NC0020664_System Performance Annual Report 2021_20220103

WASTEWATER COLLECTIONS/TREATMENT
SYSTEM
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
2021
January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
TOWN OF SPINDALE, NORTH CAROLINA

System Performance Annual Report (SPAR) for the Year: 2021

As required by North Carolina General Statute § 143-215.1C. Report to wastewater system
customers on system performance; publication of notice of discharge of untreated wastewater
and waste.

I. General Information

• Name of regulated entity and county: Town of Spindale
Rutherford County

• Responsible entity, persons, contacts,
phone numbers and address: PO Box 186; Spindale, NC 28160

828-286-1622 R. Mickey Bland, Mayor

828-286-2541 Scott Webber, Town Manager

828-286-2206 Gary Morgan, Public Works Director
ORC(Operator in Responsible Charge)

828-286-2206 Alan Greene, Collection System Supervisor
Back-up ORC

828-286-3407 Guy Peter O’Connor, Wastewater Treatment Plant, ORC
Pretreatment Coordinator

828-286-3407 Sibyl Brotherton Back-Up ORC

• Listing of applicable permit(s) Sewer Collection System WQCS00053
Wastewater Treatment Plant NC0020664
Land Application Permit WQ0001953
• Description of collection and wastewater treatment system or process:

Collection System: The sewer collection system is a class 2 system, based on
population. The Town of Spindale serves a population of 4321. There are 38
Town employees, including 13 Public Works Department maintenance and sewer
employees.

Sewer Service:There are ~ 5 industrial, 74 commercial & 1741 residential sewer
customers. Most property inside the Town limits is served by the Town’s sewer
collection system. Customers pay a monthly bill for sewer service, as well as a
yearly “availability fee” of $144.

The sewer collection system consists of 61 miles of sewer lines: 53.83 miles of gravity
sewer (pipe sizes: 8 to 24 inch diameter); 7.17 miles of force main (pipe sizes: 4, 6, 8,
& 12 inch diameter); and 1131 manholes. The sewer pipe materials consist of:
ductile iron pipe (DIP), cast iron, PVC, truss (plastic/cement core/plastic); and vitrified
clay pipe (VPC). The age of the sewer pipes ranges from the 1920’s to the
present. There are 7 duplex pump stations with telemetry and dual high-water alarms.
The GIS mapping and sewer map were done and prepared by Kurt D Wright &
Associates in 2013.

Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) & Budget: The CIP covers 20 years
(2007 – 2027) and totals: $ 9,130,735. Preparation of the CIP was a required permit
condition (develop & implement CIP by 8-1-07). This has been done.

Cleaning: 61 total miles x 10% min required = 6.1 miles = 32,208 feet are required to
be cleaned annually. In FY 12-13, asset management field work was performed,
locating sewer lines & manholes and gathering necessary information for the AMP.

FOG (Fats, Oils and Grease) Reduction Program: The Town of
Spindale’s FOG educational brochure is made available at City Hall to all residents. The
Town’s staff inspects grease traps and provides guidance in writing and verbally.

Pretreatment Program: Consists of 3 SIUs (significant industrial users) / IUPs
(industrial user permit): 2 textile manufacturing & 1 metal finishing & metal forming;
namely:

IUP #03 Modern Woodworking and Weaving – dyed yarn, cutting & sewing
tapestry fabrics (not categorical) – process: 0.15 MGD; non-
process: 1500 gpd

IUP #04 The Timken Co – manganese phosphating, tumbling & alkaline
washing, grinding heat treatment & assembly of ball bearings &
bushings (categorical: metal finishing)– process: 9000 gpd; non-
process: 6000 gpd

IUP #08 Ultimate Textile, Inc. – dyeing of upholstery fabrics – process:
78,107 gpd; non-process: 3,703 gpd

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP):

The WWTP is a class IV facility consisting of a 3.0 MGD (million gallons per
day) extended aeration plant with the following components:

