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Home My WebLink AboutWQ0041136_CEI_20221013 SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL ONLY: NO HARD COPY WILL BE MAILED October 13, 2022 Chris Cervini Emailed to: chrisc@lakesideproduce.com SUBJECT: Compliance Inspection Report Cervini Farms WWTP Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0041136 Henderson County Dear Permittee: The North Carolina Division of Water Resources conducted an inspection of the Cervini Farms WWTP 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. WQ0041136. 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 and therefore, a response to this inspection report is not required. Please note that a Change in Ownership form will need to be completed once the property transaction is finalized. 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 Evaluation Inspection Report Ec: LF CC: Bob Barr and Danielle Hunter, RPB Systems Ross Davidson-Wood, Lakeside Produce Compliance Inspection Report Permit:WQ0041136 Effective:09/30/20 Expiration:12/31/25 Owner :Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc SOC: Contact Person: Region: County: Directions to Facility: Henderson Asheville Chris Cervini Effective:Expiration:Facility:Cervini Farms WWTP 648 Ladson Raod Mills River NC 28759 Title:Phone: Danielle Ann Hunter 1007992 828-251-1900 Secondary ORC(s): 828-251-1900Phone:8928Certification:Robert P BarrPrimary ORC: WW1,System Classifications: On-Site Representative(s): Related Permits: Secondary Inspector(s): Primary Inspector: Inspection Date:Exit Time:Entry Time: Phone: 09/30/2022 01:00PM 01:30PM Melanie Kemp Facility Status: Permit Inspection Type: Reason for Inspection:Inspection Type: Not CompliantCompliant Routine Reclaimed Water 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 Treatment Sludge Storage/Treatment Treatment Disinfection Treatment Flow Measurement Storage End Use-Reuse Standby Power (See attachment summary) Page 1 of 7 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0041136 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc Routine Inspection Summary: Melanie Kemp, with the Asheville Regional Office, conducted a compliance evaluation inspection of the Cervini Farms WWTP on September 30, 2022 to ensure the facility is operating in compliance with non-discharge permit WQ0041136. Danielle Hunter, with RPB Systems, was present and assisted with the inspection. Two representatives from Cervini, Susan Seigler and Rohit Nagari, were present for part of the inspection as well. The WWTP was operational and in compliance with the permit at the time of the inspection. The 5-day upset pond was almost empty and has not been utilized as turbidity has remained below permit limits. Wastewater from the bunkhouses and greenhouse (sinks and bathrooms) is directed to the septic system, which is filtered through the wastewater treatment system. Effluent is recycled back for utilization in the greenhouse operations. The leachate from the greenhouse operations goes into an overflow tank, separate from the wastewater treatment area. The floor drains from the boiler area tie into stormwater drains. Floor drains in the irrigation feed into a holding tank which eventually gets treated with UV and is utilized in farming operations. It should be noted that the greenhouse sinks/bathooms are not shown to connect to the wastewater treatment area in the original as-built drawings associated with this permit. At the time of the inspection, the property was in the process of changing ownership. The only wastewater going through the system is from the administration area within the greenhouse, which is utilized by 4 employees during normal business hours. Danielle Hunter indicated effluent flow is between 0 and 400 gallons per day. Cervini has had ongoing issues meeting the BOD and ammonia limits set forth in the permit. Discussions with Ross Davidson, Cervini’s Manger of Purchasing and Projects, after the site inspection provided some insight. The original grease trap within the bunkhouse was inadequate but has since been cleaned out and altered. Additionally, Cervini investigated wastewater use within the greenhouse operations and found that staff were occasionally disposing of cleaning agents down the washroom sink drain which was affecting the wastewater treatment process. Cervini hired Brooks Engineering to investigate the cause of these issues, and provide potential solutions in May of 2022. Since pumping out the entire system, performing a dye test, and halting the disposal of cleaning agents down this drain, the facility has had no permit exceedances. Simultaneous to this, though, there has been very little flow through the system since greenhouse operations ceased during the property transaction process. Moving forward, the ARO will continue to monitor NDMR’s and especially once the system is operating in full capacity. The new ownership will need to be reported to the ARO by the completion of a Change of Ownership form. A reconnaissance inspection will likely be performed once the greenhouse is operating at full capacity again. Page 2 of 7 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0041136 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc Routine Type Yes No NA NE Infiltration System Lagoon Spray, LR Single Family Spray, LR Activated Sludge Spray, LR Activated Sludge Spray, HR Activated Sludge Drip, LR Single Family Drip Reuse (Quality) Recycle/Reuse 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.) All treatment units appeared to be operational during the inspection.