NC0028827_Draft Permit_20230724

ROY COOPER Y�r '
fGovernor _.
ELIZABETH S.BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E.ROGERS.JR. NORTH CAROLINA
Director Environmental Quality
6/26/2023
Snug Harbor Management,LLC
Attn: John Estep,Manager
PO Box 150
Sealevel,NC 28577-0150
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NC0028827
Snug Harbor on Nelson Bay WWTP 1
Grade II Biological WPCS
Carteret County
Dear Mr. Estep:
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Please review this draft carefully to ensure a
thorough understanding of the information,conditions,and requirements it contains.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the existing permit:
➢ Limits for Copper have been added to the Effluent table in Section A. (1.)in conjunction with a
Compliance Schedule in Section A. (2)based on a reasonable potential to exceed water quality
standards.
➢ Section A. (4)has been updated regarding electronic submission of effluent data. Federal
regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports(DMRs).
The NPDES standard conditions (Parts II, III,and IV)that are a part of the permit are not included in this draft
document(cover,map, and Part I).The conditions are the same as in your current permit except that agency and
division names have been updated. The latest version is available at https://bit.ly/3k5NFaL and can be viewed
online or downloaded as a PDF file.
With this notification,the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by publishing a notice in
newspapers having circulation in the general Carteret County area,per EPA requirements. Please provide your
comments,if any,to me at the address below no later than 30 days after receiving this draft permit.
Following the 30-day public comment period,the Division will review all pertinent comments and take
appropriate action prior to issuing a final permit. If you have questions concerning the draft,please contact me at
919-707-9125,or via e-mail at [e-mail]
Sincerely,
c—DocuSipn.d by:
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Andrew Friedman-Hering
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting
D North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street I1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh.North Carolina 27699-1617
� 919 707.9000
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cc: NPDES File
Wilmington Regional Office

Permit NC0028827
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
In compliance with the provisions of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1, other lawful standards and
regulations promulgated and adopted by the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission, and the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended,
Snug Harbor Management, LLC
is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Snug Harbor on Nelson Bay
272 US Highway 70, northeast of Sea Level
Carteret County
to receiving waters designated as Salters Creek in sub-basin 03-05-04 of the White Oak River Basin in
accordance with effluent limits, monitoring requirements, and other conditions set forth in Parts I, II, III
and IV hereof.
This permit shall become effective
This permit and authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on July 31,2028.
Signed this day
Richard E.Rogers,Jr.
Director,Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 8

Permit NC0028827
SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET
All previous NPDES permits issued to this facility,whether for operation or discharge are hereby revoked. As of this permit
issuance,any previously issued permit bearing this number is no longer effective. Therefore,the exclusive authority to
operate and discharge from this facility arises under the permit conditions,requirements,terms,and provisions included
herein.
Snug Harbor Management, LLC is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.020 MGD wastewater treatment system that includes the following
components:
• Flow equalization with dual pumps and aeration
• Dual 12,000-gallon aeration basins
• Dual 4,416-gallon clarifiers
• Dual high-rate mixed-media tertiary filters
• 6,000-gallon aerated sludge digester
• Chlorine disinfection
• 3,600-gallon chlorine contact basin
• Dechlorination equipment
• Aerated effluent pump station
• Standby power
• Ultrasonic Flow Meter Totalizer and Flume
The facility is located at 272 US Highway 70 (northeast of Sea Level) at the Snug Harbor on Nelson Bay
WWTP, in Carteret County.
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into Salters Creek
[Stream index 21-35-7-10-2], currently classified SC waters in subbasin 03-05-04 [HUC 0302010504] of
the White Oak River Basin.
Page 2 of 8

