WQ0002096_Final Permit_20010907

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
Gregory J. Thorpe, Acting Director
Mr. A. Steven Pierce
A. Steven Pierce and Associates
Rt.l Box 19k
Ahoskie, North Carolina 27910
Dear Mr. Pierce
Alk'"T_
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NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL REsduRcE 5
September 7, 2001
Subject: Permit No. WQ0002096
A. Steven Pierce and Associates
Pinewood Manor Rest Home
Wastewater Spray Irrigation
Hertford County
In accordance with your application received August 31, 2001, we are forwarding herewith
Permit No. WQ0002096, dated September 7, 2001 to A. Steven Pierce and Associates for the
construction and operation of the subject wastewater treatment and spray irrigation facilities.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until August 31, 2006, shall void Permit
No. WQ0002096 issued November 19, 1999, and shall be subject to the conditions and limitations as
specified therein. Please pay particular attention to the monitoring requirements in this permit. Failure
to establish an adequate system for collecting and maintaining the required operational information
will result in future compliance problems.
If any parts, requirements, or limitations contained in this permit are unacceptable, you have
the right to request an adjudicatory hearing upon written request. within thirty (30) days following
receipt of this permit. This request must be in the form of a written petition, conforming to Chapter
150B of the North Carolina General Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings,
6714 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6714. Unless such demands are made this permit shall
be final and binding.
1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617 Telephone [phone] Fax [phone]B
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/10% post -consumer paper

One set of approved plans and specifications is being forwarded to you. If you need additional
information concerning this matter, please contact Teresa Rodrigues at [phone] extension 595.
legor
ely,
y I Thorpe
cc: Hertford County Health Department
Washington Regional Office, Water Quality Section
Washington Regional Office, Groundwater Section
Groundwater Section, Central Office
Technical Assistance and Certification Unit
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
2

NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
SPRAY IRRIGATION SYSTEM PERMIT
In accordance with the provisions of Article 21 of Chapter 143, General Statutes of North Carolina as amended,
and other applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO
A. Steven Pierce and Associates
Hertford County
FOR THE
construction and continued operation of a 7,500 GPD spray irrigation treatment and disposal facility consisting of
influent pump station with a 20 GPM grinder pump and a 40 GPM grinder pump, a 500,000 gallon
stabilization/holding lagoon, a 115 GPM spray irrigation pump, a chlorine injection system and approximately 8.2
acres irrigation area (3.6 acres existing and 4.6 acres new) to serve Pinewood Manor Rest Home with no
discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received August 31, 2000, and in conformity
with the project plan, specifications, and other supporting data subsequently fled and approved by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources and considered a part of this permit.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until August 31, 2006, shall void Permit No.
WQ0002096 issued November 19, 1999, and shall be subject to the following specified conditions and
limitations:
I. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Upon completion of construction and prior to operation of this permitted facility, a certification must
be received from a professional engineer certifying that the permitted facility has been installed in
accordance with this permit, the approved plans and specifications, and other supporting materials. if
this _pro*t is to be completed in phases and partially certified, you shall retain the responsibility to
track further construction a roved under the same Rermit, and shall provide a final certificate of
completion once the entire project has been completed. Mail the Certification to the Non -Discharge
Permitting Unit, Division of Water Quality, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-16IT
2. The Washington Regional Office, telephone number [phone], shall be notified at least forty-
eight (48) hours in advance of operation of the installed facilities so that an in -place inspection can be
made. Such notification to the regional supervisor shall be made during the normal office hours from
8:00 a.m. until 5.00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, excluding State Holidays.
3. The spray irrigation facilities shall be effectively maintained and operated at all times so that there is
no discharge to the surface waters, nor any contamination of ground waters which will render them
unsatisfactory for normal use. In the event that the facilities fail to perform satisfactorily, including

