NC0045292_Draft Permit_20240119

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR.
Director
City of Graham
Attn: Tonya A. Mann, Utilities Director
PO Box 357
Graham, NC 27253
Dear Permittee:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
January 23, 2024
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NCO045292
Graham -Mebane WTP
Grade I Physical Chemical WPCS
Alamance County
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the draft
permit for your facility. Please review this draft carefully to ensure your thorough understanding of the
information, conditions, and requirements it contains.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the existing permit:
➢ The Supplement to Cover Sheet has been updated to include the list of chemicals used for treatment.
➢ The limit for Turbidity has been removed and the monitoring frequency has been reduced from 2/Month
to Monthly, per the current water treatment plant guidance.
➢ Monitoring for Aluminum has been removed from the permit as the facility has indicated that it does not
have the potential to be discharged, per the current water treatment plant guidance.
➢ Whole Effluent Toxicity testing has been changed from monitoring to a Pass/Fail limit per the current
water treatment plant guidance. Section A. (1) and Section A. (2) have been updated accordingly.
➢ Section A. (3) has been updated to reflect current federal requirements for Electronic Reporting of
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 Alamance 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
919-707-3712, or via e-mail at [e-mail].
D E Q f/ North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
"'""" 512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
NoatH cnAo.inn �' 919.707.9000
Dapneeant d iwN'pnnw Mal Ouai�

Page 2 of 2
City of Graham
DRAFT Permit Renewal — NC0045292
Sincerely,
Sydney Deuterman
Environmental Specialist II
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting
cc: NPDES File [Laserfiche]
Winston-Salem Regional Office [Laserfiche]
Operator Certification Program
Aquatic Toxicology Unit

NPDES Permit NCO045292
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
(hTDES)
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
City of Graham
is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Graham -Mebane Water Treatment Plant (WTP)
1824 U.S. Hwy 70
Mebane
Alamance County
to receiving waters designated as Back Creek in the Cape Fear 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 March 31, 2029.
Signed this day
John Hennessy
Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 7

NPDES Permit NCO045292
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.
City of Graham
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate a water treatment plant utilizing conventional treatment technology
[coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration]. This water treatment plant currently has a
design potable flow rate of 12 MGD and a maximum, monthly average wastewater discharge of
approximately 0.4828 MGD from media filter backwash and sedimentation basins. This facility is
located at the Graham -Mebane WTP at 1824 U.S. Hwy 70, bane in Alamance County.
Wastewater treatment includes the following components;,.
• Three (3) 500,000-gallon lagoons.
• Chemical usage consists of:
o Ferric sulfate
o Fluoride
o Sodium hypochlorite
o Ammonia nitrogen/chloramines
o Sodium hydroxide
o Polymer
o Sodium silicate
o Sodium bisulfite
o Powdered activated carbon
';
F4
2. Discharge from said treatment works via Outfall 001 at the location specified on the attached map
into Back Creek, currently classified WS-V; NSW waters [Stream Index: 16-18-(6)] located within
sub -basin 03-06-02 [HUC: 0303000204071 of the Cape Fear River Basin.
Page 2 of 7

NPDES Permit NCO045292
PART I
A. (1) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
Grade I Physical Chemical WPCS [15A NCAC 08G .0306]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the
Permittee is authorized to discharge backwash from Outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and
monitored' by the Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS
eDMR Code
EFFLUENT LIMITS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly
Average
Daily
Maximum
Measurement
Frequency
Sample
Type
Sample
Location
Flow (MGD)
50050
Monitor & Report
Continuous
Recording
Effluent
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) (mg/L)
C0530
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
pH (su)
00400
Not < 6.0 nor > 9.0
standard units
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Total Residual Chlorine 2 (Ng/L)
50060
28 µg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Turbidity (NTU)
00070
Monitor & Report
Monthly
Grab
Effluent
Total Fluoride (Ng/L)
00951
Monitor & Report
Quarterly
Grab
Effluent
Ammonia Nitrogen (mg/L)
C0610
Monitor & Report
Quarterly
Grab
Effluent
Total Nitrogen 3 (mg/L)
C0600
Monitor & Report
Quarterly
Grab
Effluent
Total Phosphorous (mg/L)
C0665
Monitor & Report
Quarterly
Grab
Effluent
Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing 4
TGP38
Pass/Fail
Quarterly
Grab
Effluent
Fontnoteq-
1. The permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the Division's eDMR system [see
Section A. (3)].
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.
3. Total Nitrogen = TKN + (NO3-N + NO2-N) where TKN is Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, NO3-N and NO2-N are
Nitrate and Nitrite Nitrogen, respectively.
4. Chronic Toxicity (Ceriodaphnia dubia) 7-day Pass/Fail Limit at 24% in March, June, September,
December [see Section A. (2)].
All samples collected should be from a representative discharge event.
THERE SHALL BE NO DISCHARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN OTHER THAN
TRACE AMOUNTS.
A. (2) CHRONIC TOXICITY LIMIT (QUARTERLY)
[15A NCAC 02B .0200] [15A NCAC 02B .0500]
Page 3 of 7

