NC0020354_NOV - Effluent Toxicity Testing_19990524

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment' and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
3800 Barrett Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
May 24, 1999
CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Mr. Ken Cornatzer
JTown`ittsboro
P.O. Box 759
Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION
Effluent Toxicity Testing
NPDES Permit No. NC00IM _44
Town of Piitsboro WWTP
Chatham-C-ounty--
Dear Mr. Cornatzer:
This is to inform you that a review of your toxicity self-monitoring report form for the month of
March 1999 indicates a violation of the toxicity limitation specified in your NPDES Permit.
You should take whatever remedial actions are necessary to eliminate the conditions causing the
effluent toxicity violation(s). Your efforts may include conducting a Toxicity Reduction Evaluation
(TRE) which is a site-specific study designed to identify the causative agents of effluent toxicity, isolate
the sources of toxicity, evaluate the effectiveness of toxicity control options, and then confirm reductions
in effluent toxicity. Please be aware that North Carolina General Statutes provide for assessment of civil
penalties for violations of NPDES permit limitations and requirements.
You are requested to respond in writing to Mr. Kirk Stafford at DENR/DWQ, 3800 Barrett
Drive, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27609, within 15 days of receipt of this notice detailing what actions have
been or will be undertaken to address the effluent toxicity violation(s).
The reverse side of this Notice contains important information concerning your Whole Effluent
Toxicity Monitoring and Reporting Requirements. We encourage you to review this information and if it
would be helpful to discuss this situation or possible solutions to resolve effluent toxicity
noncompliance, please contact Mr. Stafford with this office at [phone].
Sincerely,
' Kenneth Schuster, P.E.
Regional Water Quality Supervisor
cc: Central -Files
`Aquatic Toxicology Unit

WHOLE EFFLUENT TOXICITY MONITORING AND REPORTING INFORMATION
The following items are provided in an effort to assist you with identifying critical and sometimes overlooked
toxicity testing and reporting information. Please take time to review this information. The items below do not
address or include all the toxicity testing and reporting requirements contained in your NPDES permit. If you
should have any questions about your toxicity testing requirement, please contact Mr. Kevin Bowden with the
Aquatic Toxicology Unit at [phone] or another Unit representative at the same number.
• The permittee is responsible for ensuring that toxicity testing is conducted according to the permit requirement and
that toxicity report forms are appropriately filed.
• The reporting of whole effluent toxicity testing data is a dual requirement. All toxicity test results must be entered
(with the appropriate parameter code) on your monthly Discharge Monitoring Report which is submitted to:
Central Files
Division of Water Quality
P.O. Box 29535
Raleigh, NC 27626-0535
IN ADDITION
• Toxicity test data (original "AT" form) must be submitted to the following address:
Environmental Sciences Branch
Division of Water Quality
4401 Reedy Creek Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607-6445
• Toxicity test results shall be submitted to the Environmental Sciences Branch no later than 30 days after the end of
the reporting period (eg, January test result is due by the end of February).
• Language present in the NPDES Permit may specify an increase in monitoring frequency to monthly upon any single
quarterly toxicity test failure. Please keep this in mind as the Environmental Sciences Branch will be expecting test
data after any single quarterly test failure. Upon passing, the testing frequency will revert to quarterly.
• Toxicity testing months are specified by the NPDES Permit, except for NPDES Permits which contain episodic
toxicity monitoring requirements (eg, if the testing months specified in your NPDES permit are March, June,
September, and December, then toxicity testing must be conducted during these months).
• If your NPDES Permit specifies episodic monitoring and your facility does not have a discharge from January 1 -June
30, then you must provide written notification to the Environmental Sciences Branch by June 30 that a discharge did
not occur during the first six months of the calendar year.
• If you receive notification from your contract laboratory that a test was invalidated, you should immediately notify
the Environmental Sciences Branch at [phone] and provide written documentation indicating why the test was
invalidated and the date when follow-up testing will occur.
• If your facility is required to conduct toxicity testing during a month in which no discharge occurs, you should
complete the information block located at the top of the AT form indicating the facility name, permit number, pipe
number, county and the month/year of the subject report. You should also write "No Flow" on the AT form, sign
the form and submit following normal procedures.
• If your NPDES Permit specifies North Carolina Phase II Toxicity Testing, please be reminded that the first test of the
monitoring quarter may be conducted as a single concentration test. If the test result is "fail", then you are required
to conduct multiple concentration toxicity testing during each remaining month of the calendar qu rU'�n'y'j"�'
values for the calendar quarter will be averaged arithmetically and compliance will be determined n -ter.
• The Aquatic Toxicity Test forms shall be signed by the facility's Operator in Responsible Charge ) exSpffirr
facilities which have not received a facility classification. In these cases, a duly authorized facility representat*yeE�
must sign the AT form. The AT form must also be signed by the performing lab supervisor. GFg-rRAL
• To determine if your AT test forms were received on time by the Division of Water Quality, you may consider
submitting your toxicity test results certified mail, return receipt requested to the Environmental Sciences Branch.