NC0066991_Draft Permit_20230815

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR.
Director
Watauga County BOE
Attn: Eric R. Bol i ck
175 R oneer Trai I
Boone, NC 28607
Dear Mr. Bolick:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
08/08/2022
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NCO066991
Bethel Elementary School WWTF
Grade II Biological WPC`
Watauga County
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Please review thisdraft carefully to ensure a
thorough understanding of the information, conditions, and requirements it contains.
The draft permit Indudesthe followirig significant change�Sfrorrl the existing permit:
The correct receiving stream of Rube Creek was identified and changed from Beaverdam Creek on Al
documents.
Section A. (3) has been updated regarding electronic submission of effluent data. Federal regulations
requireelectronicsubmittal of all dischargemonitoringreports (DMRs).
The N PDES standard conditi ons (Parts 11, 111, and I V) that are a part of the permit are not i nd uded i n thi s draft
document (cover, map, and Part 1). The conditi ons are the same as in your current permit except that agency and
division names have been updated. The latest version isavaIableat https://bit.ly/3k5NFaL and can be viewed
onl i ne or downl oaded as a PDF fi le.
With thi s noti f i cati on, the Di vi si on wi I I sol i cit publ i c comment on thi s draft permi t by publ i shi ng a noti ce i n
newspapershaving circulation in the general Watauga County area, per EPA requirements. Please provideyour
comments, if any, to meat t he add r ess bel ow no later than 30days after r ecei vi ng t h I s dr aft permit.
Fol I owi ng the 30-day public comment period, the Division will review ail pertinent comments and take
appropri ate acti on pri or to i ssui ng a fi nai permit. I f you halve questi ons concerni ng the draft, please contact me via
e-mail at [e-mail]
Si ncerel y,
DocuSigned �by: (j., �,,,,�" Vt" VI�lt��.H1a1A,—h Y "
99FBE20624EC41B !/
A ndrew Fri edmar�Herri ng
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting
cc: NPDES File
Winston-Salem Regional Office
D E Q
-L�� North Carding Department of Environmental Quality I Divisor of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 1 1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27690-1617
919.707.9000

Permit NCO066991
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, the
Watauga County Board of Education
is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Bethel Elementary School WWTP
138 Bethel School Road
Watauga County
to receiving waters designated as Rube Creek in the Watauga River Basin
in accordance with effluent limitations, 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 September 30, 2027.
Signed this day
Richard E. Rogers, Jr.
Director, Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 6

Permit NCO066991
SUPPLEMENT TO PERNUT 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.
The Watauga County Board of Education
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.0065 MGD extended -aeration wastewater treatment system that includes the
following components:
• Grit chamber
• Aeration basin
• Clarifier
• Chlorination
• Dechlorination
• Return sludge holding tank
{LL �
This facility is located at the Bethel Elementary School WWTP, 138 Bethel Road, in Bethel, in Watauga
County and is a grade WW-2 Biological Water Pollution Control System [15A NCAC 08G .0302].
.ice .ems.
2. Discharge from said treatment works, through Outfall 001, into Rube Creek, currently classified C waters in
the Watauga River Basin, at the location specified on the attached map.
Page 2 of 6

Permit NCO066991
Part I.
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS 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 from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored3 by the Permittee as
specified below:
EFFLUENT
CHARACTERISTICS
LIMITS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly
Daily
Measurement
Sample
Sample
Parameter Code
Average
Maximum
Frequency
Type
Locationl
Flow 50050
0.0065
Weekly
Instantaneo
I or E
MGD
us
BOD, 5-day (20°C)
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
E
C0310
Total Suspended Solids
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
E
C0530
Fecal Coliform (geometric mean)
200/100 mL
400/100 niL
2/Month
Grab
E
31616
Total Residual Chlorine2 (TRC
28 µg/L
2/Week
Grab
E
50060
Temperature °C
00010
Monitor & Report
Weekly
Grab
E, U & D
Footnotes:
1. Sample Locations: E — Effluent, I — Influent. Upstream = at least 50 feet from the outfall. Downstream = at least 50 feet
downstream from the outfall.
2. The Division shall consider all effluent TRC values reported below 50 µg/L to be in compliance with the permit.
However, the Permittee 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.
3. The Permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the Division's eDMR system, [see A. (2.)].
There shall be no discharge offloating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts.
A. (2.) 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.)
• Section D. (2.)
• Section D. (6.)
Signatory Requirements
Reporting
Records Retention
Page 3 of 6

Permit NCO066991
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D. (2.) and Section E. (5.) (a)1
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://deg.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
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)].
Page 4 of 6

Permit NCO066991
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.federalreig ster.gov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-
24954/national-pol l utant-discharge-el imination-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 Reportine
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.
Information on eDMR and the application for a temporary electronic reporting waiver are found on
the following web page:
http://deg.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
4. Signatory Requirements (Supplements Section 13. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.)
L"
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part I1,
Section B. (11.)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II,
Section B. (1 l.)(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:
7 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
Page 5 of 6

Permit NCO066991
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 6 of 6

Outfall 001
0
S
• \% ' 40 j�-/
Watauga County Schools Facility
Bethel Elementary School WWTP Location
Latitude: 36° 17' 42" N USGS Quad: Sherwood (not to scale)
Longitude: 81° S1' 00" W Sub -Basin: 04-02-01
Receiving Stream: Rube Creek [segment 8-19-3)
Drainage Basin: Watauga River Basin North NPDES Permit NC0066991
Stream Class: C Watauga County