WQ0002616_Final Permit_19900228

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources
Division of Environmental Management
512 North Salisbury Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
James G. Martin, Governor
William W. Cobey, Jr., Secretary
February 28, 1990
Mr. Ray Allen
City of Albemarle
PO Box 190
Albemarle, NC 28002
George T_ Everett, Ph.D.
Director
Subject: Permit No. WQ0002616
City of Albemarle
Land Application of Wastewater
Treatment Plant Sludge
Stanly County
Dear Mr, Allen:
In accordance with your application received October 27, 1989, we are forwarding
herewith Permit No. WQ0002616, dated February 28, 1990, to the City of Albemarle for the
continued operation of the subject sludge land application program.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until January 31, 1995, shall void
Permit No. 7175R2, 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 to you,
you have the right to request an adjudicatory hearing upon written request within 30 days
following receipt of this permit. This request must be in the form of a written petition, conforming
to Chapter 150B of North Carolina General Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative
Hearings, P.O. Box 11666, Raleigh, NC 27604. Unless such demands are made this permit shall
be final and binding.
If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Jack Floyd at
919/ 733-5083.
ncerely,
George T. Everet
cc: Stanly County Health Department
Mooresville Regional Office
Groundwater Section
Pollution Prevention Pays
P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687 Telephone [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affu mative Action Employer

NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
SLUDGE LAND APPLICATION 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
City of Albemarle
Stanly County
FOR THE
continued operation of a sludge land application program consisting of disposing sludge from the
City of Albemarle's Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to lands specified in condition No.
VI.6 with a total area of 508 acres all owned by the City of Albemarle with no discharge of wastes
to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received October 27, 1989 and in conformity
with the project plan, specifications, and other supporting data subsequently filed and approved
by the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources and considered a part of this
permit.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until January 31, 1990, and shall be
subject to the following specified conditions and limitations:
I. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
1. This permit shall become voidable if the soils fail to adequately absorb the wastes
and may be rescinded unless the sites are maintained and operated in a manner
which will protect the assigned water quality standards of the surface waters and
ground waters.
2. The land application program shall be effectively maintained and operated as a
non -discharge system to prevent the discharge of any wastes resulting from the
operation of this program.
3. The issuance of this permit shall not relieve the Permittee of the responsibility for
damages to surface or groundwaters resulting from the operation of this facility.
4. In the event that the land application program is not operated satisfactorily, including
the creation of nuisance conditions, the Perrnvttee shall cease applying sludge to the
sites and take any immediate corrective actions, including the construction of
additional or replacement wastewater treatment or disposal facilities.
5. No crops for direct human consumption shall be raised on these sites for a period
of 18 months following sludge application.
6. Maximum slope for sludge application shall be 10% for surface application and
18% for subsurface applications.

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7. The following buffers zones shall be maintained:
a) 400 feet from residences under separate ownership for surface application
method,
b) 200 feet from residences under separate ownership for injection method,
c) 100 feet from "SA and SB" classified waters, public surface water supplies and
potable wells for both methods,
d) 50 feet from "WS" classified waters and other streams, creeks, lakes, rivers,
and surface water drainage ways for injection method.
e) 100 feet from "WS" classified waters and other streams, creeks, lakes, rivers
and surface water drainage ways for surface application method,
f) 100 feet from property lines for both methods,
g) 50 feet from public right of ways for surface application method,
h) 10 feet from upslope interceptor drains and surface water diversions for both
methods,
i) 25 feet from downslope interceptor drains, surface water diversions,
groundwater lowering and surface drainage ditches for both methods.
8. A copy of this permit shall be kept in all sludge transport and application vehicles
during the life of this permit.
9. The sludge included in this permit must be stabilized by a process to significantly
reduce pathogens (as described in 40 CFR Part 257, Appendix II) prior to
application or incorporation. An evaluation of the sludge must be conducted as to its
ability to demonstrate compliance with this requirement. A copy of this report must
be submitted to the Assistant Chief for Operations, Division of Environmental
Management, Water Quality Section, Operations Branch, PO Box 27687, Raleigh,
NC 27611-7687, within six (6) months of the permit issue date.
11. Specific sludge application area boundaries shall be clearly marked on each site prior
to and during sludge application.
12. No sludge at any time shall be stored at any application site.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
1. The facilities and disposal sites shall be properly maintained and operated at all
times.
2. A suitable vegetative cover as listed in condition II 4, shall be maintained in
accordance with the crop management plan approved by this Division.
3. No sludge other than that from the City of Albemarle's Long Creek Wastewater
Treatment Plant shall be approved for land application in accordance with this
permit.
4. The application rates shall not exceed the following for the specified crops:
Crops PAN (Ibs/acrelyear)
Fescue grass
250
Rye, Blue, Orchard grass
200
Alfalfa
250
Conn
200
Small Grains
100
2

