The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutNC0021229_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20240209 SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL ONLY: NO HARD COPY WILL BE MAILED. February 9, 2024 Rick Hensley, Mayor Town of Old Fort Email: mayor@oldfortnc.com SUBJECT: Compliance Inspection Report Old Fort WWTP NPDES WW Permit No. NC0021229 McDowell County Dear Permittee: The North Carolina Division of Water Resources conducted an inspection of the Old Fort WWTP on 1/30/2024. This inspection was conducted to verify that the facility is operating in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified in NPDES WW Permit No. NC0021229. The findings and comments noted during this inspection are provided in the enclosed copy of the inspection report entitled "Compliance Inspection Report". There were no significant issues or findings noted during the inspection and therefore, a response to this inspection report is not required. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mara Chamlee with the Water Quality Regional Operations Section in the Asheville Regional Office at 828-296-4500 or via email at mara.chamlee@deq.nc.gov. Sincerely, Daniel Boss, Assistant Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Asheville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ ATTACHMENTS: Inspection Report Ec: Laserfiche, Josh Cagle (ORC) DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Water Compliance Inspection Report Form Approved. OMB No. 2040-0057 Approval expires 8-31-98 Section A: National Data System Coding (i.e., PCS) Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type Inspector Fac Type 1 N 52 NC0021229 24/01/30 C S31112171819 20 21 66 Inspection Work Days Facility Self-Monitoring Evaluation Rating B1 QA ----------------------Reserved------------------- N67707172 73 74 75 80 Section B: Facility Data Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also include POTW name and NPDES permit Number) Old Fort WWTP Catawba Ave US Hwy 70 Old Fort NC 28762 Entry Time/Date Permit Effective Date Exit Time/Date Permit Expiration Date 12:30PM 24/01/30 20/10/01 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) /// Joshua Kenneth Cagle/ORC// Other Facility Data 03:30PM 24/01/30 25/01/31 Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number Ashley Wooten,60 E Court St Marion NC 28752//828-652-7121/Contacted No Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) Permit Flow Measurement Operations & Maintenance Records/Reports Self-Monitoring Program Sludge Handling Disposal Effluent/Receiving Waters Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) (See attachment summary) Name(s) and Signature(s) of Inspector(s)Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date Lauren E Armeni DWR/ARO WQ/828-296-4500/ Mara G Chamlee DWR/ARO WQ/828-296-4500/ Signature of Management Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete. Page#1 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 2/9/2024 2/9/2024 2/9/2024 NPDES yr/mo/day 24/01/30 Inspection Type C3111218 1 Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) Mara Chamlee and Lauren Armeni, with the Asheville Regional Office, conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection of the Town of Old Fort WWTP on January 30, 2024. This inspection was conducted to determine whether the facility is being operated and maintained in compliance with NPDES Permit No. NC0021229. Mr. Josh Cagle (ORC) was present and assisted with the inspection. Overall, the facility appears to be well maintained and operated. At the time of the inspection, the faclity staff was limited, and Mr. Cagle noted that the Town should be hiring a full-time BORC within the coming weeks. The following items were noted during the inspection: 1) Permit: The influent flow measurement can be taken off the permit components list because they currently measure the effluent flow only. The permit includes two 72,000-gallon "sludge storage dewatering tanks" which should be renamed "Aerobic Digesters" on the permit components list. 2) Influent Pump Station- The influent wet well did not have a lid at the time of the inspection. A lid should be placed on top to cover the manhole. 3) Equalization Basins- The EQ basin has not been used because the extra capacity has not been needed. In order to be able to operate the EQ basin again, the float control system will need to be repaired or replaced. It is recommended to evaluate the float control system as soon as possible because the facility should have a fully functioning EQ basin. 4) Aeration Basins- There are two aeration basisns present at the facility, both of which are operational. At the time of the inspection, only basin #1 was in use as the additional capacity with #2 is not needed. The facility does not have an additional backup surface aerator, but the ORC indicated that they are in the process of aquiring a backup aerator. 5) Secondary Clarifiers- There are four clarifiers present, but only clarifier #4 is in use. Clarifier #2 is operable, but it is not presently in use as the capacity is not needed. Clarifiers #1 and #3 are offline. 6) Aerobic Digester- There are two digesters on site, however only one is in use and the second is offline. 