24-inch diameter influent line; inlet structure (septage is accepted); manual
by-pass bar screen; Vulcan Crawler mechanical screening equipment; grit
screw & removal equipment; flow splitter box; 2 each million gallon aeration
basin capable of using 3 each blowers and small bubble diffusers and 1 each 4
million gallon equalization basin with four each floating aerators, two each 1
MGD pumps to move water from equalization basin to aeration basins, 110 ft
diameter circular clarifier with skimmer and sludge returns; dual 75 ft diameter
clarifiers with skimmer and sludge returns; four return activated sludge pumps;
dual dedicated WAS lines and pump; 100 ft
diameter (newest) 0.75 Mgal aerobic sludge digestor with floating
mechanical aerator; 75 ft dia 0.6 million gallon aerobic sludge digestor with
floating mechanical aerator; chlorine gas chlorination 2 (750 # cylinders)
equipment; baffled chlorine contact chamber; sulfur dioxide gas 2 (500 #
cylinders) dichlorination equipment;
post aeration / dichlorination chamber with dual blowers; 275 kilowatt
Caterpillar permanent diesel emergency generator with fuel tank (which self
tests weekly); ISCO refrigerated flow proportional composite sampler; Fisher
Porter ultrasonic flow measurement with totalizer; and > 1 mile of 36 inch
diameter gravity outfall line to Cathy’s Creek (relocated from Holland’s Creek).

Wastewater Treatment Plant Flow Data:
The annual average flows were: 0.842 MGD in 2014; 0.975 MGD in 2015 ; 0.91 in
2016; 0.68 MGD in 2017; 0.68 MGD in 2018; .057 MGD in 2019
The maximum daily flows were: 3.7 MGD in 2014; 5.0 MGD in 2015; 3.1 MGD in
2016; 2.5 MGD in 2017; 2.94 MGD in 2018; .81 MGD in 2019; 1 MGD in 2020: .62 MGD in
2021
Sludge Management: WQ0001953 Land Application of Sludge / Biosolids:

There are ~ 163.6 acres currently permitted. Solids are removed from the WWTP
digestors and then land applied by the Contractor, Dennis Keyes; Southern Soil
Builders.

Stormwater: Municipal Stormwater permit NCG110107 (for the WWTP site)

II. Performance

• Description of overall 12-month performance, noting highlights and deficiencies.
• By month, list of the number and type of any violations of permit conditions, environmental
regulations or environmental laws, including (but not limited to):
Permit Limit Violations
Monitoring and Reporting Violations
(Illegal) Bypass of treatment facilities*
Sanitary Sewer Overflows* (*Note estimated total monthly volumes and
locations of events in which more than 1,000 gallons of waste reached surface
waters.)
In 2021, the Town of Spindale had the following violations of environmental regulations
or environmental laws.

Collection System:

There were 0 Collection System SSOs (Sanitary Sewer Overflows).

Collection System O&M:

Asset Management Plan (AMP): In March 2013, the Asset Management Plan report was
completed ($115,000) by Kurt D. Wright, P.E. (828-245-4080). This Plan promotes
proper stewardship of municipality owned infrastructure and qualifies the Town of
Spindale for grant funds and/or low interest loans. 2012 Sanitary Sewer Replacement
Project: $ 882,000 (NCDENR Project No. CS370621-03) was done to replace aged lines
and reduce infiltration and inflow (I&I). The average rain event contributes 250,000
gallons per day of I&I. We are still in the process of updating this asset management
plan and updating our sewer system map with any changes or manhole findings. We
have also purchased a recycling container to collect mercury items from town
residents to prevent any mercury items being placed in the sewer system. The Town is
in the process of doing a (Main Street Spindale Rehab) We have replaced 885 feet of 8”
sewer line and four new manholes in this project from Main St Spindale and Nebraska
St. We have also presented to the Town of Spindale Board of Commissioners to do a
rehab on our Oak St Pump Station at 683 Thunder Rd Rutherfordton, NC 28139 and
was granted the funds to do so along with grants. In 2020 We started the rehab on our
Oak St Pump Station and work has been completed, we added two new dry pit
submergible pumps and two new control boxes, also new (PLC). We are currently in
the process of Getting the Funding and permits to rebuild Oak st pump station and
making it into a tri-plex Submergible Station with new wet well.