5. The lifetime heavy metal loadings shall not exceed the following for the
corresponding Cation Exchange Capacities (CEQ:
Parameter
SEC < 5
CEC 5-15E
> 1
Lead (lbs/acre)
500
1000
2000
Zinc (lbs/acre)
250
500
1000
Copper (lbs/acre)
125
250
500
Nickel (lbs/acre)
125
250
500
Cadmium (lbs/acre)
4.5
9
18
6. The Permittee shall employ a certified wastewater treatment plant operator to be in
responsible charge of the land application operation. The operator must hold a
certificate of the grade at least equivalent to the classification assigned to the
land application program by the Certification Commission.
7. Adequate facilities shall be provided to prevent surface runoff from carrying any
disposed or stored material into any surface waters.
Animals should not be grazed on sludge applied land within a 30-day period
following the sludge application. Application sites that are to be used for grazing
shall have fencing that will be used to prevent access after each application.
9. Surface applied sludge will be plowed or disced within twenty-four (24) hours
after application on lands with no cover crop established.
10. For areas that are prone to flooding or within the 100-year flood elevation, sludge
may be applied during periods of dry weather. The sludge must be incorporated
into the soil within twenty-four (24) hours of application.
11. Appropriate measures must be taken to control public access to the land application
sites during active site use and for the 12-month period following sludge application.
Such controls may include the posting of signs indicating the activities being
conducted at each site.
12. Adequate provisions shall be taken to prevent wind erosion and surface runoff
from conveying pollutants from the sludge application area onto the adjacent
property or into the surface waters.
13. Sludge shall not be applied in inclement weather or until 24 hours following a
rainfall event of 1/2-inch or greater in 24 hours. Any emergency sludge disposal
measures must first be approved by the Division of Environmental Management.
14. The site shall be adequately limed to a soil pH of at least 6.5 prior to sludge
application. Sludge may be applied to sites with a pH of less than 6.5 provided a
sufficient amount of lime is also applied to achieve a final pH of the lime, sludge and
soil mixture of at least 6.5.
15. Sludge shall not be injected to a depth greater than six inches below land surface.
III. MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, sludge, soil, or plant
tissue analyses) deemed necessary by the Division of Environmental Management
to insure protection of the environment will be established and an acceptable
sampling and reporting schedule shall be followed. If monitoring data indicates
minimal, or no concern to the Division, reduction of monitoring requirements may be
pursued after two annual reporting periods.
3