7) Solids Handling Equipment- There is a storm drain present under the covered area where the dried sludge drops from the belt press into the dumpster for hauling to the landfill. It is recommended to protect the storm drain with a permeable berm, such as a strawbale berm, to prevent solids from accessing the storm drain. NC0021229 17 (Cont.) Page#2 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Permit Yes No NA NE (If the present permit expires in 6 months or less). Has the permittee submitted a new application? Is the facility as described in the permit? # Are there any special conditions for the permit? Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public? Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection? Comment: Operations & Maintenance Yes No NA NE Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex: MLSS, MCRT, Settleable Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable? Process controls utilized include pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and settleable solids.Comment: Record Keeping Yes No NA NE Are records kept and maintained as required by the permit? Is all required information readily available, complete and current? Are all records maintained for 3 years (lab. reg. required 5 years)? Are analytical results consistent with data reported on DMRs? Is the chain-of-custody complete? Dates, times and location of sampling Name of individual performing the sampling Results of analysis and calibration Dates of analysis Name of person performing analyses Transported COCs Are DMRs complete: do they include all permit parameters? Has the facility submitted its annual compliance report to users and DWQ? (If the facility is = or > 5 MGD permitted flow) Do they operate 24/7 with a certified operator on each shift? Is the ORC visitation log available and current? Is the ORC certified at grade equal to or higher than the facility classification? Is the backup operator certified at one grade less or greater than the facility classification? Page#3 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Record Keeping Yes No NA NE Is a copy of the current NPDES permit available on site? Facility has copy of previous year's Annual Report on file for review? The Annual Report is available on the Town's website for viewing. The Town uses Water Tech Labs and Environmental Testing Solutions for their sampling analyses. Comment: Pump Station - Influent Yes No NA NE Is the pump wet well free of bypass lines or structures? Is the wet well free of excessive grease? Are all pumps present? Are all pumps operable? Are float controls operable? Is SCADA telemetry available and operational? Is audible and visual alarm available and operational? There are three pumps present, each of which were operational. The float controls are not in use because an ultrasonic level sensor is in place to determine high-levels. The influent wet well did not have a lid and a lid should be placed on the manhole. Telemetry is available for one-way dialing. See summary for details. Comment: Influent Sampling Yes No NA NE # Is composite sampling flow proportional? Is sample collected above side streams? Is proper volume collected? Is the tubing clean? # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees Celsius)? Is sampling performed according to the permit? Influent sampling is performed as time-based composite. The sampler was turned off at the time of the inspection, as the facility samples weekly on Mondays. Mr. Cagle noted that he cleanes the tubes out as needed. Comment: Bar Screens Yes No NA NE Type of bar screen a.Manual b.Mechanical Are the bars adequately screening debris? Is the screen free of excessive debris? Page#4 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Bar Screens Yes No NA NE Is disposal of screening in compliance? Is the unit in good condition? A manual bar screen is present as a back-up in the event that it is needed. There is a drain in the influent room that goes back to the headworks. Comment: Grit Removal Yes No NA NE Type of grit removal a.Manual b.Mechanical Is the grit free of excessive organic matter? Is the grit free of excessive odor? # Is disposal of grit in compliance? The grit is disposed of into a super sack container, which drains the liquid, and is then transported to the landfill. Comment: Equalization Basins Yes No NA NE Is the basin aerated? Is the basin free of bypass lines or structures to the natural environment? Is the basin free of excessive grease? Are all pumps present? Are all pumps operable? Are float controls operable? Are audible and visual alarms operable? # Is basin size/volume adequate? Mr. Cagle indicated that they do not currently use the equilzation basins and that they can manually direct flow into the EQ basins if needed. The splitter box is now operational as gates 1-3 were recently replaced. He also indicated that they have not had to use the floats and they are not sure how they operate. If the EQ basin is to become operable again in the future, they will need to return the floats and alarms to a properly functioning state. See summary for details. Comment: Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE Mode of operation Ext. Air Type of aeration system Surface Is the basin free of dead spots? Are surface aerators and mixers operational? Page#5 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Aeration Basins Yes No NA NE Are the diffusers operational? Is the foam the proper color for the treatment process? Does the foam cover less than 25% of the basin’s surface? Is the DO level acceptable? Is the DO level acceptable?