unsatisfactory for normal use. In the event that the facilities fail to perform satisfactorily, including
the creation of nuisance conditions or failure of the irrigation area to adequately assimilate the
wastewater, the Permittee shall take immediate corrective actions including those actions that may be
required by the Division of Water Quality (Division), such as the construction of additional or
replacement wastewater treatment and disposal facilities.
4. The issuance of this permit shall not relieve the Pennittee of the responsibility for damages to surface
or groundwaters resulting from the operation of this facility.
The residuals generated from these treatment facilities must be disposed in accordance with General
Statute 143-215.1 and in a manner approved by the Division,
6. Diversion or bypassing of the untreated wastewater from the treatment facilities is prohibited.
7. The following buffers shall be maintained:
a) 400 feet between wetted area and any residence or places of public assembly under separate
ownership,
b) 25 feet between wetted area and property lines,
c) 100 feet between wetted area and wells,
d) 100 feet between wetted area and drainageways or surface water bodies,
e) 50 feet between wetted area and public right of ways,
f) 100 feet between wastewater treatment units and wells, and
g) 50 feet between wastewater treatment units and property lines.
Some of the buffers specified above may not have been included in previous permits for this waste
treatment and disposal system. These buffers are not intended to prohibit or prevent modifications,
which are required by the Division, to improve performance of the existing treatment facility. These
buffers do, however, apply to modifications of the treatment and disposal facilities which are for the
purpose of increasing the flow that is tributary to the facility. These buffers do apply to any
expansion or modification of the spray irrigation areas and apply in instances in which the sale of
property would cause any of the buffers now complied with, for the treatment and disposal facilities,
to be violated. The applicant is advised that any modifications to the existing facilities will require a
permit modification.
The minimum buffer separation from the edge of the wetted area and the Pinewood Manor Rest
Home shall be 200 feet.
II. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
The facilities shall be properly maintained and operated at all times.
2. Upon classification of the facility by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification
Commission (WPCSOCC), the Permittee shall employ a certified wastewater treatment plant
operator to be in responsible charge (ORC) of the wastewater treatment facilities. The operator .must
hold a certificate of the type and grade at least equivalent to or greater than the classification assigned
to the wastewater treatment facilities by the WPCSOCC. The Per ittee must also employ a certified
back-up operator of the appropriate type and grade to comply with the conditions of 15A NCAC 8G
.0202. The ORC of the facility must visit each Class I facility at least weekly and each Class II, III,
and IV facility at least daily, excluding weekends and holidays, and must properly manage and
document daily operation and maintenance of the facility and must comply with all other conditions
of 15A NCAC SG .0202.
3. A suitable year round vegetative cover shall be maintained over the spray irrigation fields_

4. Irrigation shall not be performed during inclement weather or when the ground is in a condition that
will cause runoff.
Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent wastewater runoff from the spray field.
6. The facilities shall be effectively maintained and operated as a non -discharge system to prevent the
discharge of any wastewater resulting from the operation of this facility.
7. The application rate shall not exceed a cumulative loading of 123 inches over any twelve (12) month
period at an instantaneous application rate not to exceed 0.20 inches per hour.
8. No type of wastewater other than that from the Pinewood Manor Rest Home shall be sprayed onto the
irrigation area,
9. No traffic or equipment shall be allowed on the disposal area except while installation occurs or while
normal maintenance is being performed.
10. Public access to the land application sites shall be controlled during active site use. Such controls
may include the posting of signs showing the activities being conducted at each site.
11. Freeboard in the holding lagoon shall not be less than one 1 1/2 feet at any time.
M. MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, soil or plant tissue analyses) deemed
necessary by the Division to insure surface and ground water protection will be established and an
acceptable sampling reporting schedule shall be followed.
2. Adequate records shall be maintained by the Permittee tracking the amount of wastewater disposed.
- These records shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following information:
a. date of irrigation,
b. volume of wastewater irrigated,
c. field irrigated,
d. length of time field is irrigated,
e. continuous weekly, monthly, and year-to-date hydraulic (inches/acre) loadings for each field,
f. weather conditions, and
g. maintenance of cover crops.
3. Influent flow shall be continuously monitored and daily average flow values shall be reported on
Form NDMR. Flow may be estimated from water use records provided water use is metered. Daily
average values shall be calculated by dividing monthly flow volume by the number of days in the
month.
4. The effluent from the subject facilities shall be monitored by the Permittee at the point prior to
irrigation every February, June and September for the following parameters:
BOD5 TSS
Fecal Coliform pH
NH3 as N
5. Three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records (as specified in condition M 2) on Form
NDAR-1 and three (3) copies of all effluent monitoring data (as specified in condition 1113 and 11114)
on Form NDMR-1 shall be submitted on or before the last day of the following month. All
information shall be submitted to the following address.