2. Proper records shall be maintained by the Permittee tracking all disposal activities.
These records shall include, but are not necessarily limited to the following
information:
a) source of sludge
b) date of sludge application
c) location of sludge application (site, field, or zone #)
d) method of application
e) weather conditions
f) soil conditions
g) type of crop or crop to be grown on field
h) volume of sludge applied in gallons/acre and dry tons/acre
i) annual and cumulative totals of dry tons/acre of sludge, annual and
cumulative pounds/acre of each heavy metal (which shall include, but not
be limited to lead, nickel, cadmium, copper and zinc), annual pounds/acre
of plant available nitrogen (PAN), and annual pounds/acre of
phosphorus applied to each field.
3. A representative annual soils analysis shall be conducted of each site receiving
sludge in the respective calendar year and the results maintained on file by the
Permittee for a minimum of five years. The first analysis shall be submitted on or
before April 1, 1990 and thereafter submitted in the annual report due January 31.
The soils analysis shall include but is not necessarily limited to the following
parameters:
Standard Soil Fertility Test Manganese
% Base Saturation
Cation Exchange Capacity
Phosphorus
Sodium
Potassium
Nickel
Lead
Cadmium
Zinc
Copper
Magnesium
Calcium
PH
Sodium Adsorption Ratio
(by calculation)
4. A quarterly sludge analysis and annual EP Toxicity analysis shall be conducted by
the Permittee and the results maintained on file by the Permittee for a minimum of
five years. If land application occurs at a frequency less than quarterly, sludge
analysis will be required for each instance of land application. The sludge analysis
shall include but is not necessarily limited to the following parameters:
% total solids
Magnesium
Total Nitrogen
Sulfate
Phosphorus
Potassium
Lead
Zinc
Copper
Nickel
Cadmium
Chromium
Sodium
Calcium
Chlorides
pH
PCB
Plant Available Nitrogen (by calculation)
The EP Toxicity analysis shall include the following parameters.
Arsenic
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Selenium
Silver
Endrin
Lindane
Methoxychlor
Toxaphene
2,4-D
2,4,5 -TP Silvex
0

IV.
5. Three copies of all monitoring and reporting requirements as specified in conditions
1111, III 2, III 3 and III 4 shall be submitted annually on or before January 31 of
the following year to the following address:
NC Division of Environmental Management
Water Quality Section
Facility Assessment Unit
PO Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 27611-7687
6. Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Mooresville Regional Office,
telephone no. 704-663-1699, 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 with the land application program which results in the
land application of significant amounts of wastes which are abnormal in
quantity or characteristic.
b. Any failure of the land application program resulting in a discharge of
wastes to receiving waters.
C. Any time that self -monitoring information indicates that the facility has
gone out of compliance with the conditions and limitations of this permit
or the parameters on which the system was designed.
d. Any process unit failure, due to known or unknown reasons, that render
the facility incapable of adequate sludge treatment.
e. Any spillage or discharge from a vehicle or piping system transporting
sludge to the application site.
Persons reporting such occurrences by telephone shall also file a written report in
letter form within 15 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.
GROUNDWATER REQUIREMENTS
1. Any groundwater quality monitoring as deemed necessary by the Division of
Environmental Management shall be provided.
2. No land application of waste activities shall be undertaken when the seasonal high
water table is less than three feet below land surface.
3. The nine existing monitor wells shall be sampled every March, July, and November
for the following parameters:
NO3 (10.0)
TDS (500.0)
pH (6.5-8.5 standard units)
Chloride (250.0)
TOX (in November only)
Ammonia Nitrogen
TOC
Water Level
Total Coliforms (1/100ml)
The measurement of water level must be made prior to sampling for the remaining
parameters.
�1