(1.0 to 3.0 mg/l) At the time of the inspection, only aeration basin #1 was in use. Basin #2 is operational, but the capacity is not presently needed. During the inspection, the DO in Zone #1 measured 2.1 mg/L, Zone #2 measured 2.27 mg/L, and Zone #3 measured 2.01 mg/L. Settleability was 48% after 30 minutes. See summary for details. Comment: Secondary Clarifier Yes No NA NE Is the clarifier free of black and odorous wastewater? Is the site free of excessive buildup of solids in center well of circular clarifier? Are weirs level? Is the site free of weir blockage? Is the site free of evidence of short-circuiting? Is scum removal adequate? Is the site free of excessive floating sludge? Is the drive unit operational? Is the return rate acceptable (low turbulence)? Is the overflow clear of excessive solids/pin floc? Is the sludge blanket level acceptable? (Approximately ¼ of the sidewall depth) The facility has 4 clarifiers but only clarifier #4 is in operation. Clarifier #2 is operable, but it is not currently in use. Clarifiers #1 and #3 are offline. The outside of #4 was resurfaced in October 2023 by Southern Corrosion Inc. and the inside will be resurfaced in 2024. At the time of the inspection, the sludge blanket measured 2 feet out of 12 feet of water. Mr. Cagle indicated that he cleans off the weirs weekly. Comment: Disinfection-Liquid Yes No NA NE Is there adequate reserve supply of disinfectant? (Sodium Hypochlorite) Is pump feed system operational? Is bulk storage tank containment area adequate? (free of leaks/open drains) Is the level of chlorine residual acceptable? Is the contact chamber free of growth, or sludge buildup? Is there chlorine residual prior to de-chlorination? Page#6 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Disinfection-Liquid Yes No NA NE There is one open drain in the storage room that goes back to the headworks. Mr. Cagle indicated that they pump out the chlorine contact chamber annually. Comment: De-chlorination Yes No NA NE Type of system ?Liquid Is the feed ratio proportional to chlorine amount (1 to 1)? Is storage appropriate for cylinders? # Is de-chlorination substance stored away from chlorine containers? Comment: Are the tablets the proper size and type? Are tablet de-chlorinators operational? Number of tubes in use? Comment: Flow Measurement - Effluent Yes No NA NE # Is flow meter used for reporting? Is flow meter calibrated annually? Is the flow meter operational? (If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter? Mr. Cagle indicated that a new flow meter was installed in July 2023 and is functioning well. The flow meter is calibrated annually by KDT Service Technologies. It was last calibrated on July 18, 2023. Comment: Effluent Sampling Yes No NA NE Is composite sampling flow proportional? Is sample collected below all treatment units? Is proper volume collected? Is the tubing clean? # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees Celsius)? Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type representative)? Sampling is performed weekly. The sampler was not on at the time of the inspection, therefore the temperature was not evaluated. Comment: Page#7 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Aerobic Digester Yes No NA NE Is the capacity adequate? Is the mixing adequate? Is the site free of excessive foaming in the tank? # Is the odor acceptable? # Is tankage available for properly waste sludge? There are two digesters present at the facility, but only one is in use and the second is offline. The digester is aerated continuously, unless it is decanting. The digester is wasted as needed and decants to the influent manhole. The outside of the digester was recently resurfaced by Southern Corrosion Inc. See summary for details. Comment: Solids Handling Equipment Yes No NA NE Is the equipment operational? Is the chemical feed equipment operational? Is storage adequate? Is the site free of high level of solids in filtrate from filter presses or vacuum filters? Is the site free of sludge buildup on belts and/or rollers of filter press? Is the site free of excessive moisture in belt filter press sludge cake? The facility has an approved sludge management plan? There is a storm drain present under the covered area where the dried sludge drops from the belt press into the dumpster for hauling to the landfill. There is potential for residual excess dried sludge on the ground in the area to reach the storm drain during rain events. See summary for details. Comment: Effluent Pipe Yes No NA NE Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained? Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris? If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly? Comment: Standby Power Yes No NA NE Is automatically activated standby power available? Is the generator tested by interrupting primary power source? Is the generator tested under load? Was generator tested & operational during the inspection? Do the generator(s) have adequate capacity to operate the entire wastewater site? Page#8 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55 Permit:NC0021229 Inspection Date:01/30/2024 Owner - Facility: Inspection Type: Old Fort WWTP Compliance Evaluation Standby Power Yes No NA NE Is there an emergency agreement with a fuel vendor for extended run on back-up power? Is the generator fuel level monitored? The Town Maintenance Dept. services the generator annually. Mr. Cagle indicated that a new transfer switch had been installed in 2023. The generator auto-exercises every Wednesday at 8:00 am not under load and at 10:00 am under load for 30 minutes each. The Town has an emergency fuel agreement with Marion Oil Company in the event of an extended power outage. Comment: Page#9 DocuSign Envelope ID: 2BD6EDC4-3720-4799-A9D8-9B0C8267BC55