NC0020061_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20181119 (2)

ROY rCOOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
LINDA CULPEPPER
Interim Director
Jae H. Kim, Town Manager
Town of Spring Hope
PO Box 87
Spring Hope, NC 27882
Dear Mr. Kim,
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
November 19, 2018
Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection
NPDES Wastewater Discharge
Permit Number NC0020061
Nash County
Jeremiah Dow of the Raleigh Regional Office conducted a compliance evaluation inspection on
November 14, 2018. The assistance of Anthony Branch with Envirolink, operator in responsible charge
(ORC), was greatly appreciated. Please find the attached Basin Wide Information Management System
(BIMS) inspection checklist summarizing the inspection. Findings during the inspection were as follows:
1. The current NPDES permit was issued effective August 1, 2015 and expires on October 31, 2019.
Please ensure that a renewal application is submitted at least 180 days prior to expiration of the
existing permit.
2. The 0.40 MGD plant consists of manual and mechanical bar screens, manual grit removal,
influent ultrasonic flow meter, two (2) aeration basins, two (2) secondary clarifiers, one (1)
aerobic digester, two (2) tertiary clarifiers, liquid chlorination and contact chambers, cascade
aeration, and liquid dechlorination and contact chambers. The facility is connected to two (2)
backup generators. The plant discharges the treated effluent to the Tar River, a Class WS-V,
NSW water in the Tar -Pamlico River Basin.
3. Envirolink, Inc. is contracted to operate the WWTP. The primary ORC is Anthony Branch. The
ORC logbook was readily available for review and up to date.
4. The mechanical bar screen was not operable at the time of the inspection and a moderate amount
of debris buildup was observed on the bar screens. Our records indicate that the mechanical bar
screen was also not operable during the last inspection in 2015. We highly recommend
repairing the mechanical bar screen to prevent buildup of excessive debris.
5. Both secondary clarifiers operate at a depth of approximately 15 feet. Secondary Clarifier 1 had a
sludge blanket of approximately 1.5 feet and Secondary Clarifier 2 had a sludge blanket of
D_EQ�CAROLJNA
Deportment unmunm mmr V
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality ; Division of Water Resources Raleigh Regional Office
3800 Barrett Drive j 1628 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1628
919.791.4200

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approximately 8 feet. Please explain why the sludge depth was being maintained at 8 feet.
Typically, an acceptable sludge blanket is approximately 'A of the sidewall depth. Please
reduce the sludge blanket level in Secondary Clarifier 2.
6. The two (2) tertiary clarifiers appeared to be operating satisfactorily.
7. The effluent at Outfall 001 could not be observed during the inspection because the Tar River was
too high and the outfall pipe was underwater. Observation of the disinfection contact chambers
and cascade aeration indicate effluent that was clear and free of excess solids.
8. The two (2) emergency generators are tested weekly. One emergency generator is designed to
supply power to the blowers and the other supplies power to the rest of the facility. When power
was cut to the blowers, the generator failed to start. Mr. Branch stated that he already had a
contractor scheduled to perform maintenance on the generator in the coming week. The other
backup generator auto start function did not operate and is a known issue. Both generators run
when started manually. Please ensure the generators operate as designed.
9. DMRs for April 2017 and May 2018 were reviewed and no discrepancies were observed between
the DMRs and lab results. The facility uses NC Certified Lab Meritech Inc. (recently switched
from Environment 1).
10. Currently Heather Thomas Adams of Envirolink Inc. and Mr. John Holpe, Town Manager, have
delegated signatory authority for DMR submission. Ms. Adams is no longer with Envirolink and
Mr. Holpe is no longer the Town Manager. Our understanding is that Dwight Lancaster of
Envirolink will take over signing DMRs. Please update the Delegation of Signature Authority
for Dwight Lancaster and/or Jae H. Kim, the new Town Manager. A sample letter is
enclosed with this report. Please note that until Mr. Lancaster is approved for signature
authority, Mr. James B. Gwaltney, the permit holder, will be required to sign DMRs.
Please respond in writing to items 5, 8, and 10 within 30 days of receipt of this letter. Thank you for
your time and assistance with this inspection. If you have any questions about this inspection or this
letter, please contact Jeremiah Dow at [e-mail] or 919:91-4248.
Enclosures
cc: Central Files
RRO File
Sincerely,
1,,i 2//iJ
Danny Smith
Water Quality Regional Operations
Raleigh Regional Office
LD_EQ1)
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
919.707.9000

