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Home My WebLink AboutWQ0012948_CEI_20221013 SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL ONLY: NO HARD COPY WILL BE MAILED October 13, 2022 Adam Moticak, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Emailed to: adam.moticak@ncwildlife.org SUBJECT: Compliance Inspection Report Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education WWTF Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0012948 Transylvania County Dear Permittee: The North Carolina Division of Water Resources conducted an inspection of the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education WWTF on 9/30/2022. This inspection was conducted to verify that the facility is operating in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified in Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0012948. The findings and comments noted during this inspection are provided in the enclosed copy of the inspection report entitled "Compliance Inspection Report". There were no significant issues or findings noted during the inspection. Please submit an Engineering Certification, as specified in the 2020 permit (Permit Condition I.1) as soon as possible. A copy is attached. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Melanie Kemp with the Water Quality Regional Operations Section in the Asheville Regional Office at 828-296-4500 or via email at melanie.kemp@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, Melanie Kemp, Environmental Specialist Water Quality Regional Operations Section Asheville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ ATTACHMENTS: Compliance Inspection Report Engineering Certification Ec: LF Cc: Bob Barr and Danielle Hunter, RPB Systems Compliance Inspection Report Permit:WQ0012948 Effective:08/18/20 Expiration:10/31/25 Owner :North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission SOC: Contact Person: Region: County: Directions to Facility: Transylvania Asheville Adam Moticak Effective:Expiration:Facility:Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education WWTF 1401 Fish Hatchery Rd Pisgah Forest NC 28768 Title:Phone:828-877-3121Fish Hatchery Superintendent From Pisgah Forest, take Hwy 276 North. Turn left on Fish Hatchery Road and follow to the Wildlife Center. Danielle Ann Hunter 1007992 828-251-1900 Secondary ORC(s): 828-251-1900Phone:24262Certification:Robert P BarrPrimary ORC: SI,System Classifications: On-Site Representative(s): Related Permits: Secondary Inspector(s): Primary Inspector: Inspection Date:Exit Time:Entry Time: Phone: 09/30/2022 02:00PM 02:30PM Melanie Kemp Facility Status: Permit Inspection Type: Reason for Inspection:Inspection Type: Not CompliantCompliant Routine Wastewater Irrigation Compliance Evaluation Question Areas: Treatment Flow Measurement-Effluent Treatment Flow Measurement-Influent Miscellaneous Questions Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Use Records Treatment Treatment Filters Record Keeping End Use-Irrigation Treatment Disinfection Treatment Flow Measurement Standby Power (See attachment summary) Page 1 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0012948 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Routine Inspection Summary: Melanie Kemp, with the Asheville Regional Office, conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection of the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education’s WWTP and irrigation system on September 30, 2022. This inspection was conducted to determine whether the facility is being maintained and operated in compliance with Permit No. WQ0012948. Danielle Hunter (RPB Systems) was present and assisted with the inspection. In August 2021, a hurricane damaged the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center building and flooded the hatchery. The damage has been repaired and general hatchery operations have resumed, although the Education Center remains closed. Currently, flow into the treatment area is limited to wastewater from 3 residential homes and the hatchery restrooms/sinks. Note that the as-built drawings provided in the last permit modification do not show the connection of the 3 residential homes to the treatment system. It is recommended that this be revised in the next permit update/modification. Adam Moticak with the Wildlife Resource Commission indicated, via a follow-up phone conversation, that the long-term plan is to demolish the current hatchery and education center and move forward with renovating and expanding the hatchery and building out smaller public restrooms. Demolition is currently scheduled to begin in December 2023. Please note that any changes to the wastewater system should be reviewed and approved via a minor or major permit modification. Overall the facility appeared to be operational and maintained in accordance with the permit, despite the low flows. In 2020, the filter media was replaced with encapsulated recirculating filter media pods (EZ treat pods). The associated pump, piping, and dosing panel was also replaced. The filter heads are regularly checked and only 2 have required cleaning since the new system was installed. RPB Systems still uses a small quantity of soda ash to stabilize pH - there is no minimum pH requirement in the current permit. Total Residual Chlorine, flow, and pH are checked weekly and PPI sampling occurs 3 times per year. Since hurricane damage occurred, the facility has been reporting “no flow” through the treatment system. Moving forward, flow needs to be reported on the NDMRs (Permit Condition IV.3). An Engineering Certification still needs to be submitted for the 2020 permit modification (Permit Condition I.1). Please provide a copy of that as soon as possible. Page 2 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0012948 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Routine Type Yes No NA NE Reuse (Quality) Infiltration System Lagoon Spray, LR Single Family Spray, LR Activated Sludge Spray, LR Activated Sludge Spray, HR Activated Sludge Drip, LR Recycle/Reuse Single Family Drip Treatment Yes No NA NE Are Treatment facilities consistent with those outlined in the current permit? Do all treatment units appear to be operational? (if no, note below.) Limited flows, but treatment units are operational. Currently 3 residential homes and hatchery restrooms are the only flow going through the system. Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Influent Yes No NA NE Is flowmeter calibrated annually? Is flowmeter operating properly? Does flowmeter monitor continuously? Does flowmeter record flow? Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately? Influent flow not measured.Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Use Records Yes No NA NE Is water use metered? Are the daily average values properly calculated? Facility previously recorded daily water use readings but facility staff now limited to hatchery personnel. Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Effluent Yes No NA NE Is flowmeter calibrated annually? Is flowmeter operating properly? Does flowmeter monitor continuously? Does flowmeter record flow? Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately? Inline flow meter is installed.Comment: Page 3 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0012948 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Routine Standby Power Yes No NA NE Is automatically activated standby power available? Is generator tested weekly by interrupting primary power source? Is generator operable? Does generator have adequate fuel? The WRC contracts with Nixon to maintain the onsite generator. No issues losing power recently. According to site representative, the generator was last serviced in September 2022. Comment: Treatment Filters Yes No NA NE Is the filter media present? Is the filter media the correct size and type? Is the air scour operational? Is the scouring acceptable? Is the clear well free of excessive solids? Is the mud well free of excessive solids and filter media? Does backwashing frequency appear adequate? The facility utilizes EZ treat pods as of 2020. The ORC indicated filter heads had been regularly checked and 2 have needed cleaning sinc installation. Comment: Treatment Disinfection Yes No NA NE Is the system working? Do the fecal coliform results indicate proper disinfection? Is there adequate detention time (>=30 minutes)? Is the system properly maintained? If gas, does the cylinder storage appear safe? Is the fan in the chlorine feed room and storage area operable? Is the chlorinator accessible? If tablets, are tablets present? Are the tablets the proper size and type? Is contact chamber free of sludge, solids, and growth? If UV, are extra UV bulbs available? If UV, is the UV intensity adequate? # Is it a dual feed system? Does the Stationary Source have more than 2500 lbs of Chlorine (CAS No. 7782-50-5)? If yes, then is there a Risk Management Plan on site? If yes, then what is the EPA twelve digit ID Number? (1000-____-____) If yes, then when was the RMP last updated? Chlorinator has 2 chlorine tubes and both were in use at the time of the inspection. Soda ash is used (minimally) for pH stabilization. Comment: Page 4 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0012948 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Routine Record Keeping Yes No NA NE Is a copy of current permit available? Are monitoring reports present: NDMR? NDAR? Are flow rates less than of permitted flow? Are flow rates less than of permitted flow? Are application rates adhered to? Is GW monitoring being conducted, if required (GW-59s submitted)? Are all samples analyzed for all required parameters? Are there any 2L GW quality violations? Is GW-59A certification form completed for facility? Is effluent sampled for same parameters as GW? Do effluent concentrations exceed GW standards? Are annual soil reports available? # Are PAN records required? # Did last soil report indicate a need for lime? If so, has it been applied? Are operational logs present? Are lab sheets available for review? Do lab sheets support data reported on NDMR? Do lab sheets support data reported on GW-59s? Are Operational and Maintenance records present? Were Operational and Maintenance records complete? Has permittee been free of public complaints in last 12 months? Is a copy of the SOC readily available? No treatment units bypassed since last inspection? Irrigation fields are a pine forest. NDMRs reviewed prior to inspection - ORC needs to report effluent flow measurements on NDMR. Last soil samples collected in 2021. The annual soil sample for 2022 is scheduled to be collected this fall. Comment: End Use-Irrigation Yes No NA NE Are buffers adequate? Is the cover crop type specified in permit? Is the crop cover acceptable? Is the site condition adequate? Is the site free of runoff / ponding? Is the acreage specified in the permit being utilized? Is the application equipment present? Page 5 of 6 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0012948 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Routine Is the application equipment operational? Is the disposal field free of limiting slopes? Is access restricted and/or signs posted during active site use? Are any supply wells within the CB? Are any supply wells within 250' of the CB? How close is the closest water supply well? Is municipal water available in the area? # Info only: Does the permit call for monitoring wells? Are GW monitoring wells located properly w/ respect to RB and CB? Are GW monitoring wells properly constructed, including screened interval? Are monitoring wells damaged? The facility is located within Pisgah National Forest. Monitoring wells are not required and the drip field is entirely fenced in and away from public access. Minimal flow is going through the wastewater system at the moment - see additional details in the summary. Irrigation application rates are well below permitted limits. Comment: Page 6 of 6 Permit No. WQ0012948 Wastewater Irrigation System North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission August 18, 2020 Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education WWTF Transylvania County ENGINEERING CERTIFICATION Partial Final I, , as a duly licensed North Carolina Professional Engineer, having periodically / fully observed the construction of the permitted facilities, do hereby state to the best of my abilities that the facility was constructed in compliance with G.S. 143-215.1, Administrative Code Title 15A Subchapter 02T, this permit, and the Division -approved plans and specifications. Documentation of any variation to this permit, and the Division -approved plans and specifications, is in the attached as -built drawings. Description of variations: Professional Engineer's Name Firm Name Firm No. Address City JL State Zip Code Telephone Email Seal, Signature, and D ateRj THE COMPLETED ENGINEERING CERTIFICATION, INCLUDING ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, SHALL BE SENT TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES NON -DISCHARGE BRANCH By U.S. Postal Service By Courier/Special DelivM 1617 MAIL SERVICE CENTER 512 N. SALISBURY ST. RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27699-1617 RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27604 WQ0012948 Version 5.1 Shell Version 200201 Page 10 of 10