NC0024911_Land Disposal Sludge Application Response_19840910

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North Carolina State University
School of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Mr. William Mills
NRCD DEM
P. 0. Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 27611-
Dear Bill:
RECEIVED
Water Quality Division
OCT 221994
Western 12egional Office
September 10, 198�sheville, North Carolina,
U OCT 4 'om
PERMITS & ENGINEERING
I talked with Arthur Mouberry about the groundwater monitering require-
ment in the permit to Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County (MSD)
for land application of sludge. I had failed to stress in the permit appli-
cation that the proposed sites were not dedicated sites. Originally we had
hoped to permit enough area to handle all the sludge from MSD. However,
since some of the farms were outside the sewerage district and since Biltmore
dropped out, the remaining land will not handle the total sludge flow from
MSD. Thus with the total flow of 150,000 gal sludge per day and the reduced
acreage, one might conclude thatindeed these were dedicated sites. However
th .not the c e are limp y p posing o app y slu ge remain-
ing sites at agronomic rates as shown in the summar table at the end of
ecti V "S T ATIVE CAPACITY" Mr. Mouberry indicate at if agro-
nomic rates are to be use an thus the sites are not dedicated sites, ground
water monitering would not be required.
MSD currently pumps sludge from their digesters to a large lagoon. In
the future they must develop another method of sludge disposal. TVA has
supplied MSD with a tractor trailer tanker and an Agchem "Terra-gator" sludge
spreader so MSD can determine the feasibility of applying their sludge to
farmland as an ultimate disposal method when the lagoon is filled in a few
years. Seaboard Railroad has donated a 12,000 gallon tank. car to the
University for use in this project.. We will remove the tank from the wheels
and transport the tank to Warren Wilson College. It will serve as a temporary
storage/transfer tank. The tractor trailer tanker will haul sludge and dis-
charge to the tank. The Terra-gator will load from the tank and spread while
the tank truck returns for another load of sludge. Sludge produced in excess
of that which can be land applied will be pumped to the lagoon as usual.
In addition to removing the groundwater monitering requirement I would
like to request one other change. The dry solids loading rates in the
summary table at the end of Section IV are based on average sludge data
collected over a 6-month period. Since the solids and nutrient content vary,
the quantity of solids required to supply the permitted N and Cd rates will
vary. Thus I request that loadingrates be based on N and Cd rates but not
on dry solids.

Mr. William Mills
Raleigh, NC 27611
September 10, 1984
Page 2
I'm sorry for the confusion and I trust the above discussion clarifies
our intentions. I hope the requested changes to the permit can be made as
soon as possible so MSD can start spreading. sludge this fall. The farmers
are eager to get it.
If you need additional information please contact me
Sin erely,
Lc
Larry D. King
Associate Professor
LDK/rap
cc: Mr. Arthur Mouberry
Mr. William ,`dull