NC0035386_Draft_20220526

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR.
Director
Cherokee County Schools
Attn: John Higdon
911 Andrews Rd
Murphy, NC 28906
Dear Permittee:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
May 31, 2022
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NC0035386
Hiwassee Dam School WWTP
Grade I Biological WPCS
Cherokee 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. (2) 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. Parameter code for total suspended solids has been updated in Section A. (1).
4. An updated outfall map has been included.
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 Cherokee 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].
1:tE
NORTH CAROLINA
Department of Environmental Wanly
Sincerely,
a„
Siying Chen
Environmental Specialist
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting Unit
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 11611 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1611
919.707.9000

cc: NPDES File [Laserfiche]
NCDEQ Asheville Regional Office [email]
Operator Certification Program [email]
Environmental, Inc. — Mark Teague [[e-mail]]
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NORTH CAROLINA
Department of Environmental Dual;\ sip00.6"
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 11611 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1611
919.707.9000

Permit NC0035386
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 provisions 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
Cherokee County Schools
are hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Hiwassee Dam School WWTP
7755 NC Highway 294, northwest of Murphy
Cherokee County
to receiving waters designated as Thompson Branch in the Hiwassee 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 August 31, 2027.
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 March 4, 2027 (180 days before the
expiration of this permit).
Signed this day
Richard E. Rogers, Jr.
Director, Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 6

Permit NC0035386
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 Cherokee County Schools
are hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.0088 MGD wastewater treatment facility with the
following components:
• Septic tank
• Sand filter
• Chlorine disinfection
The facility is located at the Hiwassee Dam School WWTP, 7755 NC Highway 294,
northwest of Murphy in Cherokee County.
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into
Thompson Branch (stream index 1-77-2), a currently classified C stream in sub -basin 04-05-
02 (HUC: 060200020901) of the Hiwassee River Basin.
Page 2 of 6

Permit NC0035386
Part I.
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15 NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
Grade WW-1 Water Pollution Control System [15A NCAC 08G.0302]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the
Permittee is authorized to discharge from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and
monitored' by the Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS
Parameter Code
LIMITS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly
Average
Daily
Maximum
Measurement
Frequency
Sample
Type
Sample
Location
Flow 50050
0.0088 MGD
Weekly
Instantaneous
Influent or Effluent
BOD, 5-day (20°C) C0310
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Total Suspended Solids C0530
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
NH3 as N C0610
35.0 mg/L
35.0 mg/L
Monthly
Grab
Effluent
Fecal Coliform 31616
(geometric mean)
200/100 mL
400/100 mL
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Total Residual Chlorine2 50060
28 pg/L
2/Week
Grab
Effluent
Temperature (°C) 00010
Weekly
Grab
Effluent
pH 00400
Not < 6.0 nor > 9.0
Standard Units
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Footnote:
1. The Permittee shall submit discharge Monitoring Reports electronically using the Division's eDMR
submittal system [see A. (2.)].
2. The Division shall consider all effluent TRC values reported below 50 µg/L to be in compliance with
the permit. However, the Permittee shall continue to record and submit all values reported by a North
Carolina certified laboratory (including field certified), even if these values fall below 50 µg/L.
All samples must be taken from a typical discharge event.
THERE SHALL BE NO DISCHARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN
OTHER THAN TRACE AMOUNTS
Page 3 of 6

Permit NC0035386
A. (2) 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) I
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 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:
Page 4 of 6

Permit NC0035386
• 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 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
Page 5 of 6

Permit NC0035386
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

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Outfall 001
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Cherokee County Schools
Hiwassee Dam School WWTP
NPDES Permit NC0035386
7755 NC Highway 294, northwest of Murphy
Receiving Stream: Thompson Branch
Stream Segment: 1-77-2
River Basin: Hiwassee
County: Cherokee
Stream Class: C
Sub -Basin #: 04-05-02
HUC: 060200020901
[Outfall 001
Scale
1:24,000
Facility Location
Cherokee County
Outfall 001: 350 06' 16" N, 84° 13' 22" W
USGS Quad: Persimmon Creek