NC0045144_Compliance Evaluation Inspection Report_20171016

Water Resources
ENVIRONMENTAL OUAL#TY
October 16, 2017
Jay Fuller
Alamance -Burlington School System
1732 Vaughn Road
Burlington, NC 27217
Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection Report
NPDES Permit NCO045144
Western Alamance High School WWTP, Alamance County
Dear Mr. Fuller:
ROY COOPER
MICHAEL S. RECAN
spavary
5, JAY ZIMMERMAN
Dftvtor
OCT 2 7 2017
Water Quality
Permitting Section
On October 5, 2017, Paul DiMatteo of the Division of Water Resources ("Division"), Winston-Salem
Regional Office conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection of the above referenced wastewater treatment
system. Matthew Smith, Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC), was present for the inspection. An inspection
summary follows and an inspection report is attached for your records.
Site Review
1. Permit
The current permit became effective on July 1, 2016 and expires on April 30, 2021. A copy of the
current permit was available for review. Permitted components include a septic tank, sand filter,
UV disinfection and backup chlorination.
2. Facility Site Review
The facility was as described in the permit. Access to the site is restricted by a chain link fence.
Wastewater is dosed to the sand filter with a siphon mechanism, not a pump. A high water alarm is
not present in the dosing tank.
3. Operation and Maintenance
The operator or a properly designated backup visits the site as required. Visitation logs were
current and available during the inspection.
It was noted that our list of designated operators is not up to date. Please complete and submit the
enclosed operator designation form so that our database can be updated.
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300, Winston-Salem, NC 27105

Previous inspections noted that the sand bed appeared increasingly worse with time. While the
bed's operation could not be evaluated during the inspection, it should be maintained to ensure
proper operation.- Mr. Smith said that .the bed is occasionally raked by maintenance staff.
4. Flow Measurement
Flow is estimated using data from the potable water meter.
5. Effluent/Receiving Waters
The effluent is discharged into the Haw River in the Cape Fear River Basin. The outfall was visible
from the bridge over the Haw River on Gerringer Mill Road. There was a slight discharge during the
inspection. The stream did not appear to be negatively impacted.
Documentation Review
6. Records/Reports
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and lab data are maintained according to the permit. DMRs
include all permit parameters. Copies of DMRs, operator visitation logs, lab reports and Chain -of -
Custody forms were available for review during the inspection.
7. Self -Monitoring Program
A review of DMRs from January, 2016 through July, 2017 showed no violations, and a comparison
of submitted DMR data and field records showed no errors or concerns.
8. Laboratory
All parameters are analyzed by Research & Analytical Laboratories, Certification #34. ORC measures
pH and temperature at the facility. All other samples are collected by the ORC and analyzed at the
main laboratory.
pH meter pre -run calibration and sampling procedures appeared acceptable. However, Mr. Smith
said that a post analysis calibration check was not performed. Please refer to the enclosed technical
assistance document, which states that "When performing analyses away from the certified
laboratory's primary location, a post analysis calibration verification using the check standard
buffer must be analyzed at the end of the run."
Temperature is measured using the digital thermometer on the Dissolved Oxygen meter. It was
.noted that the last calibration of this meter was performed on October 6, 2016. Mr. Smith said he
would have the main laboratory perform the calibration within the coming days.
9. Sludge Handling Disposal
Mr. Smith said that the septic tank is usually emptied twice per year. Records of the removal were
available on site. The tank was pumped on 8/2017, 10/2016, 8/2016, and 2/2015 by Jenkins Waste
Management.
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300, Winston-Salem, NC 27105

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul DiMatteo at [phone] or
our office at [phone].
Sincerely,
t_/Sherri V. Knight, P.E., Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Winston-Salem Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
Enclosures — pH TA Document, Inspection Report and Summary
CC: Matthew Smith — by email
WQS Winston-Salem Regional Office - Enforcement File
NPDES Compliance/Enforcement Unit - Enforcement File
Central Files
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300, Winston-Salem, NC 27105

United States Environmental Protection Agency
Fort Approved
EPA Washington, D C 20460
OMB No 2040-0057
Water Compliance Inspection Report
Approval expires s-31-98
Section A National Data System Coding (I a, PCS)
Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type Inspector Fac Type
1 E 2 IS 1 3 I NCO045144 I11 12 17/10/05 17 18 I S I 19 l c I 201 I
211111 1 1 1 1 1 1 II I LI I l 1 l l l l l l I I I I I I I I l 1 l 11 1 1 1 1 1.166
Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating 131 QA ----- Reserved --
67 70 IJ 711 itI 72 �, 731 I 174 75 80
JData L_J I I I
Section B Facility
Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also Include
Entry Time/Date
Permit Effective Date
POTW name and NPDES permit Number)
09 30AM 17/10/05
16107/01
Western Alamance High School
1731 NC Hwy B7 N
Exit Time/Date
Permit Expiration Date
Elon College NC 27244
11 45AM 17/10/05
21104130
Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s)
Other Facility Data
Matthew P Smith/ORC/336-414-8274/
Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number
Contacted
Jay Fuller,1732 Vaughn Rd Burlington NC 27217//336-570-6482/3365706485
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 Facility Site Review Effluent/Receiving Waters
Laboratory
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
Paul DlMatteo WSRO WQ//336-776-9691/
-y2-.c " j)A00 /b/107_
Signature of M nagement Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date
EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete
Page#

NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type (Cont.)
-3 1 - - - NCO045144 I11 12 17/10/05 11' - 18 ICI
Section D. Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary)
Site Review
1 Permit
The current permit became effective on July 1, 2016 and expires on April 30, 2021 A copy of the
current permit was available for review Permitted nomponents include a septic tank, sand filter, UV
disinfection and backup chlorination
2 Facility Site Review
The facility was as described in the permit Access to the site is restricted by a chain link fence.
Wastewater is dosed to the sand filter with a siphon mechanism, not a pump. A high water alarm is not
present in the dosing tank.
3 Operation and Maintenance
The operator or a properly designated backup visits the site as required. Visitation logs were current
and available during the inspection
It was noted that our list of designated operators is not up to date. Please complete and submit the
enclosed operator designation form so that our database can be updated
Previous inspections noted that the sand bed appeared increasingly worse with time While the bed's
operation could not be evaluated during the inspection, it should be maintained to ensure proper
operation Mr Smith said that the bed is occasionally raked by maintenance staff
4 Flow Measurement
Flow is estimated using data from the potable water meter
5 Effluent/Receiving Waters
The effluent Is discharged Into the Haw River in the Cape Fear River Basin. The outfall was visible from
the bridge over the Haw River on Gerringer MITI Road There was a slight discharge during the
inspection The stream did not appear to be negatively impacted.
Documentation Review
6 Records/Reports
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and lab data are maintained according to the permit. DMRs
Include all permit parameters. Copies of DMRs, operator visitation logs, lab reports and
Cham -of -Custody forms were available for review during the inspection
7 Self -Monitoring Program
A review of DMRs from January, 2016 through July, 2017 showed no violations, and a comparison of
submitted DMR data and field records showed no errors or concerns.
8. Laboratory
All parameters are analyzed by Research & Analytical Laboratories, Certification #34 ORC measures
pH and temperature at the facility All other samples are collected by the ORC and analyzed at the
main laboratory.
pH meter pre -run calibration and sampling procedures appeared acceptable However, Mr Smith said
that a post analysis calibration check was not performed. Please refer to the enclosed technical
Page#

Permit NCO045144
Owner - Facility western Alamance High School
- inspection Date: 10/05/2017 - inspection Type- Compliance Evaluation
assistance document, which states that "When performing analyses away from the certified
laboratory's primary location, a post analysis calibration verification using the check standard buffer
must be analyzed at the end of the run "
Temperature Is measured using the digital thermometer on the Dissolved Oxygen meter. It was noted
that the last calibration of this meter was performed on October 6, 2016. Mr Smith said he would have
the main laboratory perform the calibration within the coming days
9 -Sludge Handling Disposal
Mr Smith said that the septic tank is usually emptied twice per year Records of the removal were
available on site The tank was pumped on 8/2017, 10/2016, 8/2016, and 2/2015 by Jenkins Waste
Management
Page#

Permit NCO045144 Owner - Facility western Alamance High School
Inspection Date- 10/05/2017 Inspection Type Compliance Evaluation
Operations $ Maintenance Yes No NA NE
Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? M ❑ ❑ ❑
Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex- MLSS, MCRT, Settleable ❑ ❑ ❑
Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable?
Comment:
Permit
Yes No NA NE
(If the present permit expires In 6 months or less) Has the permittee submitted a new
❑
❑
0
❑
application?
0
❑
❑
❑
Is the facility as described in the permit?
0
❑
❑
❑
# Are there any special conditions for the permit?
❑
0
❑
❑
Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public?
❑
❑
❑
❑
Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection?
❑
❑
❑
Comment.
Record Keeping
Yes No NA NE
Are records kept and maintained as required by the permit?
0
❑
❑
❑
Is all required information readily available, complete and current?
0
❑
❑
❑
Are all records maintained for 3 years (lab reg. required 5 years)?
0
❑
❑
❑
Are analytical results consistent with data reported on DMRs?
M
❑
❑
❑
Is the chain -of -custody complete?
❑
❑
❑
0
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 CDCs
0
Are DMRs complete- do they include all permit parameters?
M
❑
❑
❑
Has the facility submitted Its annual compliance report to users and DWQ?
❑
❑
M
❑
(If the facility is = or > 5 MGD permitted flow) Do they operate 24/7 with a certified operator
❑
❑
M
❑
on each shift?
Is the ORC visitation log available and current?
M
❑
❑
❑
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?
❑
❑
❑
Is a copy of the current NPDES permit available on site?
M
❑
❑
❑
Page# 4