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? Comment: Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Use Records Yes No NA NE Is water use metered? Are the daily average values properly calculated? 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? An inline flow meter is installed. The system was running well below capacity during the inspection (~400 GPD max). Comment: Standby Power Yes No NA NE Page 3 of 7 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0041136 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc Routine Is automatically activated standby power available? Is generator tested weekly by interrupting primary power source? Is generator operable? Does generator have adequate fuel? The system is connected to the building's backup generator. The generator cycles and runs a self-diagnostic test weekly. The owners utilize Fountain Electric to resolve any issues with the generator. The generator was not visually inspected during this CEI. 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? EZ Treat pods with automatic backwash.Comment: Treatment Sludge Storage/Treatment Yes No NA NE Is the aeration operational? Is the aeration pattern even? If required, are Sanitary "Ts" present in tankage? Septic tanks is used for initial settling.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)? Page 4 of 7 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0041136 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc Routine 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? There are 2 sets of UV banks installed and both were operable during the inspection.Comment: 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? Lab data was not present to review during the inspection.Comment: End Use-Reuse Yes No NA NE Is the acreage in the permit being utilized? Does the acreage specified in the permit correspond to the measured acreage at the site? Are all essential units provided in duplicate? Is an automatically activated standby power source available? Page 5 of 7 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0041136 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc Routine Is the equalization capacity adequate? Is aerated flow equalization present? Has the turbidity meter been calibrated in the last 12 months? Does the turbidity meter have recording capabilities? Is all flow diverted at the appropriate times? Is all upset wastewater diverted from reuse storage unit? Is all upset wastewater treated, retreated, or disposed of acceptably? Is upset wastewater treated prior to discharge to irrigation storage? Is public access restricted from irrigation area during active site use? If golf course, is a sign posted in plain sight on the club house? Is the cover crop acceptable? Are buffers adequate? Is the site free of ponding/runoff? Is the acreage in the permit being utilized? Is the application equipment acceptable? Is the application area free of limiting slopes? How close is the closest water supply well? Are any supply wells within the CB? Are any supply wells within 250' of the CB? Is municipal water available in the area? Are GW monitoring wells required? Are GW monitoring wells located properly w/ respect to RB and CB? Are GW monitoring wells properly constructed, including screened interval? This reclaimed loop system utilizes reclaimed effluent to supplement the hydroponic system within the greenhouse operations. No land irrigation occurs. Comment: 5-DAY UPSET - Storage Yes No NA NE Storage Type?5-day detention pond Storage amount?35827 Gallons # At what point is side-stream wastewater returned to treatment? Is there a Spill Control Plan? Aerated or Mixed?NONE If aeration is present, is it adequate? If present, are diffusers cleaned regularly? Is influent structure acceptable? Page 6 of 7 Inspection Date: Permit: Inspection Type : Owner - Facility: Reason for Visit: WQ0041136 09/30/2022 Compliance Evaluation Cervini Farms North Carolina Inc Routine Are banks/berms free of seepage and erosion? Are banks/berms free of excessive vegetation? Is pond lined? Liner Type Full, synthetic Is liner acceptable? Are baffles/curtains acceptable? Does the pond have a freeboard marker? Required freeboard?2 Feet Actual freeboard? Is there suitable grassed vegetation? Is the vegetation maintained? Is the area free of excessive weeds and/or woody species? Is the area free from signs of overflow? Is color acceptable? Are floating mats acceptable? No excessive buildup of solids? Are aerators/mixers acceptable? Is effluent structure acceptable? If present, is pond cover acceptable? No vegetation in or around pond, which is within the gravel, fenced-in wastewater treatment area. Comment: Page 7 of 7