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Home My WebLink AboutNCG550691_Notice of Violation_20230901DocuSign Envelope ID: 57C779DF-05DA-4D65-A554-OB6OBO7B578F ROY COOPER lk_� Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER �� SecretaryQUA N �" RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR. NORTH CAROLINA Director Environ ental Qualit September 1, 20213 CERTIFIED MAIL #:7020 3160 0000 2219 3341 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Mr. Stacy Price 516 West Bywood Drive Durham, NC 27712 Subject: NOTICE OF VIOLATION Tracking Number: NOV-2023-PC-0462 Compliance Evaluation Inspection Single Family Wastewater Treatment System General NPDES Permit NCG550000 Certificate of Coverage NCG550691 Facility: 516 Bywood Drive Durham County Dear Mr. Price: On July 24, 2023, Michael Hall from the Raleigh Regional Office visited your single-family residence (SFR) wastewater treatment system to evaluate compliance with the subject General NPDES Permit. Your assistance during the inspection was greatly appreciated. The inspector could not reach you prior to the inspection, and showed up at the house when your wife was at home. She permitted him to inspect the system, but had no knowledge regarding its location or maintenance. The inspector left a packet of information regarding Single Family Treatment Systems and the requirements of the General Permit at the residence, and obtained a working phone numbe for you from your wife. Our records indicate the treatment system consists of a septic tank, sub -surface sand filter, tablet chlorinator with chlorine contact chamber, discharge pipe and a rip -rap apron for post aeration. General NPDES Permit NCG550000 and Certificate of Coverage (COC) NCG550691 authorize the discharge of domestic wastewater from your treatment system to receiving waters designated as an unnamed tributary to the Little River (classified water supply IV, nutrient sensitive waters) in the Neuse River Basin. The authorized discharge is in accordance with the effluent limits and monitoring requirements established within the General Permit. The items below show what conditions were noted at your facility: Findings during the inspection were as follows: Pumping the septic tank: You are required to inspect the septic tank at least yearly to determine if solids must be removed or if other maintenance is necessary. Septic tanks should be pumped out every five years or when the solids level is found to be more than 1/3 of the liquid depth in the septic tank compartment, whichever is greater. A pumping company can check the status periodically and determine when pumping is North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 4NORT�HCv Raleigh Regional Office 1 3800 Barrett Drive I Raleigh, North Carolina 27609 NORTHCAROUNA 919.791.4200 Department ofEnvlronmantal Duali� DocuSign Envelope ID: 57C779DF-05DA-4D65-A554-OB6OBO7B578F required. Or, Within 30-days of receiving this letter, please send a copy of the most recent receipt/invoice to this office showing the date the septic tank was last checked and/or pumped out. The General NPDES Permit requires the permittee to retain records associated with sewage disposal activities for a period of at least 5 years. 2. Chlorine tablets in the chlorinator: You are reminded that it is required that chlorine tablets be maintained in the chlorinator to ensure proper disinfection of the discharged wastewater. Chlorine tablets provide effective disinfection and prevent/limit harmful bacteria from discharging to the environment. The product label for these tablets must indicate the tablets are approved for wastewater use and not for swimming pools. Part 1, Section D (1) of General NPDES Permit NCG550000 requires the permittee to inspect the tablet chlorinator weekly to ensure there is an adequate supply of tablets for continuous and proper operation. Section D (4) requires the permittee to maintain all system components, including disinfection units at all times and in good operating order. The inspector observed that the single chlorinator pipe was uncapped, did not contain an inner screen to hold tablets, and did not observe any chlorine tablets in the chlorinator. Please ensure the correct type of tablets are used and maintained in the chlorinator as required by the General NPDES Permit. 3. Analyzing the effluent: Part 1. C., Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements, within General Permit NCG550000 requires a permittee to sample and analyze the effluent leaving his/her treatment system prior to discharge annually. Parameters to be sampled and analyzed include Flow, BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), Total Suspended Solids, Fecal Coliform, Total Residual Chlorine, Total Nitrogen, Ammonia Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous During a call following the inspection, you informed the inspector that the effluent has not been monitored within the last 12 months. Within 30-days of receiving this letter, please let this office know if you have monitored your effluent discharge within the last 12 months, and provide this office with a copy of the lab results if you have. If you have not monitored your effluent, then please collect a representative sample of the effluent, have it analyzed by a certified commercial laboratory and submit the results to this office no later than November 30, 2023. If, during this time, you are unable to collect a representative sample of the effluent discharge due to insufficient flow from the discharge pipe, then update this office with that information and continue to monitor the discharge and if conditions for sampling become favorable, then arrange to collect a sample. Failure to monitor the effluent discharge as required is a violation of NPDES General Permit NCG550000. 