. The Town
of Mooresville proposes to increase its treatment capacity from 5.2 million gallons per day (mgd)
to 15 mgd. DWQ will serve as the DENR lead agency in coordinating the preparation of the
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project under the NC Environmental Policy Act
(SEPA). The Division will be responsible for the scope, objectivity, content and accuracy of the
environmental document.
The applicant is referred to the Division's SEPA website for guidance drafting the document:
http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/sepa/EAguidelines.htm. The Department of Administration's
guidelines for EA preparation should be consulted as well. In addition, the Division submits the
following:
1. What is the projected area to be served by the WWTP?
2. Both Dye Branch, to which the facility is proposed to discharge, and the Rocky River are
impaired. Dye Branch is impaired for aquatic life and the Rocky River for fecal coliform and
aquatic life. A fecal coliform TMDL has been developed for the Rocky River.
3. Due to the impairment status of Dye Branch and the Rocky River, strong local initiatives to
protect water quality are expected.
4. Considering the proposed capacity represents an increase of approximately 188%, a detailed
flow justification analysis/discussion needs to be included.
5. Include the Engineering Alternatives Analysis in the EA. DWQ's guidance for completing
this can be found at: http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/NPDES/documentslEAAGuidance.DOC.
6. DWQ does not object to the applicant's consulting firm performing the water quality model
(QUAL2E) for the proposed expansion. It is our understanding that the framework of this
model was used by the consultant for a discharger downstream. DWQ will then review the
model and consider the speculative limits provided by the applicant. The Town of
Mooresville should submit a letter, prior to the initial draft EA, either requesting speculative
limits or stating whether its consultant will be providing the information. Due to DWQ's
resource constraints, having an outside consultant perform the modeling work for the
expansion will likely expedite the process.
7. All agency correspondence and the scoping document will need to be included in an
Appendix.
Once the applicant has completed a draft EA, one copy of the document should be submitted
`tltCarolina
aurally
North Carolina Division of Water Quality/Planning Branch 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 Phone [phone] . _
512 North Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27604 FAX [phone]
http//www.h2o,enr.state.nc.us
DENR Customer Service 1-877-623-6748 An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Ms. Melba McGee
Page 2 of 2
19 August 2005
directly to DWQ for a completeness review. Generally, a minimum of two to three weeks should
be allowed for this review. The document may be returned to the applicant with a request for
necessary revisions.
Following the completeness review the document will be reviewed by Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) agencies, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission,
and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Ten copies of the document will be required.
I may be contacted at 919.733.5083 x555 for additional information or further assistance.
CC: Susan Wilson, DWQ NPDES
Michelle Woolfolk, DWQ TMDL

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Scoping Document
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Town of
Mooresville Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion
Background
The Town of Mooresville, which is located in southern Iredell County, is experiencing
tremendous growth. The Town is progressive in nature, yet retains the tight -knit feel of a
small community. These characteristics and Mooresville's proximity to the state's largest
city, international aviation facilities, two major interstates, and beautiful Lake Norman, have
attracted marquee businesses, making Mooresville an ideal community in which to live,
work, and play.
The Town currently operates a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with a treatment
capacity of 5.2 million gallons per day (MGD). Although average day flows are
approximately only 3.0 MGD, the expected high growth rate and increased availability of
potable water from the Town's 12 MGD water treatment plant (currently under
construction — completion May 2007) will considerably increase the demand for municipal
sewer in southern Iredell County and possibly other jurisdictions. Specific issues related to
the upgrade and expansion effort include: Plant Capacity, Discharge Limits, Process
Design, Biosolids Handling, and Disinfection Facilities.
Description of Proposed Project
The Town of Mooresville currently operates a conventional, suspended biological growth
WWTP with extended aeration. Current treated effluent discharge is to Dye Branch, a
tributary to the Rocky River. The proposed project will expand the Town's wastewater
treatment capacity from 5.2 MGD to 15 MGD by supplementing existing treatment
mechanisms with new equipment and structures. The proposed expansion will occur within
the existing plant property and will be comprehensive in nature, induding liquid and
biosolids treatment and disposal.
Figure 1 shows the location of the WWTP.
Alternatives
Alternatives for the WWTP expansion will be evaluated during the preliminary engineering
phase of the project. The final design will be based on the Preferred Alternative. All
alternatives considered, including land application and reuse, will be discussed in the
environmental assessment (EA).
Environmental Assessment Tasks
The following tasks will be performed in order to evaluate the preferred alternative:
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1. Conduct a GIS analysis using existing GIS data layers to provide a visual
characterization of the land cover, proposed land use, and rare or significant natural
areas/habitats within the service area. The GIS coverages will be used as an aid in
determining the extent of land use changes (i.e. only those as a consequence of the
proposed action, if any) and their related impacts on wetlands, forests and significant
natural areas.
