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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWQ0007739_Final Permit_19991124State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Quality James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor Bill Holman, Secretary Kerr T. Stevens, Director November 24, 1999 Ms. Dianne L. Bowen, President South Upton Enterprises, Inc, d/b/a Swindell Fish Farms PO Box 279 Pantego, North Carolina 27860 Dear Ms. Bowen: 1 � • NCDENR NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES Subject: Permit No. WQ0007739 Swindell Fish Farms Wastewater Spray Irrigation Beaufort County In accordance with your request received September 3, 1999 we are forwarding herewith Permit No. Wg0007739, dated November 24, 1999, to Swindell Fish Farms for the continued operation of the subject wastewater treatment and spray irrigation facilities. This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until March 31, 2003, shall void Permit No. WQ0007739 issued April 3, 1998, 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. One set of approved plans and specifications is being forwarded to you. If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact Sue Homewood at (919) 7 -5083 extension 502. Sincere d ,LKerr T. Stevens cc: Beaufort 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 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617 Telephone (919) 733-5083 Fax (919) 733-0719 An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/10% post -consumer paper 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 Swindell Fish Farms Beaufort County FOR THE continued operation of a 150 GPD spray irrigation treatment and disposal facility consisting of a 4 foot deep sump tank with a 39 GPM pump, strainer basket and high water alarm, a 3,800 gallon above ground storage tank, a 31 GPM irrigation pump with alarm, 8 sprinklers and a 21,780 square foot spray field to serve Swindell Fish Farms, with r^ discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the request received September 3, 1999 and in conformity w_ 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 March 31, 2003, shall void Permit No. WQ0007739. issued April 3, 1998 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 project is to be completed in phases and Rartially certified. you shall retain the responsibility to track further construction approved under the same permit, 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 27699-1617. The Washington Regional Office, telephone number 252-946-6481 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. 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. 4. 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. The residuals generated from these treatment facilities must be disposed to 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. 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. A leakage test shall be performed on the septic tank and dosing tank to insure that any exfiltration occurs at a rate which does not exceed twenty (20) gallons per twenty-four (24) hours per 1,000 gallons of tank capacity. The engineer's certification will serve as proof of compliance with this condition. II. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS 1. 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' be in responsible charge (ORC) of the wastewater treatment facilities. The operator must hold a certific, 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 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 8G .0202. Once the facility is classified, the Permittee must submit a letter to the WPCSOCC which designates the operator in responsible charge within thirty days after the wastewater treatment facilities are 50% complete. 3. A suitable year round vegetative cover shall be maintained_ 4. Irrigation shall not be performed during inclement weather or when the ground is in a condition that will cause runoff. 5. 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 Ioading of 4.16 inches over any twelve (12) month period at a weekly application rate not to exceed 0.08 inches per week. 8. No type of wastewater other than that from Swindell Fish Farms 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. III. MONITORING AND REPORTING RE UIREMENTS 1. 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. Iength 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 irrigati, annually for the following parameters: BODS TSS Fecal Coliform pH NH3 as N Sodium Magnesium Calcium Sodium Adsorption Ratio by Calculation If irrigation occurs less frequently than annually, then sampling must be done at the time of irrigation. 4. Three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records (as specified in condition 111 2) on Form NDAR-1 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 III 3) on Form NDMR-1 shall be submitted on or before the last day of .January. 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 5. Noncompliance Notification: The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Washington Regional Office, telephone number 252-945- 6481, 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 pen -nit 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_ Any additional groundwater quality monitoring, as deemed necessary by the Division, shall be provided 2. The COMPLIANCE BOUNDARY for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15A NCAC 2L, Groundwater Classifications and Standards. The Compliance Boundary is for the disposal system constructed after December 31, 1983 is established at either (1) 250 feet from the waste disposal area, or (2) 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 in addition to the penalty provisions applicable under General Statute 143- 215.6A(a)(1). 4 In accordance with 15A 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 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 Iog 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 rs 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 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 revolve 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 su:.h period of time and under such conditions and limitations as it may deem appropriate. The subject wastewater treatment and disposal facilities shall be connected to an operational publicly owned wastewater collection system within 180 days of its availability to the subject facilities, if the subject wastewater treatment or disposal facilities are in noncompliance with the terms and conditions of this non -discharge permit or the governing statutes or regulations. Prior to the initiation of these connection activities, appropriate approval must be received from this Division. Permit issued this e 241h day of November, 1999 NORTH AROLINA WIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION 1 .4Kerr T. Stevens, Director Division of Water Quality By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission Permit Number WQ0007739 Permit No. WQ0007739 November 24, 1999 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.