4. Locations of treatment units are unknown: Within 30-days of receiving this letter, provide this office with a sketch or map of the location of the treatment units (septic tank, sand filter, chlorinator and chlorine contact chamber, discharge pipe) in relation to the permitted residence. 5. Discharge outlet location. The permittee is required to conduct a visual review of the outfall location at least twice each year (one at the time of sampling) to ensure that no visible solids or other obvious evidence of system malfunctioning is observed. Any visible signs of a malfunctioning system shall be documented and steps taken to correct the problem. The end of discharge pipe was not visible nor accessible the day of the inspection. To comply with the general permit monitoring requirements, you need to be able to sample and analyze the effluent from your SFR system through the discharge pipe. You need to keep the area around the discharge pipe cleared of vegetation, soil and leaves. Please take the necessary steps to ensure the discharge outlet is visible and D E Q �J North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 1 1611 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-161 1 NORrH CAROLINA �/ 919.707.9000 oepanmem or environmental auaii DocuSign Envelope ID: 57C779DF-05DA-4D65-A554-OB60B07B578F accessible. Maintaining the area will allow you to monitor the discharge and to collect effluent samples as required by the subject permit. Part II Section B.14 of General Permit NCG550000 requires the permittee to "pay the annual administering and compliance monitoring fee within thirty days after being billed by the Division." The annual fee ($60 per year) for the period September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023, was due by September 3, 2023. Division records indicate the required annual fee ($60 per year) for the period ending August 31, 2023 and due November 3, 2023, has been paid. There are no overdue fees for the subject COC. The wastewater treatment system should be periodically inspected to ensure the treatment components are always maintained and in good operating order. You are also reminded to maintain all monitoring data and associated maintenance records onsite for a minimum of three years and available for inspection. This inspection report is being issued as a Notice of Violation because of the following reasons: • The key components of the system could not be located (septic tank, sand filter, chlorine contact chamber, and outfall). These components need to be inspected and maintained to prevent failure of the system. • There was no documentation that the septic tank had been pumped in the last five years. If the septic tank is overfilled, solids can permeate the sand filter, resulting in failure of this critical treatment component. Replacement of a sand filter is expensive and disruptive. • There were no chlorine tablets in the chlorinator, and the chlorinator lacked a cap and internal screen. Chlorination prior to discharge is critical to prevent potential impacts to surface water quality. The discharge pipe could not be located, and could, potentially be blocked. A blocked discharge pipe can result in the backup of wastewater in the sand filter, which can result in failure of this component. As described above, replacement of a sand filter is expensive and disruptive. Within 30-days receipt of this letter, please submit a written response to this office indicating the actions you will take or have taken to comply with or resolve the issues noted items 1-5 above. As discussed with the inspector on the phone, it is critical that you provide documentation of the septic tank pump out, identify and verify that the discharge is working, and not discharging solids, and repair the chlorinator and place chlorine tablets in it. The Division of Water Resources recommends that you obtain assistance with these items from a qualified septic contractor. If you have questions or comments about this inspection or the requirements to take corrective action (if applicable), then please contact Michael Hall at 919-791-4237. Sincerely, ocuSigned by: E�D a -E. hatn a 2916E6AB32144F... Vanessa E. Manuel, Assistant Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Raleigh Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ D E Q �J North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 1 1611 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1611 NORrH CAROLINA �/ 919.707.9000 oepanmem or environmental auaii DocuSign Envelope ID: 57C779DF-05DA-4D65-A554-OB6OBO7B578F Attachment(s): EPA Water Compliance Inspection Report Field Inspection Form Cc: Laserfiche D E Q�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 1 1611 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1611 NORTH CAROLINA 919.707.9000 Depanmem of Envlmnmenml Dual