f
Permit NC0028827
Part I.
A. (1) EFFLUENT LIMITS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the permittee is
authorized to discharge treated wastewater from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored4 by the
permittee as specified below:
PARAMETERS EFFLUENT LIMITS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly Daily Unit of Measurement Sample Sample
[Parameter Code] Average Maximum Measure Frequency Type Location
Flow, in conduit or thru treatment Influent or
plant 0.020 MGD Weekly Instantaneous Effluent
[50050]
BOD,5-Day(20 Deg. C) 30.0 45.0 mg/L Weekly Grab Effluent
[C0310]
Total Suspended Solids 30.0 45.0 mg/L Weekly Grab Effluent
[C0530]
Ammonia Nitrogen (as N) mg/L Weekly Grab Effluent
[C0610]
Total Residual Chlorine' 13 j.tg/L 2 /Week Grab Effluent
[50060]
Temperature, °Centigrade deg. C Weekly Grab Effluent
[00010]
Dissolved Oxygen Daily average> 5.0 mg/L Weekly Grab Effluent
[00300] mg/L
Enterococci, colony forming units 35 276 cfu/100m1 Weekly Grab Effluent
(geometric mean) [61211]
Total Copper 3.7 5.8 µg/L Monthly Grab Effluent
[01042]
Acute Toxicity 3
[TGE3E] Quarterly Grab Effluent
pH Standard
[00400] > 6.8 and< 8.5 Weekly Grab Effluent
units
Footnotes:
1. The Division shall consider all effluent TRC values reported below 50 µg/L to be in compliance with the permit.
However, the Pennittee shall continue to record and submit all values reported by a North Carolina certified
laboratory (including field certified), even if these values fall below 50 µg/L. TRC limit and monitoring
requirements apply only if chlorine is added to disinfect.
2. The pennittee shall continue to monitor total copper with no effluent limit until these limits take effect. See
Section A. (2) for a compliance schedule regarding Total Copper over the next five years.
3. See A. (3) for details.
4. The Pennittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the Division's eDMR system. See
Section A. (4)
THERE SHALL BE NO DISHC HARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN OTHER THAN TRACE
AMOUNTS.
Page 3 of 8

Permit NC0028827
A.(2.)SCHEDULE OF COMPLIANCE(OUTFALL 001)
[NCGS 143-215.1(b)]
1. Within one year from the effective date of the permit the Permittee shall submit to the Division of Water
Resources a Corrective Action Plan summarizing the actions or strategy to be taken to achieve compliance with
the Total Copper limits at Outfall 001. Specific dates for completion or implementation of each action shall be
included.
2.Within two years from the effective date of the permit submit a report to the Division summarizing actions
taken in accordance with the Corrective Action Plan.
3.Within three years from the effective date of the permit submit a report to the Division summarizing actions
taken in accordance with the Corrective Action Plan.
4. Within four years from the effective date of the permit submit a report to the Division summarizing actions
taken in accordance with the Corrective Action Plan.
5.Achieve compliance with Total Copper limits specified in Section A.(1)within five years of the permit
effective date.
A.(3.) ACUTE TOXICITY PASS/FAIL LIMIT(Quarterly)
[15A NCAC 02B .0200 et seq.]
The permittee shall conduct acute toxicity tests on a quarterly basis using protocols defined in the North Carolina
Procedure Document entitled"Pass/Fail Methodology for Determining Acute Toxicity In A Single Effluent
Concentration"(Revised-July, 1992 or subsequent versions). The monitoring shall be performed as a Mysid
Shrimp(Mysidopsis bahia)24-hour static test. The effluent concentration at which there may be at no time
significant acute mortality is 90% (defined as treatment two in the procedure document). Effluent samples for
self-monitoring purposes must be obtained during representative effluent discharge below all waste treatment.
The tests will be performed during the months of January,April,July,and October.
All toxicity testing results required as part of this permit condition will be entered on the Effluent Discharge
Monitoring Form(MR-1)for the month in which it was performed,using the parameter code TGE3E.
Additionally,DWQ Form AT-2(original)is to be sent to the following address:
Attention: NC DENR/DWQ/Environmental Sciences Section
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,NC 27699-1621
Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Environmental Sciences Section no later than 30
days after the end of the reporting period for which the report is made.
Test data shall be complete and accurate and include all supporting chemical/physical measurements performed in
P PP g
association with the toxicity tests,as well as all dose/response data. Total residual chlorine of the effluent toxicity
sample must be measured and reported if chlorine is employed for disinfection of the waste stream.
Should there be no discharge of flow from the facility during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required,
the permittee will complete the information located at the top of the aquatic toxicity(AT)test form indicating the
Page 4 of 8

