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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0045292_Draft Permit_20240119ROY 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 sydney.deuterman@deg.nc.gov. 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