NPDES Permit NC0045292
The effluent discharge shall at no time exhibit observable inhibition of reproduction or significant
mortality to Ceriodaphnia dubia at an effluent concentration of 24.%.
The permit holder shall perform at a minimum, Quarterly monitoring using test procedures outlined in
the "North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chronic Effluent Bioassay Procedure," (Revised December 2010, or
subsequent versions) or "North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure"
(Revised December 2010, or subsequent versions). The tests will be performed during the months of
March, June, September, and December. These months signify the first month of each three-month
toxicity testing quarter assigned to the facility. Effluent sampling for this testing must be obtained
during representative effluent discharge and shall be performed at the NPDES permitted final effluent
discharge below all treatment processes.
If the test procedure performed as the first test of any single quarter results in a failure or ChV
below the permit limit, then multiple -concentration testing shall be performed at a minimum, in
each of the two following months as described in "North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole
Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure" (Revised -December 2010, or subsequent versions).
All toxicity testing results required as part of this permit condition will be entered electronically using
the Division's eDMR system for the months in which tests were performed, using the parameter code
TGP311 for the pass/fail results and THP311 for the Chronic Value. Additionally, DWR Form AT-3
(original) is to be sent to the following address:
North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicology Branch
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1621
Or, results can be sent to the email, ATForms.ATBgdeq.nc.gov.
Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Water 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, accurate, include all supporting chemical/physical measurements and all
concentration/response data, and be certified by laboratory supervisor and ORC or approved designate
signature. 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 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 Water Sciences Section at the address cited above.
Should the permittee fail to monitor during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required,
monitoring will be required during the following month. Assessment of toxicity compliance is based
on the toxicity testing quarter, which is the three-month time interval that begins on the first day of the
month in which toxicity testing is required by this permit and continues until the final day of the third
month.
Page 4 of 7

NPDES Permit NCO045292
Should any test data from this monitoring requirement or tests performed by the North Carolina
Division of Water Resources indicate potential impacts to the receiving stream, this permit may be re-
opened and modified to include alternate monitoring requirements or limits.
NOTE: Failure to achieve test conditions as specified in the cited document, such as minimum control
organism survival, minimum control organism reproduction, 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.
A. (3) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF 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.)
• Section E. (5.)
Signatory Requirements
Reporting
Records Retention
Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D. (2.) and Section E. (5.) (a)]
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:Hdeg.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 5 of 7

NPDES Permit NCO045292
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.federalre ister.gov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-24954/national-pollutant-discharge-
elimination-system-npdes-electron ic-reporting-rule
Electronic submissions must start by the dates listed in the "Reporting Requirements" section
above.
3. How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Resorting
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
Page 6 of 7

NPDES Permit NCO045292
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. Si2natory Reuuirements (Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.)
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part
II, Section B. (I I.)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II,
Section B. (I 1.)(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://deg.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.)]
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 7 of 7

s�\63
,:
t � /
r
Outfall 001
1 [flows northwest]
r
1
asR Ye / Approximate
• `• Facility Boundary
Back Creek
[flows south]
OW
City of Graham - Graham -Mebane WTP
NPDES Permit NCO045292
1824 U.S. Hwy 70, Mebane 27302
Receiving Stream: Back Creek Stream Class: WS-V; NSW
Stream Segment: 16-18-(6) Sub -Basin #: 03-06-02
River Basin: Cape Fear HUC: 030300020407
County: Alamance
�r
. 1•:• •
CALE NC Grid: C21SE
1:24,000 USGS Quad: Mebane, NC