NC Division of Water Quality
Water Quality Section
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
6. Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Washington Regional Office, telephone number , as
soon as possible, but in no case more than 24 hours or on the next working day following the
occurrence or first knowledge of the occurrence of any of the following:
a. Any occurrence at the wastewater treatment facility which results in the treatment of significant
amounts of wastes which are abnormal in quantity or characteristic, such as the dumping of the
contents of a sludge digester, the known passage of a slug of hazardous substance through the
facility; or any other unusual circumstances.
b. Any process unit failure, due to known or unknown reasons, that render the facility incapable of
adequate wastewater treatment such as mechanical or electrical failures of pumps, aerators,
compressors, etc.
c. Any failure of a pumping station, sewer line, or treatment facility resulting in a by-pass directly
to receiving waters without treatment of all or any portion of the influent to such station or
facility.
d. Any time that self -monitoring information indicates that the facility has gone out of compliance
with its permit limitations.
Persons reporting such occurrences by telephone shall also file a written report in letter form within
five (5) days following first knowledge of the occurrence. This report must outline the actions taken
or proposed to be taken to ensure that the problem does not recur.
IV. GROUNDWATER REQUIREMENTS
1. Well Construction / Abandonment Criteria:
a. Within ninety (90) days of permit issuance, one new monitor well, designated as MW-7 shall be
installed to monitor groundwater quality. The well shall be constructed such that the water level
in the well is never above or below the screened (open) portion of the well at any time during the
year. The general location and name for the well is marked on Figure 1. The monitoring well
shall be located at the Review boundary, constructed in accordance with this permit, and
approved by the Washington Regional Office.
b. The well must be constructed by either a North Carolina Certified Well Contractor, the property
owner, or the property lessee according to General Statutes 87-94.4(b)(2). if the construction is
not performed by a certified well contractor, the property owner or lessee must physically
perform the actual well construction activities, and the well must be constructed according to the
North Carolina Well Construction Standards (15A NCAC 2C .0108) and the local county rules.
c. The Washington Regional Office, telephone number [phone], shall be notified at least
forty-eight (48) hours prior to the construction of any monitoring well so that an inspection can
be made of the monitoring well location. Such notification to the regional groundwater supervisor
4

shall be made during the normal office hours from 8:00 a.m. until 5.00 p.m. on Monday through
Friday, excluding state holidays.
d. Within thirty (30) days of completion of all well construction activities, a certification must be
received from a professional engineer or a licensed geologist certifying that the monitoring well
is Iocated according to this permit.
e. Within sixty (60) days of permit issuance, monitor well MW-6 (depicted on Figure 1) shall be
permanently abandoned. Within thirty (30) days of abandonment, a Well Abandonment Record
(GW-30 form) shall be completed for each well abandoned and mailed to the address listed in the
"Reporting / Documentation" section of the Groundwater Requirements. The well must be
abandoned by either a North Carolina Certified Well Contractor, the property owner, or the
property lessee according to General Statutes 87-94.4(b)(2). If the abandonment is not performed
by a certified well contractor, the property owner or lessee must physically perform the actual
well abandonment activities and the well(s) must be abandoned according to the North Carolina
Well Construction Standards (15A NCAC 2C .0113) and local county rules.
2. Sampling Criteria.
a. The new monitor well, designated as MW-7 shall be sampled initially after construction and
thereafter every February, June, and September for the parameters listed below. The existing
monitor wells, MW-4 and MW-5, shall also be sampled every February, June, and September for
the following parameters. Prior to sampling the parameters, the measurement of water levels must
be taken. The depth to water in each well shall be measured from the surveyed point on the top of
the casing. The measuring points (top of well casing) of all monitoring wells shall be surveyed
relative to a common datum.
Nitrate (NO3 N) TotaI Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Chloride Total Ammonia Nitrogen (NH3-N)
Fecal Coliform Water Level
pH Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) sampled in September.
b. For Total Organic Carbon (TOC), if concentrations greater than 10 mg/1 are detected in any
down -gradient monitoring well, additional sampling and analysis must be conducted to identify
the individual constituents comprising this TOC concentration. If the TOC concentration as
measured in the background monitor well exceeds 10 mg/l, this concentration will be taken to
represent the naturally occurring TOC concentration. Any exceedances of this naturally occurring
TOC concentration in the down -gradient wells shall be subject to the additional sampling and
analysis as described above.
c. For Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) sampled in September, use only one of the following
methods:
1) Standard Method 6230D, Practical Quantitation Limit (PQL) at 0.5 ug/L or less
2) Standard Method 6210, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
3) EPA Method 8021, Low Concentration, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
4) EPA Method 8260, Low Concentration, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
5) Another method with prior approval by the Groundwater Section Chief.

