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Home My WebLink AboutNC0087122_CEI_NOD-2023-PC-0203_20230718 July 18, 2023 Donald R Cooper Cooper Riis Inc PO Box 600 Mill Spring, NC 28756-0600 SUBJECT: NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY Tracking Number: NOD-2023-PC-0203 Permit No. NC0087122 Cooper Riis Healing Farm Polk County Dear Permittee: The North Carolina Division of Water Resources conducted an inspection of the Cooper Riis Healing Farm on June 30, 2023. This inspection was conducted to verify that the facility is operating in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified in NPDES WW Permit No. NC0087122. A summary of the findings and comments noted during the inspection are provided in the enclosed copy of the inspection report. The Compliance Evaluation inspection was conducted by Division of Water Resources staff from the Asheville Regional Office. The following deficiency(s) was noted during the inspection: Inspection Area Description of Deficiency _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Effluent Pipe The effluent pipe is currently inaccessible. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Equalization Basins The light bulb for the visual alarm system needs to be repaired. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 Remedial actions should have already been taken to correct this problem and prevent further occurrences in the future. The Division of Water Resources may pursue enforcement action for this and any additional violations of State law. To prevent further action, carefully review these deficiencies and address the causes of non-compliance to prevent the recurrence of similar situations. 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 melanie.kemp@deq.nc.gov. Sincerely, Daniel Boss, Assistant Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Asheville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ ATTACHMENTS: Inspection Report Ec: Laserfiche, Juanita James (ORC) DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Water Compliance Inspection Report Form Approved. OMB No. 2040-0057 Approval expires 8-31-98 Section A: National Data System Coding (i.e., PCS) Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type Inspector Fac Type 1 N 52 NC0087122 23/06/30 C S31112171819 20 21 66 Inspection Work Days Facility Self-Monitoring Evaluation Rating B1 QA ----------------------Reserved------------------- 3 N N67707172 73 74 75 80 Section B: Facility Data Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also include POTW name and NPDES permit Number) Cooper Riis Healing Farm 101 Healing Farm Ln Mill Spring NC 287565808 Entry Time/Date Permit Effective Date Exit Time/Date Permit Expiration Date 10:30AM 23/06/30 18/10/01 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) /// Juanita Reed James/ORC/828-697-0063/ Other Facility Data 11:30AM 23/06/30 23/07/31 Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number Thomas A Warren,PO Box 600 Mill Spring NC 287560600//828-894-7117/8288947125 Contacted No Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) Permit Flow Measurement Operations & Maintenance Records/Reports Self-Monitoring Program Sludge Handling Disposal Facility Site Review Effluent/Receiving Waters Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) (See attachment summary) Name(s) and Signature(s) of Inspector(s)Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date Melanie Kemp DWR/ARO WQ/ - - / Signature of Management Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete. Page#1 DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 7/18/2023 NPDES yr/mo/day 23/06/30 Inspection Type C3111218 1 Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) Inspector Melanie Kemp, with the Asheville Regional Office, conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection of the Cooper Riis WWTP on June 30, 2023. This inspection was conducted to determine whether the facility is being operated and maintained in compliance with NPDES Permit No. NC0087122. Juanita James (ORC) and Josh Ogle (Maintenance Supervisor) with James and James were present and assisted in the inspection. Flow from the site goes through a manual barscreen (cleaned daily), through two EQ basins, and is divided equally between the two treatment trains. Each treatment area includes an aeration basin, clarifier, automatic skimmer, and digestor. UV is utilized for final disinfection before discharging. The ORC reports minimal issues with maintaining healthy biota even with low flows. The following was noted during the inspection: The sludge blanket was measured in both clarifiers during the inspection: •Clarifier 1: 2.5 of 8 feet (31% of sidewall depth) •Clarifier 2: 6 of 8 feet (75% of sidewall depth) Settleability was measured at approximately 20% in aeration basin 1. The ORC plans on having solids pumped within the next two weeks. Solids are generally pumped every 6-8 months and should be maintained regularly to ensure no excessive buildup of solids. EQ Basin: The alarms were tested in the EQ basin and although the audio alarm works, the light bulb was malfunctional and needs to be replaced. Disinfection: The maintenance readout on the UV unit is no longer functional, but staff keep a maintenance log on site and replace the bulbs every 6 months. Chlorine tablets are kept as backup for disinfection. If chlorine is used, the facility must use a de-chlorination agent. And measure effluent chlorine levels. Effluent Sampling: The US Army Corps modified the receiving stream and staff are no longer able to locate or access the effluent pipe. Compliance samples are collected from the UV chamber. Access needs to be evaluated and restored. Maintenance: James and James previously reported that the water pressure at the facility was inadequate for washing down treatment components. A valve was adjusted, and this is no longer an issue. The following deficiencies were noted during the inspection: •The effluent pipe is currently inaccessible. •The light bulb for the visual alarm system within the equalization basin needs to be repaired. NC0087122 17 (Cont.) Page#2 DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 Permit:NC0087122 Inspection Date:06/30/2023 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Cooper Riis Healing Farm Compliance Evaluation Operations & Maintenance Yes No NA NE Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex: MLSS, MCRT, Settleable Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable? The ORC measures DO and settable solids.Comment: Permit Yes No NA NE (If the present permit expires in 6 months or less). Has the permittee submitted a new application? Is the facility as described in the permit? # Are there any special conditions for the permit? Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public? Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection? Permit renewal in process.Comment: Grease Removal Yes No NA NE # Is automatic grease removal present? Is grease removal operating properly? Cooper Riis staff continue to maintain the grease trap on site. The ORC indicates that there are no major issues with grease in the WWTP. Comment: Equalization Basins Yes No NA NE Is the basin aerated? Is the basin free of bypass lines or structures to the natural environment? Is the basin free of excessive grease? Are all pumps present? Are all pumps operable? Are float controls operable? Are audible and visual alarms operable? # Is basin size/volume adequate? Pumps and floats operable. The facility's audio alarm was tested and working, but the light bulb needs to be replaced. See summary for details. Comment: Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE Mode of operation Ext. Air Type of aeration system Diffused Page#3 DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 Permit:NC0087122 Inspection Date:06/30/2023 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Cooper Riis Healing Farm Compliance Evaluation Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE Is the basin free of dead spots? Are surface aerators and mixers operational? Are the diffusers operational? Is the foam the proper color for the treatment process? Does the foam cover less than 25% of the basin’s surface? Is the DO level acceptable? Is the DO level acceptable?(1.0 to 3.0 mg/l) Staff measure DO when on site, but a meter was not available during the inspection.Comment: Secondary Clarifier Yes No NA NE Is the clarifier free of black and odorous wastewater? Is the site free of excessive buildup of solids in center well of circular clarifier? Are weirs level? Is the site free of weir blockage? Is the site free of evidence of short-circuiting? Is scum removal adequate? Is the site free of excessive floating sludge? Is the drive unit operational? Is the return rate acceptable (low turbulence)? Is the overflow clear of excessive solids/pin floc? Is the sludge blanket level acceptable? (Approximately ¼ of the sidewall depth) Sludge blanket levels in clarifier 2 were 6/8 ft (75% of sidewall depth). ORC reports that sludge is scheduled to be pumped within the next 2 weeks. See summary for details. Comment: Aerobic Digester Yes No NA NE Is the capacity adequate? Is the mixing adequate? Is the site free of excessive foaming in the tank? # Is the odor acceptable? # Is tankage available for properly waste sludge? Solids are pumped as needed.Comment: Disinfection - UV Yes No NA NE Page#4 DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 Permit:NC0087122 Inspection Date:06/30/2023 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Cooper Riis Healing Farm Compliance Evaluation Disinfection - UV Yes No NA NE Are extra UV bulbs available on site? Are UV bulbs clean? Is UV intensity adequate? Is transmittance at or above designed level? Is there a backup system on site? Is effluent clear and free of solids? At least 4 extra UV bulbs were on site during the inspection. Chlorine tables are kept on site as backup disinfection. If chlorine is used, the facility must use a de-chlorination agent. And measure effluent chlorine levels. The maintenance readout on the UV unit was damaged during a lightning storm, so staff keep a log and routinely replace the UV bulbs every 6 months. There are no plans to replace the readout due to financial constraints. Comment: Flow Measurement - Effluent Yes No NA NE # Is flow meter used for reporting? Is flow meter calibrated annually? Is the flow meter operational? (If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter? The flow meter was last calibrated on 9/19/22.Comment: Effluent Pipe Yes No NA NE Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained? Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris? If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly? The US Army Corps recently reworked the receiving stream, and site staff are no longer able to acces the outfall. Comment: Effluent Sampling Yes No NA NE Is composite sampling flow proportional? Is sample collected below all treatment units? Is proper volume collected? Is the tubing clean? # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees Celsius)? Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type representative)? Page#5 DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244 Permit:NC0087122 Inspection Date:06/30/2023 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Cooper Riis Healing Farm Compliance Evaluation Effluent Sampling Yes No NA NE Samples are being collected after UV treatment, within the UV chamber.Comment: Standby Power Yes No NA NE Is automatically activated standby power available? Is the generator tested by interrupting primary power source? Is the generator tested under load? Was generator tested & operational during the inspection? Do the generator(s) have adequate capacity to operate the entire wastewater site? Is there an emergency agreement with a fuel vendor for extended run on back-up power? Is the generator fuel level monitored? The gas-powered generator automatically exercises for 30 minutes a week and was 60% full at the time of the inspection. The unit is serviced yearly. Comment: Page#6 DocuSign Envelope ID: A1F17182-19B3-48F1-BBB8-BF61C0E61244