Permit NC0028827
facility name,permit number,pipe number,county, and the month/year of the report with the notation of"No
Flow"in the comment area of the form. The report shall be submitted to the Environmental Sciences Section at
the address cited above.
Should any single quarterly monitoring indicate a failure to meet specified limits,then monthly monitoring
will begin immediately until such time that a single test is passed.Upon passing,this monthly test
requirement will revert to quarterly in the months specified above.
Should the permittee fail to monitor during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required,then monthly
monitoring will begin immediately until such time that a single test is passed.Upon passing,this monthly test
requirement will revert to quarterly in the months specified above.
Should any test data from either these monitoring requirements or tests performed by the North Carolina Division
of Water Quality indicate potential impacts to the receiving stream,this permit may be re-opened and modified to
include alternate monitoring requirements or limits.
If the Permittee monitors any pollutant more frequently than required by this permit,the results of such
monitoring shall be included in the calculation&reporting of the data submitted on the DMR& all AT Forms
submitted.
NOTE: Failure to achieve test conditions as specified in the cited document,such as minimum control organism
survival and appropriate environmental controls, shall constitute an invalid test and will require immediate
follow-up testing to be completed no later than the last day of the month following the month of the initial
monitoring.
USE OF A DIFFERENT TEST ORGANISM
The permittee may request the use of a different test organism upon documentation that the alternate test organism
would provide an equal or greater level of protection and is appropriate based on the characteristics of the
discharge and receiving stream. Such documentation would consist of one of the following:
1. For saltwater classified streams,a fathead minnow may be assigned as the acute testing species if the
salinity of the receiving stream at the point of discharge is<5 ppt throughout the tidally influenced cycle.
This determination may be based on the best professional judgment of DWQ staff or data collection
provided by the permittee and approved by DWQ staff. This evaluation should include vertical profiles
of salinity/conductivity measurements at both high tide and low tide over several 24 hr cycles.
2. Three consecutive"side-by-side"tests with results indicating that the alternate test organism is as or more
sensitive to the facility's effluent. Each test series would consist of two separate toxicity tests conducted
on the same sample of effluent with the length of exposure specified by the permit,the only difference
between the tests being the organism used.
3. An alternate plan developed by the permittee and approved by the Aquatic Toxicology Unit that
demonstrates an equal level of protection is offered by the test organism.
For items 2 and 3, it must also be demonstrated that viable and standardized culture techniques are available for
that organism and standardized testing methodologies have been developed and validated. This demonstration
should meet guidance provided by EPA in Section 6 of EPA-821-R-02-012, Short Term Methods for Estimating
the Acute Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater Organisms(Fifth Edition,2002). Requests
to use a different test organism and supporting documentation should be sent to the Division's ESS at the address
listed above.
Page 5 of 8

Permit NC0028827
Upon approval of the Corrective Action Plan by the Division,the report and actions become an enforceable part
of this permit.Any modifications to the schedule shall be requested to the Division at least ninety(90)days
before the deadline. Modifications to the schedule in excess of four months will be subject to public notice.
The Corrective Action Plan and reports shall include the owner's name,NPDES permit number and Permittee
contact person,and shall be submitted to:
(1)NCDEQ/Division of Water Resources (2)NCDEQ/Division of Water Resources
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting Wilmington Regional Office
1617 Mail Service Center 127 Cardinal Drive Ext.
Raleigh,NC 27699-1617 Wilmington,NC 28405
A. (4.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING -DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[G.S. 143-215.1 (b)]
Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) and program
reports. The final NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule was adopted and became effective on December
21, 2015.
NOTE: This special condition supplements or supersedes the following sections within Part II of this
permit(Standard Conditions for NPDES Permits):
• Section B.(11.) Signatory Requirements
• Section D.(2.) Reporting
• Section D. (6.) Records Retention
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D.(2.)and Section E. (5.)(all
The permittee shall report discharge monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR's Electronic
Discharge Monitoring Report(eDMR) internet application.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
submitted electronically using eDMR. The eDMR system allows permitted facilities to enter
monitoring data and submit DMRs electronically using the internet. The eDMR system may be
accessed at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr.
If a permittee is unable to use the eDMR system due to a demonstrated hardship or due to the facility
being physically located in an area where less than 10 percent of the households have broadband
access, then a temporary waiver from the NPDES electronic reporting requirements may be granted
and discharge monitoring data may be submitted on paper DMR forms (MR 1, 1.1, 2, 3) or
alternative forms approved by the Director. Duplicate signed copies shall be submitted to the
following address:
NC DEQ/Division of Water Resources /Water Quality Permitting Section
ATTENTION: Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
Page 6 of 8