Any of the referenced methods used for VOCs must at a minimum, include all the constituents
listed in Table VIIl of Standard Method 6230D. Any method used must provide a PQL of 0.5
ug/L or less, which must be supported by laboratory proficiency studies as required by the DWQ
Laboratory Certification Unit. Any constituents detected above the Method Detection Limit
(MDL) but below the PQL of 0.5 ug/L must be qualified (estimated) and reported.
d. Any laboratory selected to analyze parameters must be Division of Water Quality (DWQ)
certified for those parameters required.
3. Reporting / Documentation:
a. All reports and documentation (GW-1, GW-30, GW-59) shall be mailed to the following address:
Groundwater Section
Permits and Compliance Unit
1636 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1636
Updated blank forms (GW-1, GW-30, GW-59) may be downloaded from the Groundwater
Section's website at hgR.flgw.ehnr.state.nc.us/ or requested from the address mentioned above.
b. For the initial sampling of the well(s), the pernuttee shall submit a copy of the GW-I Form (Well
Construction Record) with the Compliance Monitoring Form (GW-59) for each well to the
address listed in the "Reporting / Documentation" section of the Groundwater Requirements.
Initial Compliance Monitoring Forms that do not include copies of the GW-1 form may be
returned to the perminee without being processed. Failure to submit these forms as required by
this permit may result in the initiation of enforcement activities pursuant to NC General Statutes
143-215.6A.
c. The results of the sampling and analysis must be received on Form GW-59 (Groundwater Quality
Monitoring: Compliance Report Form) by the Groundwater Section (address listed in the
"Reporting / Documentation" section of the Groundwater Requirements), on or before the last
working day of the month following the sampling month. The data of all groundwater sampling
analyses required by the permit conditions must be reported using the most recent GW-59 form
along with attached copies of the laboratory analyses.
d. Within sixty (60) days of completion of the monitoring well, the permittee shall submit two
original copies of a scaled site map (scale no greater than 1 "=100'); however, special provisions
may be granted upon prior approval for large properties. The map(s) must include the following
information:
1) The location and identity of each (new and existing) monitoring well.
2) The location of major components of the waste disposal system.
3) The location of property boundaries within 500 feet of the disposal area(s).
4) The latitude and longitude of the established horizontal control monument.
5) The elevation of the top of the well casing (which shall be known as the "measuring
point") relative to a common datum.
6) The depth of water below the measuring point at the time the measuring point is
established.
7) The location of Review and Compliance boundaries.
8) The date the snap is prepared and/or revised.
Control monuments shall be installed in such a manner and made of such materials that the
monument will not be destroyed due to activities that may take place on the property. Maps and
0