Permit NCO045144 Owner - Facility Western Alamance High School
Inspection Date -10/05/2017 - Inspection Type Compliance Evaluation
Record Keeping Yes No NA NE
Facility has copy of previous year's Annual Report on file for review? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment: In the Operator's loci book, it looked like there was only one visit In each of July and August.
Mr. Smith said he did visit the plant but did not record it. I reminded him to record ever
Yes No NA NE
# Is flow meter used for reporting?
visitation
0
❑
❑
Chain of Custody - it is not known whether the laboratory maintains a more complete copy
❑
❑
Effluent Pipe
Yes No NA NE
Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained?
❑ ❑
110
❑
Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris?
0 ❑
❑
❑
If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly?
❑ ❑
0
❑
Comment:
Flow Measurement - Influent
Yes No NA NE
# Is flow meter used for reporting?
❑
0
❑
❑
Is flow meter calibrated annually?
❑
❑
❑
0
Is the flow meter operational?
M
❑
❑
❑
(If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter?
❑
❑
M
❑
Comment: Flow is estimated from the water usage. School is connected to a municipal
public water
❑
❑
supply Water consumption is measured at the intake, and that is used to estimate the
Is effluent clear and free of solids?
0
❑
effluent. The outfall proiects several feet into the Haw River
❑
Disinfection - UV
Yes No NA NE
Are extra UV bulbs available on site?
E
❑
❑
❑
Are UV bulbs clean?
❑
❑
❑
0
Is UV intensity adequate?
❑
❑
❑
0
Is transmittance at or above designed level?
❑
❑
❑
0
Is there a backup system on site?
0
❑
❑
❑
Is effluent clear and free of solids?
0
❑
❑
❑
Comment. UV system is in a fullv contained tube A panel in the control box indicates whether each bulb
Is functioning, and an arm can be moved to clean the bulbs from the outside The panel
indicated that all 6 bulbs were running. There was an extra bulb on site, and the ORC said
he had the ability to obtain chlorine tablets in case of an outage
Septic Tank Yes No NA NE
(If pumps are used) Is an audible and visual alarm operational? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Is septic tank pumped on a schedule? N ❑ ❑ ❑
Page# 5

Permit NCO045144
Inspection Date 10/05/2017
Owner - Facility- western Alamance High School
Inspection Type- Compliance Evaluation
Septic Tank Yes No NA NE
Are pumps or syphons operating properly? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Are high and low water alarms operating properly? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment: Septic tank has at least 2 compartments with a capacity of at least 21.000 gallons There
are no pumps or alarms. There is a siphon mechanism that doses to the sand filter once the
level in the dosing tank reaches a certain volume. The grease/solids level in the tank
appeared to be acceptable.
Sand Filters (Low rate)
Yes No NA NE
(If pumps are used) Is an audible and visible alarm Present and operational'?
❑
❑
0
❑
Is the distribution box level and watertight?
❑
❑
0
❑
Is sand filter free of ponding?
❑
❑
❑
M
Is the sand filter effluent re -circulated at a valid ratio?
❑
❑
0
❑
# Is the sand filter surface free of algae or excessive vegetation?
0
❑
❑
❑
# Is the sand filter effluent re -circulated at a valid ratic? (Approximately 3 to 1)
❑
❑
M
❑
Comment Water did not run through the sand filter during the inspection The ORC said that there is no
way to recirculate efFleunt. Previous inspections indicated that the sand media looked
Progressively worse. I retained a picture during the inspection to keep as a record. ORC
said that the sand is raked every couple weeks but has not been replaced.
Laboratory
Yes No NA NE
Are field parameters performed by certified personnel or laboratory?
0
❑
❑
❑
Are all other parameters(excluding field parameters) performed by a certified lab?
0
❑
❑
❑
# Is the facility using a contract lab?
M
❑
❑
❑
# Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6 0 degrees
❑
❑
❑
Celsius)?
Incubator (Fecal Coliform) set to 44 5 degrees Celsius+/- 0 2 degrees?
❑
❑
❑
Incubator (BOD) set to 20 0 degrees Celsius +/-1 0 dagrees?
❑
❑
❑
0
Comment: Did not conduct inspection durina a samDlina day. However. ORC demonstrated his
technique for calibrating pH meter and I verified that the thermometer had been calibrated
within the last year. ORC does not perform a calibration check at the end of the run
Thermometer calibration was due again this month.
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?
❑ ❑ ❑ ■
❑ ❑ N ❑
Page# 6

Permit- NCO045144 Owner - Facility western Alamance High School
-inspection-Date: 10/0512017 InspectiorrType• Compliance Evaluation- _
Effluent Sampling Yes No NA NE
# Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6 0 degrees ❑ ❑ ❑ 0
Celsius)?
Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type ] ❑ ❑ ❑
representative)?
Comment. Inspection was not conducted during a sampling day. However. ORC demonstrated his
technique for obtaining grab samples.
Page# 7