2. Conduct an assessment of the existing environment at the plant site and any possible
direct impacts related to construction and operation of the expanded facility.
3. Develop a baseline understanding of environmental conditions in the service area and
potential related direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts due to the proposed action.
Identify fish and wildlife resources, with emphasis on sensitive species found in the
project area and their related direct, indirect and cumulative impacts due to the
proposed action.
4. Summarize local ordinances and other local or regional efforts that facilitate mitigation
of the cumulative impacts.
Proposed EA Outline
Section 1: Project Description
This section will indude a discussion of how the project will meet the proposed
speculative limits and will address local growth trends and future planning in the
Project Service Area.
Section 2: Project Purpose and Need
The project purpose and need will be discussed, with focus on the service area the
project will serve. Population and flow projections for the next 20 years will be
presented and the service area will be defined.
Section 3: Alternatives Evaluations
This section will evaluate cost, environmental impacts and other non -economic
factors for each of the alternatives. This section will be based on the Preliminary
Engineering Report.
The CONSULTANT will indude the following alternatives in the EA:
1) No Action
2) Optimum Operation Of Existing Facilities
3) Land Application
4) Regional System
5) Water Reuse System
6) Residuals Management
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Section 4: Recommended Facilities
The site plan for the plant expansion will be evaluated and discussed using
information prepared for the Preliminary Engineering Report.
Section 5: Existing Environment
Current existing environmental conditions will be described for each of the
following categories. The existing environment both at the existing facility site and
within the service area will be discussed in detail. Environmental impacts will be
analyzed using GIS methodologies and reviewing available publications and data.
1) Changes in land use
2) Wetlands and flood plains
3) Prime or unique agricultural lands
4) Public lands, such as parks (state, federal, or local)
5) Scenic and recreational areas
6) Areas of archeological or historical value
7) Air quality
8) Groundwater quality
9) Nuisance conditions (i.e., odor, noise, etc.)
10) Water supplies
11) Shellfish or fish and their habitats
12) Wildlife and their habitats (including discussion of any threatened or
endangered species)
13) Introduction of toxic substances
14) Surface waters
Section 6: Environmental Consequences
The Environmental Consequences section will state the direct and secondary and
cumulative environmental impacts of the selected treatment and disposal alternative
on the project service area. Impacts to be addressed in the EA will include a
discussion of the categories presented above.
Section 7: Mitigation
The Mitigation Section will describe proposed methods for mitigating or avoiding
significant adverse direct environmental impacts. This section will include
summaries of existing Federal, State, and local programs that will help mitigate
impacts. Tables will be prepared to show how impacts described in Section 6 will be
mitigated.
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t
Section 8: References
Appendix A: Supporting Documents
Request for Speculative Limits Letter (currently under preparation) and response
provided by the NPDES Permitting Unit
Appendix B: Environmental Justice
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Environmental Justice as
"the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race,
color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation,
and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies."
Executive Order 12898 - Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-income Populations requires a determination of what
impact the proposed project will have on minority and low-income populations.
Demographic data, census maps, land use data, pollution sources, infrastructure
facilities, health characteristics, air quality, and surface and groundwater
contamination will be collected and analyzed to determine what impact the
proposed project will have on minority and low-income populations.
In accordance with NCDENR guidance, the Environmental Justice Assessment will
require the following:
a) Use of readily available US Census Data to identify and document the existence
of all minority and low-income populations in the service area or such
populations that exist in proximity to the service area.
b) If minority and/or low-income populations exist, an explanation must be
provided if there are disparities in the provision and location of sewer treatment
and transport facilities between the general population and the minority and/or
low-income populations.
c) Documentation that minority and/or low-income populations were provided an
opportunity to comment, provide input, and identify issues of concern for the
proposed project facilities.
The EA will document if the minority and/or low-income populations have suffered
historically from environmental management/public facilities, such as sites for
wastewater treatment, sludge disposal, land treatment, landfills, recycling centers,
incinerators, hazardous/nuclear disposal, and prisons.
Appendix C: Agency Involvement
Appendix D: Local Ordinances and Information
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Legend
Major Road
Interstate Highway
Major Hydrography
Counties
FACILITY
A Rocky River WWTP
r1t Rocky River WWTP
N
0
lib CH2MH ILL 0 A' 2i5 ' 1 �i Miles
.rw
Figure 1
Rocky River WWTP
Town of Mooresville
Iredell County, NC