WQ0000795_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20221214

Compliance Inspection Report
Permit: WQ0000795 Effective: 07/18/22 Expiration: 03/31/29 Owner : Town of Surf City
SOC: Effective: Expiration: Facility: Town of Surf City WWTP
County: Onslow 100 Sarge Martin Rd
Region: Wilmington 144 Juniper Swamp Rd
Holly Ridge NC 284452475
Contact Person: Steve Smith Title: Deputy Utilities Director Phone: [phone]
Directions to Facility:
System Classifications: SI, WW4.,
Primary ORC: Zachary C Butler Certification: 996456 Phone: [phone]
Secondary ORC(s):
On -Site Representative(s):
Related Permits:
WQCS00278 Town of Surf City - Surf City Collection System
Inspection Date: 12/14/2022 Entry Time 10:OOAM Exit Time: 12:30PM
Primary Inspector: Geoff Kegley Phone:
Secondary Inspector(s):
Reason for Inspection: Routine Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Permit Inspection Type: Wastewater Irrigation
Facility Status: Compliant ❑ Not Compliant
Question Areas:
Treatment Flow Measurement -Effluent Treatment Flow Measurement -Influent Miscellaneous Questions
Treatment Flow Measurement -Water Treatment Treatment Barscreen
Use Records
Treatment Filters Record Keeping Treatment Activated Sludge
Treatment Sludge Storage/Treatment End Use -Irrigation Treatment Disinfection
Treatment Flow Measurement Standby Power
(See attachment summary)
Page 1 of 6

Permit: WQ0000795 Owner - Facility: Town of Surf City
Inspection Date: 12/14/2022 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Inspection Summary:
The Town operates a wastewater treatment and irrigation facility consisting of
1,500,000 GPD Sequencing Batch Reactor wastewater treatment system at the Sarge Martin site consisting of:
• two mechanical bar screens & grit removal
• two 210,038-gallon sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with a jet aeration system
• three 430,848-gallon SBRs with jet aeration
• five fixed solids -excluding decanters;
• 538,560-gallon aerobic digester with jet aeration /jet mixing
• 1.52 million gallon (MG) synthetically lined post -equalization basin;
• three tertiary disc filter units with 12 two -bank ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system
467,700 GPD wastewater irrigation system at the Sarge Martin site consisting of:
• 88.5 acres irrigation fields; four clay lined storage ponds with approximately 5.2 MG total storage volume
300,000 GPD wastewater irrigation system at the Juniper Swamp site consisting of:
• 120.32 acres of irrigation fields; a 100MG clay -lined wet weather storage pond
Flow is limited by a disposal of 1,100,000 gallons monthly average and 767,800 gallons annual average.
A routine compliance inspection of the Town of Surf City WWTF was conducted on December 14, 2022. Zack Butler, ORC,
was present during the inspection and was very helpful assisting during the inspection. The purpose of the evaluation was to
verify that the facility is operating in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified in Permit W00000795. This
inspection was also conducted as part of the review for a permit modification request by the Town of Surf City to add an
additional residuals digester. This new parallel digester should benefit the plant by providing operational flexibility and
redundancy. No setback issues for the location of this proposed treatment unit were observed and the site looks suitable for
this digester.
A review of files from the last two years shows no effluent parameter exceedances and the parameters tested are well below
the effluent limits.
The previous modifications listed in the last permit have been completed and are operational.
The facility appears well run and is compliant with Non -Discharge Permit W00000795. Please review the comment sections
of the inspection report for more details.
Page 2 of 6