any supporting documentation shall be sent to the Groundwater Section as addressed in the
"Reporting / Documentation" above.
The permittee is responsible for the geographic accuracy of any map submitted, however
produced.
4. Vertical Separation Requirements:
Waste application activities shall not occur when the vertical separation between depth of application
and the water table is at less than one (1) foot. Verification of the water table elevation can be
confirmed by water level readings obtained from the monitor well(s) near the site or auger boring(s),
which must be done within 24 hours, prior to application of wastewater.
Any open borings must be properly filled with native soil, prior to application to decrease the chance
of any waste contaminating the groundwater.
5. Applicable Boundaries:
a. The COMPLIANCE BOUNDARY for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15A
NCAC 2L, Groundwater Classifications and Standards. The Compliance Boundary for the
disposal system individually permitted after December 31, 1983 is established at either 250 feet
from the waste disposal area, or 50 feet within the property boundary, whichever is closest to the
waste disposal area. An exceedance of Groundwater Quality Standards at or beyond the
Compliance Boundary is subject to immediate remediation action according to 15A NCAC 2L
.0106(d)(2).
b. The REVIEW BOUNDARY is established around the disposal systems midway between the
Compliance Boundary and the perimeter of the waste disposal area. Any exceedance of standards
at the Review Boundary shall require action in accordance with 15A NCAC 2L .0106(d)(1).
6. Additional Requirements:
Any additional groundwater quality monitoring, as deemed necessary by the Division, shall be
provided.
V. INSPECTIONS
1. Adequate inspection, maintenance, and cleaning shall be provided by the Permittee to insure proper
operation of the subject facilities.
2. The Permittee or his designee shall inspect the wastewater treatment and disposal facilities to prevent
malfunctions and deterioration, operator -errors and discharges which may cause or lead to the release
of wastes to the environment, a threat to human health, or a nuisance. The Permittee shall keep an
inspection log or summary including at least the date and time of inspection, observations made, and
any maintenance, repairs, or corrective actions taken by the Permittee. This log of inspections shall
be maintained by the Permittee for a period of three years from the date of the inspection and shall be
made available upon request to the Division or other permitting authority.
Any duly authorized officer, employee, or representative of the Division may, upon presentation of
credentials, enter and inspect any property, premises or place on or related to the disposal site or
facility at any reasonable time for the purpose of determining compliance with this permit; may
inspect or copy any records that must be maintained under the terms and conditions of this permit,
and may obtain samples of groundwater, surface water, or leachate.

VI. GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. This permit shall become voidable unless the facilities are constructed in accordance with the
conditions cf this permit, the approved plans and specifications, and other supporting data.
2. This permit is effective only with respect to the nature and volume of wastes described in the
application and other supporting data.
3. This permit is not transferable. In the event there is a desire for the facilities to change ownership, or
there is a name change of the Permittee, a formal permit request must be submitted to the Division
accompanied by an application fee, documentation from the parties involved, and other supporting
materials as may be appropriate. The approval of this request will be considered on its merits and
may or may not be approved.
4. Failure to abide by the conditions and limitations contained in this permit may subject the Permittee
to an enforcement action by the Division in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 143-
215.6A to 143-215.6C.
5. The issuance of this permit does not exempt the Permittee from complying with any and all statutes,
rules, regulations, or ordinances which may be imposed by other government agencies (local, state,
and federal) which have jurisdiction, including but not limited to applicable river buffer rules in 15A
NCAC 2B .0200, erosion and sedimentation control requirements in 15A NCAC Ch. 4 and under the
Division's General Permit NCG0100000, and any requirements pertaining to wetlands under 15A
NCAC 2B .0200 and 2H .0500.
6. A set of approved plans and specifications for the subject project must be retained by the Permittee
for the life of the project.
The annual administering and compliance fee must be paid by the Permittee within thirty (30) days
after being billed by the Division. Failure to pay the fee accordingly may cause the Division to
initiate action to revoke this permit as specified by 15A NCAC 2H .0205 (c)(4).
The Permittee, at least six (6) months prior to the expiration of this permit, shall request its extension.
Upon receipt of the request, the Commission will review the adequacy of the facilities described
therein, and if warranted, will extend the permit for such period of time and under such conditions
and limitations as it may deem appropriate_
Permit issued this t 7`h of September, 2001.
NORTH OLINA NMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
1Gregory J. Thorpe, Acting Director
Division of Water Quality
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Permit Number WQ0002096

Permit No. WQ0002096
September 7, 200I
ENGINEER'S CERTIFICATION
Partial Final
I, , as a duly registered Professional Engineer in the State of
North Carolina, having been authorized to observe (periodically, weekly, full time) the construction of the project,
Project Name Location and County
for the Permittee hereby state that, to the best of my abilities, due care and diligence was used in the observation
of the construction such that the construction was observed to be built within substantial compliance and intent of
this permit, the approved plans and specifications, and other supporting materials.
Signature
Date
Registration No.

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