November 15, 2018
Wastewater Branch
Water Quality Permitting Section
Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
Subject: Delegation of Signature Authority
ENTER FACILITY NAME
NPDES Permit Number NC
To Whom It May Concern:
By notice of this letter, I hereby delegate signatory authority to each of the following individuals for all
permit applications, discharge monitoring reports, and other information relating to the operations at
the subject facility as required by all applicable federal, state, and local environmental agencies
specifically with the requirements for signatory authority as specified in 15A NCAC 2B.0506.
Individual #1
Individual #2 (if applicable)
Name:
Title:
Mailing Address:
Physical Address:
(ifdifferent)
Email Address:
Office Phone:
Mobile Phone:
If you have any questions regarding this letter, please feel free to contact me at Enter Email or Phone
Number.
Sincerely,
Authorized Signing Official's Name
Authorized Signing Official's Title
Mailing Address
Email Address
Office Phone
Mobile Phone
cc: Select a region Regional Office, Water Quality Permitting Section

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United Slates Environmental Protection Agency f
EPA Washington, D.C. 20460
Water Compliance Inspection Report
Form Approved.
OMB No. 2040-0057
Approval expires 8-31-98
Section A: National Data System Coding (i.e., PCS)
Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection
1 iti 2 LI 3 I NC0020061 111 121 18/11/14 117
Type
18 L
IIIIIII
Inspector Fac Type
19 12 (I 2011
21IIIIII IIIIIIIII II III IIII I I IIIII
III 1 r6
Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating 61 QA
67 I I 70 Li 71 Li 72 LJI ti I
Reserved
73 �74 75�
I
I I I I I I l80
Section B: Facility Data
Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also include
POTW name and NPDES permit Number)
Spring Hope WWTP
NC Hwy 581 S
Spring Hope NC 27882
Entry Time/Date
09:30AM 18/11/14
Permit Effective Date
15/08/01
Exit Time/Date
11:54AM 18/11/14
Permit Expiration Date
19/10/31
Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s)
///
Anthony Branch/ORC/252-236-1422/
Other Facility Data
Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number
Contacted
James Buddy Gwaltney,PO Box 87 Spring Hope NC
27882/Mayor/252-478-5186/2524787131 No
Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated)
Permit Flow Measurement Operations & Maintenance Records/Reports
Self -Monitoring Program Sludge Handling Disposal Facility Site Review Effluent/Receiving Waters
Other
Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary)
(See attachment summary)
Name(s) and Signature(s) of Inspector(s) Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date
Jere h J Dow Division of Water Quality//919-791-42481
/-j 1 i(f(cier
•Signature of Manage ent Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Nu bers Date
0"l) ,/ 1' dGi1 / A ICU cil�� l I y-�'� Zoe/„ �s
•
EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete.
Page# 1

n
NPDES yr/mo/day
31 Nc0020061 111 121 18/11/14
117
Inspection Type
18 L,
(Cont.)
1
Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary)
1.The current NPDES permit was issued effective August 1, 2015 and expires on October 31, 2019.
Please ensure that a renewal application is submitted at least 180 days prior to expiration of the
existing permit.
2.The 0.40 MGD plant consists of manual and mechanical bar screens, manual grit removal, influent
ultrasonic flow meter, two (2) aeration basins, two (2) secondary clarifiers, one (1) aerobic digester,
two (2) tertiary clarifiers, liquid chlorination and contact chambers, cascade aeration, and liquid
dechlorination and contact chambers. The facility is connected to two (2) backup generators. The
plant discharges the treated effluent to the Tar River, a Class WS-V, NSW water in the Tar -Pamlico
River Basin.
3.Envirolink, Inc. is contracted to operate the WWTP. The primary ORC is Anthony Branch. The ORC
logbook was readily available for review and up to date.
4.The mechanical bar screen was not operable at the time of the inspection and a moderate amount of
debris build up was observed on the bar screens. Our records indicate that the mechanical bar screen
was also not operable during the last inspection in 2015. We highly recommend repairing the
mechanical bar screen to prevent buildup of excessive debris.
5.Both secondary clarifiers operate at a depth of approximately 15 feet. Secondary Clarifier 1 had a
sludge blanket of approximately 1.5 feet and Secondary Clarifier 2 had a sludge blanket of
approximately 8 feet. An acceptable sludge blanket is approximately 'A of the sidewall depth. Please
reduce the sludge blanket level in Secondary Clarifier 2.
6.The two (2) tertiary clarifiers appeared to be operating satisfactorily.
7.The effluent at Outfall 001 could not be observed during the inspection because the Tar River was
too high and the outfall pipe was underwater. Observation of the disinfection contact chambers and
cascade aeration unit indicate effluent that was clear and free of excess solids.
8.The two (2) emergency generators are tested weekly. One emergency generator is designed to
supply power to the blowers and the other supplies power to the rest of the facility. When power was
cut to the blowers, the generator failed to start. Mr. Branch stated that he already had a contractor
scheduled to perform maintenance on the generator in the coming week. The other backup generator
auto start function did not operate and is a known issue. Both generators run when started manually.
Please ensure the generators operate as designed.
9.DMRs for April 2017 and May 2018 were reviewed and no discrepancies were observed between the
DMRs and lab results. The facility uses NC Certified Lab Meritech Inc. (recently switched from
Environment 1).
10.Currently Heather Thomas Adams of Envirolink Inc. and Mr. John Holpe, Town Manager, have
delegated signatory authority for DMR submission. Ms. Adams is no longer with Envirolink and Mr.
Holpe is no longer the Town Manager. Our understanding is that Dwight Lancaster of Envirolink will
take over signing DMRs. Please update the Delegation of Signature Authority for Dwight Lancaster
and/or Jae H. Kim, the new Town Manager. A sample letter is enclosed with this report. Please note
that until Mr. Lancaster is approved for signature authority, Mr. James B. Gwaltney, the permit holder,
will be required to sign DMRs.
Page# 2