Permit: WQ0000795 Owner - Facility: Town of Surf City
Inspection Date: 12/14/2022 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Reason for Visit: Routine
Type
Yes No NA NE
Reuse (Quality)
❑
Lagoon Spray, LR
❑
Infiltration System
❑
Single Family Spray, LR
❑
Activated Sludge Spray, HR
❑
Activated Sludge Drip, LR
❑
Recycle/Reuse
❑
Single Family Drip
❑
Activated Sludge Spray, LR
Treatment Yes No NA NE
Are Treatment facilities consistent with those outlined in the current permit? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Do all treatment units appear to be operational? (if no, note below.) 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment:
Treatment Flow Measurement -Influent
Yes No NA NE
Is flowmeter calibrated annually?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Is flowmeter operating properly?
❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter monitor continuously?
❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter record flow?
❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately?
❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The influent flowmeter was calibrated on 2-22-22
Treatment Flow Measurement -Water Use Records Yes No NA NE
Is water use metered? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are the daily average values properly calculated? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
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? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The effluent flowmeter was calibrated on 2-22-22 and is used for reporting flow on NDMR
Standby Power Yes No NA NE
Is automatically activated standby power available? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Page 3 of 6

Permit: WQ0000795 Owner - Facility: Town of Surf City
Inspection Date: 12/14/2022 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Is generator tested weekly by interrupting primary power source? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Is generator operable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does generator have adequate fuel? ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The generator is tested automatically every Tuesday and the Town has a preventative
maintenance contract.
Treatment Barscreen
Yes No NA NE
Is it free of excessive debris?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Is disposal of screenings in compliance?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Are the bars spaced properly?
❑
❑ ❑
Is the unit in good condition?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Comment:
Treatment Activated Sludge Yes No NA NE
Is the aeration mechanism operable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the aeration basin thoroughly mixed? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the aeration equipment easily accessed? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is Dissolved Oxygen adequate? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are Settleometer results acceptable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is activated sludge an acceptable color? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The SBRs are monitored by DO probes and MLSS is tested approximately twice a week
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? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The three Hydrotech Disc Filters are set to backwash automatically.
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? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment: Lewis Farms hauls sludge, hauling was in progress earlier on the day of inspection. Operators
log documented sludge haul events.
Treatment Disinfection
Is the system working?
Yes No NA NE
■❑❑❑
Page 4 of 6

Permit: WQ0000795 Owner - Facility: Town of Surf City
Inspection Date: 12/14/2022 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Reason for Visit: Routine
Do the fecal coliform results indicate proper disinfection?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Is there adequate detention time (>=30 minutes)?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
Is the system properly maintained?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
If gas, does the cylinder storage appear safe?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
Is the fan in the chlorine feed room and storage area operable?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
Is the chlorinator accessible?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
If tablets, are tablets present?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
Are the tablets the proper size and type?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
Is contact chamber free of sludge, solids, and growth?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
If UV, are extra UV bulbs available?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
If UV, is the UV intensity adequate?
❑
❑ ❑
# Is it a dual feed system?
0
❑ ❑ ❑
Does the Stationary Source have more than 2500 Ibs of Chlorine (CAS No. 7782-50-5)?
❑
❑ 0 ❑
If yes, then is there a Risk Management Plan on site?
❑
❑ ❑
If yes, then what is the EPA twelve digit ID Number? (1 000-- )
If yes, then when was the RMP last updated?
Comment: The facility has a complete UV module on hand as a spare.
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?
❑ ❑ ❑
Page 5 of 6

Permit: WQ0000795 Owner - Facility: Town of Surf City
Inspection Date: 12/14/2022 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Do lab sheets support data reported on NDMR? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Do lab sheets support data reported on GW-59s? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Are Operational and Maintenance records present? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Were Operational and Maintenance records complete? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Has permittee been free of public complaints in last 12 months? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Is a copy of the SOC readily available? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
No treatment units bypassed since last inspection? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment: The Town is field lab certified (Cert # 5558) for pH. Bench sheets and calibrations for the pH
meter used were complete. Davey/Land Management Group performs the annual soil analysis
report which was available for review. The daily operational and maintenance log was detailed
and complete. Maintenance documentation can also be found on computer records and on a
white board list located in the lab.
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?
❑ ❑ ❑
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?
❑
0 ❑ ❑
Comment: Groundwater sampling indicate exceedances for TDS and chlorides in MW #3 and #4 located
on the Sarge Martin irrigation fields. MW#4 was observed during the inspection.
The location
appears very close to the wetted area of irrigation and may be located inside the review
boundary. If other parameters indicate additional groundwater exceedances it is
recommended to further review the location of this well and Dossibly relocate.
Page 6 of 6