Permit NC0028827
See"How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
reported via the eDMR system no later than the last calendar day of the month following the
completed reporting period. Regardless of the submission method, the first DMR is due on the last
day of the month following the issuance of the permit or in the case of a new facility, on the last day
of the month following the commencement of discharge.
Starting on December 21, 2025, the permittee must electronically report the following compliance
monitoring data and reports, when applicable:
• Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports;
• Pretreatment Program Annual Reports; and
• Clean Water Act(CWA) Section 316(b)Annual Reports.
The permittee may seek an electronic reporting waiver from the Division(see"How to Request a
Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below).
2. Electronic Submissions
In accordance with 40 CFR 122.41(1)(9), the permittee must identify the initial recipient at the time
of each electronic submission. The permittee should use the EPA's website resources to identify the
initial recipient for the electronic submission.
Initial recipient of electronic NPDES information from NPDES-regulated facilities means the entity
(EPA or the state authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES program) that is the designated entity
for receiving electronic NPDES data [see 40 CFR 127.2(b)].
EPA plans to establish a website that will also link to the appropriate electronic reporting tool for
each type of electronic submission and for each state. Instructions on how to access and use the
appropriate electronic reporting tool will be available as well. Information on EPA's NPDES
Electronic Reporting Rule is found at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-
24954/national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-npdes-electronic-reporting-rule
Electronic submissions must start by the dates listed in the "Reporting Requirements"section
above.
3. How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting
The permittee may seek a temporary electronic reporting waiver from the Division. To obtain an
electronic reporting waiver, a permittee must first submit an electronic reporting waiver request to
the Division. Requests for temporary electronic reporting waivers must be submitted in writing to
the Division for written approval at least sixty (60) days prior to the date the facility would be
required under this permit to begin submitting monitoring data and reports. The duration of a
temporary waiver shall not exceed 5 years and shall thereupon expire. At such time, monitoring data
and reports shall be submitted electronically to the Division unless the permittee re-applies for and is
granted a new temporary electronic reporting waiver by the Division. Approved electronic reporting
waivers are not transferrable. Only permittees with an approved reporting waiver request may
submit monitoring data and reports on paper to the Division for the period that the approved
reporting waiver request is effective.
Page 7of8

Permit NC0028827
Information on eDMR and the application for a temporary electronic reporting waiver are found on
the following web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
4. Signatory Requirements [Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B.(11.)
!_411
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part II,
Section B. (11.)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II,
Section B. (11.)(b). A person, and not a position, must be delegated signatory authority for eDMR
reporting purposes.
For eDMR submissions, the person signing and submitting the DMR must obtain an eDMR user
account and login credentials to access the eDMR system. For more information on North
Carolina's eDMR system, registering for eDMR and obtaining an eDMR user account, please visit
the following web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
Certification. Any person submitting an electronic DMR using the state's eDMR system shall make
the following certification [40 CFR 122.22]. NO OTHER STATEMENTS OF CERTIFICATION
WILL BE ACCEPTED:
"I certify, under penalty of law, that this document and all attachments were prepared under my
direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel
properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person or
persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the information,
the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief true, accurate, and complete. I
am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the
possibility of fines and imprisonment for knowing violations."
5. Records Retention [Supplements Section D. (6.)l
The permittee shall retain records of all Discharge Monitoring Reports, including eDMR
submissions. These records or copies shall be maintained for a period of at least 3 years from the
date of the report. This period may be extended by request of the Director at any time [40 CFR
122.41].
Page 8 of 8

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NC0028827 - Snug Harbor on Nelson Bay
Facility
Latitude: 34°53'15" Stream Class: SC Location 411111114PP
Longitude: 76°24'00" Subbasin: 03-05-04
USGS Quad: Long Bay HUC Code: 0302010504
River Basin: White Oak Carteret County
Receiving Stream: Salters Creek Map not to scale