WQ0004797_Final Permit_19990301

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Wayne McDevitt, Secretary
A. Preston Howard, Jr., P.E., Director
March 1, 1999
Mr. Blake M. Kehoe, Plant Manager
Northland Cranberries, Inc.
Post Office Box 1009
Mountain Home, North Carolina 28758
Dear Mr. Kehoe:
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NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Subject: Permit No. WQ0004797
Northland Cranberries, Inc.
Wastewater Spray Irrigation
Henderson County
In accordance with your application received November 30, 1998, we are forwarding herewith Permit
No. WQ0004797- dated March 1, 1999, to Northland Cranberries, Inc. for the continued operation of the
subject wastewater treatment and spray irrigation facilities.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until December 31, 2000, shall void Permit
No. WQ0004797 issued January 26, 1996 to the Seneca Foods Corporation, 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, P.O. Drawer 27447, Raleigh, NC
27611-7447. Unless such demands are made this permit shall be final and binding.
If you need additional information concerning this matter, please c act Ms. Joni Cardin at (919)
733-5083 extension 509. /
Since el ,
ZA. Preston Howard, Jr., P.E.
cc: Henderson County Health Department
Asheville Regional Office, Water Quality Section
Asheville Regional Office, Groundwater Section
Bob Cheek, Groundwater Section, Central Office
Technical Assistance and Certification Unit
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
PO Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone] Fax [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled110% post -consumer paper

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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
Northland Cranberries, Inc.
Henderson County
FOR THE
continued operation of a 83,000 -GPD spray irrigation treatment and disposal facility consisting of a septic
tank, a 100 -GPM pump station, approximately 2,200 linear feet of 6 -inch force main, a 2.5 -MG aerated
lagoon, a 475 -GPM spray irrigation pump, a 15.3 -acre spray field, and all associated piping, valves, controls,
spray heads and appurtenances to serve Northland Cranberries, Inc. (35°22'30" N, 82°28'53" W), with no
discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received November 30, 1998, and in
confonnity with the project plan, specifications, and other supporting data subsequently filed 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 December 31, 2000, shall void Permit No.
WQ0004797 issued January 26, 1996 to the Seneca Foods Corporation, and shall be subject to the following
specified conditions and limitations:
L PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
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 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Diversion or bypassing of the untreated wastewater from the treatment facilities is prohibited.

The following buffers shall be maintained:
a) 400 feet between wetted area and any residence or places of public assembly under separate ownership,
b) 150 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.
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 Permittee must also
employ a certified back-up operator of the appropriate type and grade to comply with the
conditions of 15A NCAC 8A .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 8A .0202.
3. A suitable year round vegetative cover shall be maintained on the spray field.
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.
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 78 inches over any twelve (12)
month period at an instantaneous application rate not to allow any spray field runoff.
8. No type of wastewater other than that from Northland Cranberries, Inc. 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 inchide the posting of signs showing the activities being conducted at each site.
11. Freeboard in the lagoon shall not be less than two feet at any time.
III. 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. The effluent from the subject facilities shall be monitored by the Permittee at the point prior to
irrigation every March, July, and November for the following parameters:
BOD5
TSS
Iron
Nitrate as N
TKN
Chloride
Total Coliform
pH
NH3 as N
Sodium
Magnesium
Calcium
Sodium Adsorption Ratio
by Calculation
4. Three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records (as specified in Condition III. 2.) on Form
NDAR-I shall be submitted on or before the last day of the following month. Three (3) copies of
all effluent monitoring data (as specified in Condition 111. 3.) on Form NDMR-1 shall be
submitted on or before the last day of April, August, and December. All information shall be
submitted to the following address:
NC Division of Water Quality
Water Quality Section .
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit
Post Office Box 29535
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535
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5. A representative annual soils analysis (Standard Soil Fertility Analysis) shall be conducted on
each spray field and the results maintained on file by the Permittee for a minimum of five years.
The Standard Sol] Fertility Analysis shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following
parameters:
Acidity
Calcium
Copper
Magnesium
Cation Exchange Capacity
6. Noncompliance Notification:
Manganese Potassium
Percent Humic Matter Sodium
pH Zinc
Phosphorus
Base Saturation (by calculation)
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Asheville Regional Office, telephone number (828)
251-6208, 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
Monitor wells MW -1, MW -2, MW -3, and MW -4 shall be sampled every March, July, and
November for the following parameters:
Water Level pH
Chloride Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Fecal Coliforms Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Nitrate (NO3) Total Ammonia
Volatile Organic Compounds -1n November only using one of the following:
(A) Standard Method 6230D, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
(B) Standard Method 621 OD, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
(C) EPA Method 8021, Low Concentration, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
(D) EPA Method 8260, Low Concentration, PQL at 0.5 ug/L or less
(E) Another method with prior approval by the Groundwater Section Chief
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Any method used must meet the following qualifications:
(1) A laboratory must be DWQ certified to run any method used.
(2) The method used must, at a minimum, include all the constituents listed in Table VIII of
Standard Method 6230D.
(3) The method used must provided a PQL at 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 MDL but below the PQL at 0.5 ug/L must be
qualified (estimated) and reported.
If any volatile organic compounds are detected by the methods listed, then the Asheville Regional
Office Groundwater Supervisor, telephone number [phone], must be contacted
immediately for further instructions regarding any additional follow-up analyses required. The
results of all initial and follow-up analyses must be submitted simultaneously.
The measurement of water levels must be made prior to sampling for the remaining parameters.
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 to provide the
relative elevation of the measuring point for each monitoring well.
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/1, 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 must be received on Form GW -59 (Groundwater Quality
Monitoring: Compliance Report Form) by the Groundwater Section, Permits and Compliance
Unit, P.O. Box 29578 Raleigh, N.C. 27626-0578 on or before the last working day of the month
following the sampling month.
2. Any additional groundwater quality monitoring, as deemed necessary by the Division, shall be
provided.
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 constructed prior to December 31, 1983 is established at either (1) 500 feet from
the waste disposal area, or (2) at 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 in addition to the penalty provisions applicable under
General Statute 143-215.6A(a)(1).
In accordance with ISA NCAC 2L, a 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 remediation action on the part
of the permittee.
V. INSPECTIONS
Adequate inspection, maintenance, and cleaning shall be provided by the Pennittee 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
This permit shall become voidable unless the facilities are constructed in accordance with the
conditions of 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.
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.
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.
6. A set of approved plans and specifications for the subject project must be retained by the Permittee
for the life of the project.
7. 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 the fi st dati of March, 1999
NORTH CA LINA ENV IROW 5NTA.kMANAGEMENT COMMISSION
A. Preston Howard, Jr., P.E., Director
Division of Water Quality
By Authority of the Environmentai Management Commission
Permit Number WQ0004797
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