Permit: NC0020061
Inspection Date: 11:14; 2018
Owner -Facility: .•• g Hope WWTP
Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Other Yes No NA NE
Comment:
Operations & Maintenance
Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping?
Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex: MLSS, MCRT, Settleable
Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable?
Comment:
Permit
(If the present permit expires in 6 months or less). Has the permittee submitted a new
application?
Is the facility as described in the permit?
# Are there any special conditions for the permit?
Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public?
Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection?
Comment: Current permit expires on October 31, 2019.
Aerobic Digester
Is the capacity adequate?
Is the mixing adequate?
Is the site free of excessive foaming in the tank?
# Is the odor acceptable?
# Is tankage available for properly waste sludge?
Yes No NA NE
▪ ❑ DO
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
Yes No NA NE
❑ ❑ ■ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
11000
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
U ❑ ❑ ❑
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: Mr. Branch stated that the tank has approximately 2 years of storage capacity. Sludge is
hauled approximately once per year by Granville Farms. Currently scheduled to be hauled in
early December, 2018.
Bar Screens
Type of bar screen
a.Manual
b.Mechanical
Are the bars adequately screening debris?
Is the screen free of excessive debris?
Is disposal of screening in compliance?
Is the unit in good condition?
Yes No NA NE
•
•
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑•❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
Page# 3

0
Permit: NC0020061
Inspection Date: 11/14/2018
0
Owner - FacilitySpring Hope WITP
Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Bar Screens Yes No NA NE
Comment: Mechanical bar screen rake does not currently operate. Mr. Branch manually rakes the
lower portions of the screen as needed and periodically has a vac truck clean the screen. At
the time of the inspection a moderate amount of debris and grit had accumulated on the
screen.
Grit Removal
Type of grit removal
a.Manual
b.Mechanical
Is the grit free of excessive organic matter?
Is the grit free of excessive odor?
# Is disposal of grit in compliance?
Comment:
Secondary Clarifier
Is the clarifier free of black and odorous wastewater?
Is the site free of excessive buildup of solids in center well of circular clarifier?
Are weirs level?
Is the site free of weir blockage?
Is the site free of evidence of short-circuiting?
Is scum removal adequate?
Is the site free of excessive floating sludge?
Is the drive unit operational?
Is the return rate acceptable (low turbulence)?
Is the overflow clear of excessive solids/pin floc?
Is the sludge blanket level acceptable? (Approximately % of the sidewall depth)
Yes No NA NE
•
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
Cl• ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
III000
• ❑ ❑ ❑
011100
Comment: Clarifier 1 had an acceptable sludge blanket of 1.5 ft. of 15 ft. Clarifier 2 had a blanket of 8 ft.
of 15 ft. which is not acceptable. Mr. Branch explained that Clarifier 2 had just been put back
into service days earlier, and that he would waste the sludge to get the blanket lowered as
soon as possible. During the inspection the digester aerators were not running so the
sludge could settle and the supernate could be removed to allow enough space for sludge
from Clarifier 2. There are also 2 tertiary clarifiers on site that were in good operating order.
Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE
Mode of operation Ext. Air
Type of aeration system Diffused
Page# 4

