NC0035386_Draft Permit_20170614

d t
Water Resources
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
June 14, 2017
Mr. John Higdon
Cherokee County Schools
911 Andrews Road
Murphy, NC 28906
ROY COOPER
Goventot
MICHAEL S REGAN
Sect etary
S JAY ZIMMERMAN
Du ectot
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NCO035386
Hiwassee Dam School WWTP-Class II
Cherokee County
Dear Mr. Higdon:
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. 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:
➢ Section A.(2.) has been added to require electronic submission of effluent data.
Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports
(DMRs).
➢ Regulatory citations have been added to the permit.
With this notification, the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by
publishing a notice in newspapers having circulation in the general Cherokee County area,
per EPA requirements. Please provide your comments, if any, to me 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 call me at 919-807-6388 or email at aniali.orlando(2rncdenngov.
Sincerely,
Anjah Orlando
Compliance and Expedited Permitting Unit
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
919 807 6300 919-807-6389 FAX
https //deq nc gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-resources-permits/wastewater-branch/npdes-wastewater-permits

cc: NPDES Files
Asheville Regional Office

u
Permit NC0035386
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
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
Cherokee County Schools
are hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Hiwassee Dam School WWTP
7755 NC Highway 294, northwest of Murphy
Cherokee County
to receiving waters designated as Thompson Branch in the Hiwassee 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 August 31, 2022.
Signed this day
DRAFT
S. Jay Zimmerman, P.G.
Director, Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 7

W
Permit NC0035386
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.
The Cherokee County Schools are hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.088 MGD wastewater treatment facility with the
following components:
♦ Septic tank
♦ Sand filter
♦ Chlorine disinfection
The facility is located at the Hiwassee Dam School WWTP, 775 NC Highway 294,
northwest of Murphy in Cherokee County.
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into
Thompson Branch (stream index 1-77-2), a currently classified C stream in sub -basin 04-
05-02 of the Hiwassee River Basin.
Page 2 of 7

Permit NC0035386
Part I.
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15 NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the Permittee
is authorized to discharge from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored' by the
Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS
LIMITS
MONITORING
REQUIREMENTS
Monthly
Daily
Measurement
Sample
Sample
Parameter Code
Average
Maximum
Frequency
Type
Location
Flow
0.0088 MGD
Weekly
Instantaneous
Influent or Effluent
50050
BOD, 5 -day (20°C)
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
C0310
Total Suspended Solids
30.0 mg/L
45 0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
00530
NH3 as N
35 0 mg/L
35.0 mg/L
Monthly
Grab
Effluent
C0610
Fecal Coliform (geometric mean)
200/100 ml
400/100 ml
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
31616
Total Residual Chlorine2
28 pg/L
2/Week
Grab
Effluent
50060
Temperature (°C)
Weekly
Grab
Effluent
00010
pH
Not < 6 0 nor > 9 0
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
00400
Standard Units
Footnote:
1. The permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the Division's eDMR
system [see A. (2.)].
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.
All samples must be taken from a typical discharge event.
THERE SHALL BE NO DISCHARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN OTHER
THAN TRACE AMOUNTS
A. (2.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[NCGS 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.
Page 3 of 7

Permit NCO035386
NOTE: This special condition supplements or supersedes the following sections within Part II
of this permit (Standard Conditions for NPDES Permits):
• Section B. (11.) Signatory Requirements
• Section D. (2.) Reporting
• Section D. (6.) Records Retention
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D. (2.1 and Section E. (5.1 (a1]
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.
Until such time that the state's eDMR application is compliant with EPA's Cross -Media
Electronic Reporting Regulation (CROMERR), permittees will be required to submit all
discharge monitoring data to the state electronically using eDMR and will be required to
complete the eDMR submission by printing, signing, and submitting one signed original
and a copy of the computer printed eDMR 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
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 mailing address above. See "How to
Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below.
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, 2020, the permittee must electronically report the following
compliance monitoring data and reaorts, 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).
Page 4 of 7

Permit NC0035386
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:
http: / /www2.epa. gov / compliance / final-national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-
npdes-electronic-reporting-rule.
Electronic submissions must start by the dates listed in the "Reporting Requirements"
section above.
3. How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting
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 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. sov / about / divisions /water -resources / edmr
4. Signatory Requirements [Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes
Section B. (11.) (d)1
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person
described in Part II, Section B. (11.)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that
person as described in Part II, Section B. (11.)(b). A person, and not a position, must be
delegated signatory authority for eDMR reporting purposes.
Page 5 of 7

Permit NC0035386
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 followmg web page:
htt-p://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. (6.11
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 6 of 7

0
,
arkt 1 a8`
rm
_\A
DISCHARGE
POINT
1W,
_/
Hiwassee Dam School
Cherokee County
County: Cherokee Stream Class: C
Receiving Stream: Thompson Branch Sub -Basin: 04-05-02
Latitude: 35° 06' 15" Grid/Quad: G2SW/Persimmon Ck
Longitude: 84' 13' 28" HUC M 06020002
Page 7 of 7
Facility .,
Location X
(not to scale)
RTH
FNPDES Permit: NCO035386