Sanitary Sewer System Flow Monitoring Study:
The Town of Spindale has Completed the flow monitoring study. We are currently
in the process of smoke testing and die testing in our Basins A-2 and subbasins (A2-4
and A2-6) also Basin A2-1. We are working Diligently to eliminate the inflow and
infiltration (I&I) in our system. The Town of Spindale is still in the process of smoke
and die testing currently.

Scope and Purpose

SDG Engineering, inc. (SDG) has completed a sanitary sewer system flow
monitoring study for The Town of Spindale. The study, which encompassed 19 flow-
monitoring locations, was performed from April 2017 through March 2018. The study
was funded by Asset Inventory and Assessment (AIA) grant from the N.C. Department
of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Infrastructure. The Town of Spindale was
Granted $142,979.58 to this project, by (AIA), also The Town of Spindale also
contributed $7,020.42 of the cost also to make up a total of $150,000.00 toward the
project. Labella Associates HACH Preferred Data Delivery Services (PDDS) were major
contributors to this project.

The goal of the study is to help the Town of Spindale reduce the unusually high
peak rain induced flows the sanitary sewer collection and conveyance system (S.S.
System) is currently experiencing.
The report hereinafter discusses the purpose, process, and results of a nine-
month inflow and infiltration study. The study makes the following recommendations

1. Field investigate Basin A-1 via smoke testing, dye testing, and closed circuit
television (CCTV) to determine the cause of the flow variance. Deficiencies
should be corrected.
2. Field investigate Basin A-2 and its subbasins (A2-4 and A2-6) using the same
techniques described above. A2-1 was major contributor of the total inflow and
infiltration (1/1) per inch of rain observed at the wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP).
3. Purchase two flow monitors (and corresponding data viewer subscriptions) and
continue to study Mega Basin A-3 to begin isolating areas with the greatest
inflow within the Basin.
4. Reapply for another AIA grant in three years to do a follow up study to isolate
more problem areas and to check progress on previous rehabilitation projects.

By following these recommendations, the Town will see a reduction of inflow at the
WWTP.

Wastewater Treatment Plant:

There were one NPDES permit limit or monitoring violations in 2020.

The Town of Spindale has completed the rehabilitation project at the Wastewater
Treatment Plant.

The Town has developed and implementing a Mercury Minimization Plan (MMP);
required by NCDENR, DWQ.

• Description of any known environmental impact of violations

1) We had one NOV for chlorine exceedance

• Description of corrective measures taken to address violations or deficiencies

1) Corrected feed system on sulfur dioxide
2)
III. Notification

• Statement as to how users or customers have been provided access to the report.

Notification of the Town of Spindale’s Collection System and Wastewater
Treatment Plant system performance will be conveyed to our customers through
the SPAR (System Performance Annual Report) that is posted at the Town of
Spindale’s Library and City Hall. A copy of the SPAR is also posted on the
Town’s web site.

IV. Certification

• North Carolina Certified Operators In Responsible Charge (ORCs):

WWTP ORC: Guy Peter O’Connor; WW IV Cert. # 996051

WWTP Back-up ORC: Sibyl Brotherton, WW IV Cert #997931

Coll. Sys. ORC: Gary Morgan; CS 2 Cert. # 995171
Coll. Sys. Back-up ORC(s): Alan Greene; CS 1 Cert. # 1000667

• Statement by a responsible official certifying the report is accurate and complete.

I certify under penalty of law that this report is complete and accurate to the best of my
knowledge. I further certify that this report has been made available to the users or
customers of the named system and that those users have been notified of its
availability.

Sewer Collection System WQCS00053
Report Certified by : Gary Morgan, Public Works Director, Town of Spindale

Signature

Date

Wastewater Treatment Plant NC0020664
Report Certified by : Guy Peter O’Connor, Wastewater Treatment Plant, ORC

Signature

Date

To satisfy the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ reporting
requirement (NC General Statute § 143-215.1C Report to wastewater system customers on
system performance; publication of notice of discharge of untreated wastewater and waste),
three copies of this report was submitted to the following address:

System Performance Annual Report
North Carolina Division of Water Quality
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617