The numbers in parentheses represent the maximum allowable concentrations in
groundwater for the various analytical parameters, as specified in 15 NCAC if
[Groundwater Classifications and Standards]. Unless otherwise noted, the
concentrations are given in parts per million.
The analytical methods used for TOX must be capable of detecting the total of all
halogenated organic compounds present at a concentration of 5.0 parts per billion
(ppb) or greater. In the event that a TOX concentration of 5.0 ppb or greater is
detected, any individual halogenated organic compound(s) present at a concentration
at or above the method detection limit (MDL) must be identified and quantified
utilizing EPA methods 601, 602, 604, and 611.
If TOC concentrations greater than 10 mg/1 are detected in any downgradient
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 downgradient wells shall be
subject to the additional sampling and analysis as described above.
The results of the sampling and analysis shall be sent to the N.C. Division of
Environmental Management on Form GW-59 (Compliance Monitoring Report
Form) every April, May, and December.
The Compliance Boundary for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15
NCAC 2L, Classifications and Water Quality Standards applicable to the
groundwater of North Carolina. An exceedance of Groundwater Quality Standards
beyond the Compliance Boundary is subject to penalty provisions applicable under
General Statute 143-215.6(1)a. The sale of property, by the Permittee, which is
within or contiguous to the disposal system site may alter location of the Compliance
Boundary.
For facilities permitted on or after December 30, 1983, the Compliance Boundary is
established at the lesser of 250 feet from the edge of the application site, or 50 feet
within the property boundary.
For facilities permitted on or after December 30, 1983, the Compliance Boundary is
established at a distance 500 feet from the edge of the application site, or the property
boundary, whichever is less.
If the title to any property which may affect the location of the Compliance Boundary
is changed, the Permittee shall notify the Division Director within 14 days. The
Director shall then establish a modified Compliance Boundary which will be done as
a modification to the Permit.
The REVIEW BOUNDARY for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15
NCAC 2L, Groundwater Classifications and Standards. A REVIEW BOUNDARY
is established around disposal systems midway between the Compliance Boundary
and the perimeter of the waste disposal area. When the concentration of any
substance equals or exceeds the maximum allowable concentration of that substance
at the REVIEW BOUNDARY, as determined by monitoring, the Permittee shall
either (i) demonstrate, through predictive calculations or modeling, that natural site
conditions, facility design and operational controls will prevent a violation of
standards at the Compliance Boundary; or, (ii) submit a plan for the alteration of
existing site conditions, facility design or operational controls that will prevent a
violation of standards at the Compliance Boundary, and implement that plan upon its
approval by the Director.

V. INSPECTIONS
1. The Permittee or his designee shall inspect the sludge storage, transport, and
disposal facilities to prevent malfunctions and deterioration, operator errors and
discharges which may cause or Iead 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 Pertriittee for a period of three years
from the date of the inspection and shall be made available upon request by the
Division of Environmental Management or other permitting authority.
2_ Any duly authorized officer, employee, or representative of the Division of
Environmental Management may, upon presentation of credentials, enter and
inspect any property, premises or place on or related to the disposal site and
facility at any reasonable time for the purpose of determining compliance with this
permit; may inspect or copy any records that must be kept under the terms and
conditions of this permit; or may obtain samples of groundwater, surface water,
or leachate.
VI. GENERAL CONDITIONS
This permit shall become voidable unless the land application activities are carried
out in accordance with the conditions of this permit and in the manner approved
by this Division.
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 a name change of the Perrittee, a formal permit request must
be submitted to the Division of Environmental Management 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. Prior to any transfer of this land, a notice shall be given to the new owner that
gives full details of the materials applied or incorporated at this site.
5. This permit shall become voidable unless the agreements between the Permittee
and the landowners/lessees are in full force and effect.
6. The following are approved sites for sludge application:
Site No. Ownerkessee Application Area including buffers)
acres
1 City of Albemarle
130.0
2 City of Albemarle
300.0
3 City of Albemarle
78.8
Total 508.8
7. Failure to abide by the conditions and limitations contained in this permit may
subject the Permittee to an enforcement action by the Division of Environmental
Management in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 143-215.6.
7

8 . 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 15 NCAC 2H .0205 (c)(4).
9. The issuance of this permit does not preclude 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.
10. 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.
12. This permit may be modified, or revoked and reissued to incorporate any conditions,
limitations and monitoring requirements the Division of Environmental Management
deems necessary in order to adequately protect the environment and public health.
Permit issued this the 28th day of February, 1990
N TH CAROLD
6-1j�,—
George T. Evere
Division of Environ
By Authority of the
Permit No. WQ0002616
AL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Management Commission
A