Permit: NC0020061
Inspection Date: 11:14:2018
Owner - Facility: . Hope WWTP
Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE
Is the basin free of dead spots?
Are surface aerators and mixers operational?
Are the diffusers operational?
Is the foam the proper color for the treatment process?
Does the foam cover less than 25% of the basin's surface?
Is the DO level acceptable?
Is the DO level acceptable?(1.0 to 3.0 mg/I)
Comment:
Disinfection -Liquid
Is there adequate reserve supply of disinfectant?
(Sodium Hypochlorite) Is pump feed system operational?
Is bulk storage tank containment area adequate? (free of leaks/open drains)
Is the level of chlorine residual acceptable?
Is the contact chamber free of growth, or sludge buildup?
Is there chlorine residual prior to de -chlorination?
Comment:
Effluent Sampling
Is composite sampling flow proportional?
Is sample collected below all treatment units?
Is proper volume collected?
Is the tubing clean?
# Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at Tess than or equal to 6.0 degrees
Celsius)?
Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type
representative)?
• ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ U ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ DO
• ❑ DO
• ❑ DO
▪ ❑ DO
• ❑ ❑ ❑
11000
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: Sampler set to collect 75 ml / 1,000 gal. Effluent sampler freezer not operating. During 24
hour sampling the freezer is packed with ice to maintain temperature.
De -chlorination
Type of system ?
Is the feed ratio proportional to chlorine amount (1 to 1)?
Is storage appropriate for cylinders?
Yes No NA NE
Liquid
10000
11000
Page# 5

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Permit: NC0020061 Owner - Facility: Spring Hope WWTP
Inspection Date: 11/14/2018
Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
De -chlorination
# Is de -chlorination substance stored away from chlorine containers?
Comment:
Are the tablets the proper size and type?
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ DO
Are tablet de -chlorinators operational?
Number of tubes in use?
Comment:
Standby Power
Is automatically activated standby power available?
Is the generator tested by interrupting primary power source?
Is the generator tested under Toad?
Was generator tested & operational during the inspection?
Do the generator(s) have adequate capacity to operate the entire wastewater site?
Is there an emergency agreement with a fuel vendor for extended run on back-up power?
Is the generator fuel level monitored?
❑ ❑ • ❑
❑ ❑ ■ ❑
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ OD
• ❑ OD
■ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ • ❑ ❑
■ ❑❑❑
❑ ❑ ❑•
❑ ❑ ❑ ■
Comment: There are 2 generators on site. One operates blowers only, and the other operates the rest
of the facility. When power was cut to the blowers, the generator did not start up. The other
generator's auto activation does not work and is a known issue. Both generators operate
when started manually.
Flow Measurement - Influent
# Is flow meter used for reporting?
Is flow meter calibrated annually?
Is the flow meter operational?
(If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter?
Yes No NA NE
•
• ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
DOOM
Comment: Flow is measured on the influent. The ultrasonic flow meter was calibrated by Chadwick
Instrument Services on 10/17/2018.
Effluent Pipe
Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained?
Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris?
If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly?
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑•❑
Comment: At the time of the inspection the Tar River was very high and the effluent pipe was
underwater.
Page# 6

Permit: NC0020061
Inspection Date: 11.14/2018
Owner - Facility: . • jog Hope W WTP
Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Record Keeping
Are records kept and maintained as required by the permit?
Is all required information readily available, complete and current?
Are all records maintained for 3 years (lab. reg. required 5 years)?
Are analytical results consistent with data reported on DMRs?
Is the chain -of -custody complete?
Dates, times and location of sampling
Name of individual performing the sampling
Results of analysis and calibration
Dates of analysis
Name of person performing analyses
Transported COCs
Are DMRs complete: do they include all permit parameters?
Has the facility submitted its annual compliance report to users and DWQ?
(If the facility is = or > 5 MGD permitted flow) Do they operate 24/7 with a certified operator
on each shift?
Is the ORC visitation log available and current?
Is the ORC certified at grade equal to or higher than the facility classification?
Is the backup operator certified at one grade less or greater than the facility classification?
Is a copy of the current NPDES permit available on site?
Facility has copy of previous year's Annual Report on file for review?
Yes No NA NE
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑❑❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
▪ ❑ ❑ ❑
•
•
•
•
•
•
• ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑•❑
❑ ❑ ■❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
• ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑•❑
Comment: ORC visits site every weekday and keeps detailed notes of activities performed on site.
Page# 7

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