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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0072699_Corrective Action Plan_20190412 (2)Town of Beaufort 701 Front St. • P.O. Box 390 • Beaufort, N.C.2851.6 252-728-2141. 252-728-3982fax www.beaufortnc.ore April 12, 2019 Mr. John Hennessy Division of Water Resources Water Quality Permitting Section — NPDES 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 RE: Corrective Action Plan Pine Street Water Treatment Plant NPDES Permit NCo072699 Town of Beaufort, Carteret County, NC Dear Mr. Hennessy: RECEPVEUDENR/©WR APR 23 2019 Water Resouree3 Pe11'114*19 Section Please find enclosed a single copy of a document titled "Corrective Action Plan." This plan is being provided in accordance with a requirement contained within the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued for the discharge to an unnamed tributary of Town Creek of water softener regeneration backwash from ion exchange units at the Pine Street Water Treatment Plant. An electronic copy of this plan was sent to you as an email attachment on April 15u. We ask that you advise us as to your Division's concurrence with the actions set forth by the plan as we intend to carry them out unless and until advised otherwise. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciate. Please therefore, do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or are in need of additional information. Sincerely, 'V� — /�rr Gregory K Meshaw, PE Town Engineer Encl. CC: Morella Sanchez -King, Environmental Program Supervisor III, DWR-WiRO Dean Hunkele, Senior Environmental Specialist, DWR-WiRO Mayor Everette S. (Rett) Newton Commissioner John Hagle • Commissioner Sharon Harker • Commissioner Marianna Hollinshed Commissioner Ann Carter • Commissioner Charles McDonald Town Manager John Day Town of Beaufort 7oi Front St. • P.O. Box 390 • Beaufort, N.C.28516 252-728-2141. 252-728-3982 fax www.beaufortnc.org Corrective Action Plan Location: Pine Street Water Treatment Plant NPDES Permit NCoo72699 Beaufort, Carteret County Date: March 1, 2019 Town Engineer Background: A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit with an effective date of March 1, 2oi8 was issued for the discharge of water softener regeneration backwash from ion exchange units. Among the thirteen (13) effluent characteristics to be limited and/or monitored included three metals with limitations as follows: Monthly Avera eg Limit Daily Maximum Limit Total Copper 3.70 µg/L 5.8o µg/L Total Lead 8.50 µg/L 220.8o µg/L Total Zinc 85.6 µg/L 95.1 µg/L The permit called for compliance with the above limitations within five years of the effective date of the permit which will be 2023. To that end, the permit also required the submission of a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to the Division of Water Resources (DWR) within the first year of the permit. The stated purpose of the CAP is to summarize the actions or strategy to be taken to achieve compliance with the total copper, total lead, and total zinc limits. With issuance of the permit, once -a -month sampling for the regulated metals was begun by the Town. This sampling has not revealed the presence of zinc above its stipulated limits for the period between and including March 2o18 through February 2019. On the other hand, copper has been detected above its stipulated limits albeit only once, when it was detected at 14 µg/1 during August 2o18. Two of the monthly results for lead over the same period are of interest. Lead concentrations of 12 and 14 µg/1 were detected during May 2o18 and August 2o18, respectively. Even though these two concentrations were well below the stipulated daily maximum, they are likely considered to have "tripped" the stipulated monthly average since both exceed the monthly average limit by more than 20 percent. It is understood that DWR typically considers the monthly average to have been exceeded when only one result has been obtained for the month and that result exceeds the monthly average limit by more than 20 percent. Given the single exceedance of the total copper limit for the past year along with the theoretical exceedance of the monthly average limit for lead, the Town of Beaufort proposes to institute the actions described in the section below titled "Proposed Actions." Page 1 of 2 Mayor Everette S. (Rett) Newton Commissioner John Hagle • Commissioner Sharon Harker • Commissioner Marianna Hollinshed Commissioner Ann Carter • Commissioner Charles McDonald Town Manager John Day Proposed Actions: The following are actions proposed by the Town of Beaufort to assure compliance with the permit limitations for total copper, total lead and total zinc by March 1, 2023. Results for the metals will continue to be obtained and inventoried in an effort to ascertain the range of concentrations that the Town could expect to see for each metal if discharges were left untreated. The Town proposes to continue this effort until March 1, 2021 to see if sporadic exceedances of one or more of the limitations continue. If continued exceedances have occurred, then sufficient laboratory data will have been generated for use in an engineering alternatives analysis. It is likely that this analysis will examine the technical and monetary feasibilities of one or more treatment technologies along with the option of redirecting the discharge to the Town's sanitary sewer collection system. This analysis will result in a recommendation of a preferred alternative for achieving compliance. Thereafter, DWR's concurrence regarding the preferred alternative will be sought. This will of course, be followed by implementation of corrective action to included related tasks such as design and permitting. It is worth noting that a point of connection to the Town's sewer collection system in proximity to the Pine Street Water Treatment Plant has already been made. The connecting point was made in the event it is ultimately determined that discharge to collection system is the most feasible alternative. This connecting point will also allow the Town to easily divert the plant's discharge prior to March 1, 2021 should limits be consistently exceeded at concentrations deemed by the Town and DWR to be excessive. The proposed timeline for monitoring, performing the alternatives analysis, and implementing corrective action is as follows: Date/Timeframe Taskj&ton March 1, 2019 — February 29, Continue procurement, review, and inventorying of 2021 laboratory results for total copper, total lead and total Zinc. March 1, 2021— July 31, 2021 Conduct engineering analysis of alternatives that will result in compliance if prior monitoring shows exceedances of the permit limits. August 1, 2021— February 28, Prepare plans and specifications and procure the 2022 necessary permit(s) thereafter for any alternative that involves treatment of the discharges. (Plans, specifications, and permit(s) will not be necessary if diversion to the Town's sewer collection system is deemed the appropriate alternative.) March 1, 2022 — January 31, Bid and award a contract to construct the treatment 2023 additions. Thereafter, construct, start-up, test and place into service the treatment unit(s). (Diversion of the water treatment plant's discharge to the collection system can be made by Town staff within 3o days should such diversion be deemed the appropriate corrective action instead of treatment.) Page 2 of 2 Mayor Everette S. (Rett) Newton Commissioner John Hagle . Commissioner Sharon Harker • Commissioner Marianna Hollinshed Commissioner Ann Carter . Commissioner Charles McDonald Town Manager John Day