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Home My WebLink AboutNC0040070_Staff Report - Inspection of Proposed Site_19810923PPPPP_ lj�i6 4 NOV 23 ]gal STAFF REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS PERMITS AND ENGINEERING Part I - INSPECTION OF PROPOSED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SITE 1. Place visited: City of Gastonia Water Treatment Facility Gastonia, North Carolina Gaston County 2. Date: September 23, 1981 1 3. By: Thurman Horne 4. Person contacted: Mr. Hershel Jordan 5. Directions to site: The water treatment plant is located at the corner of East Falls Street and East Long Street in Gastonia. 6. The bearing and distance to the existing point of effluent discharge is: Approximately 300 feet west of the water treatment plant at Longitude 81012'20" and Latitude 35016'50". 7. Size: The existing wastewater treatment facilities are located on a site of approximately 1 acre in size. It appears that adequate area exists for the proposed modifications. 8. Topography: Rolling, 5-15% slopes. 9. Location of nearest dwelling: Approximately 100 feet. 10. Receiving Stream: An unnamed tributary to Long Creek in the Catawba River Basin (a) Classification: "C" (b) Minimum 7-Day, 10-Year discharge at site: 0 cfs (c) Usage: Fishing, secondary recreation, agriculture, and any other usage except for primary recreation or as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary or food -processing purposes. Part II - DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED TREATMENT WORKS The applicant is requesting a permit to discharge untreated wastewater from the City's water treatment plant. The wastewater is derived from the back - washing of sand filters and the cleaning of settled alum sludge from the settling basins. The request for an NPDES Permit is in conjunction with the City's earlier application for construction of pretreatment facilities. The proposed pretreatment facilities are actually modifications to existing pretreatment facilities that were constructed about a year and a half ago in accordance with Special Order by Consent EMC WQ 79-33. These pretreatment facilities were the City's first attempt to cease its existing discharge. The facilities basically consisted of two (2) 0.6 MG holding tanks where collected wastewater was agitated to maintain solids suspension before pumping the wastewater to the Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The large volumes of wastewater coupled with the poor drying characteristics of the alum sludge resulted in serious overloading of the sludge dewatering facilities at the Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility. pppp.ppp- Page Two The City is now proposing to convert the existing 0.6 MG holding tanks to settling tanks. Water will be decanted off the surface and returned to the raw water inlet at the water treatment plant. Settled sludge will be drawn off the bottom of the tanks and pumped to a proposed belt press for dewatering. As of November 19, 1981 no permit had been issued for the proposed modifications. As per Mr. Dale Crisp, approval was being withheld pending submission of an acceptable sludge disposal plan. The request for a discharge permit is intended to allow the City to discharge the untreated wastewater to surface waters until the proposed modifications can be made. Part III - EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS During the investigation, it was noted that the City has already begun discharging the untreated wastewater and has already begun construction of the proposed modifications even though they do not have the necessary permits. This Office is considering a recommendation for enforcement action. It appears that the discharge will violate the effluent limitations in an NPDES Permit. It is recommended that an NPDES Permit be issued and that if the discharge is not within the effluent limitations, this Office will consider recommending enforcement action. STAFF REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Part I - INSPECTION OF PROPOSED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SITE 1. Placevvislted: City of Gastonia ?Dater Treatment Facility Gastonia, North Carolina Gaston County 2. Date: September 23, 981 3. By: Thurman Horne �`AWI i 4. Person contacted: Mr. Hershel Jordan 5. Directions to site: The water treatment plant is located at the corner of East Falls Street and East Long Street in Gastonia. 6. The bearing and distance to the existing point of effluent discharge is: Approximately 300 feet west of the crater treatment plant at Longitude 81012'20" and Latitude 35016'50". 7. Size: The existing wastewater treatment facilities are located on a site of approxitiately 1 acre in size. It appears that adequate area exists for tie proposed modifications. 3. Topography: Rolling, slopes. 9. Location of nearest dwelling: Approximately 100 feet. 10. Receiving Stream: An unnamed tributary to Lonq Creek in the Catawba River Basin (a) Classification: "C" (b) Minimum 7-0ay, 10-Year discham e at site: 0 cfs (c) Usage: Fishinq, secondary recreation, agriculture, and any other usage except for primary recreation or as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary or food -processing purposes. Part II - DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED TREATMENT WORKS The applicant is requesting a permit to discharge untreated wastewater from the City's water treatment plant. The wastewater is derived from the back - washing of sand filters and the cleaning of settled alum sludge from the settling basins. The request for an NPDES Permit is in conjunction with the City's earlier application for construction of pretreatment facilities. The proposed pretreatment facilities are actually modifications to existing pretreatment facilities that were constructed about a year and a half ago in accordance with Special Order by Consent EMC WQ 79-33. These pretreatment facilities were the City's first attempt to cease its existing discharge. The facilities basically consisted of two (2) 0.6 MG holding tanks where collected wastewater was agitated to maintain solids suspension before pumping the wastewater to the Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The large volumes of wastewater coupled with the poor drying characteristics of the alum sludge resulted in serious overloading of the sludge dewatering facilities at the Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility. FFV Page Two The City is now proposing to convert the existing 0.6 MG holding tanks to settling tanks. water will be decanted off the surface and returned to the raw water inlet at the water treatment plant. Settled sludge will be drawn off the bottom of the tanks and pumped to a proposed belt press for dewatering. As of November 19, 1981 no permit had been issued for the proposed modifications. As per tor. Dale Crisp, approval was being withheld pending submission of an acceptable sludge disposal plan. The request for a discharge permit is intended to allow the City to discharge the untreated wastewatert_to surface waters until the proposed modifications can be made. Part III - EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS During the investigation, it was n0ed that the City has already begun discharging the untreated wastewater and has already begun construction of the proposed modifications even though t;1ey do not have the necessary permits. This Office is considering a reco;Triendation for enforcement action. It appears that the discharge will violate the effluent limitations in an 11PDES Permit. It is recommended that an NPOES Permit be issued and that if the discharge is not within the effluent limitations, this Office will consi or recotxi,: ndinr7 enforcement action.