WQ0012696_Final Permit_20061020

1N Michael F. Easley, Govemor
William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
r North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
7
Alan W. Klimek, F.E. Director
Division of Water Quality
October 20, 2006
Mr. Rod Gross, Quality Assurance Specialist
NCDOT Ferry Division
113 Arendell Street
Maritime Building, Room 120
Morehead City, North Carolina 28557
Subject: Permit No. WQ0012696
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Pamlico River Ferry Terminal
Wastewater Surface Irrigation
Beaufort County
Dear Mr. Gross:
In accordance with your permit renewal request received July 13, 2006, we are
forwarding herewith Permit No. WQ0012696, dated October 20, 2006, to the North Carolina
Department of Transportation for the continued operation of the subject wastewater treatment and
surface irrigation facilities.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until September 30, 2011, shall
void Permit No. WQ0012696 issued January 22, 2002, and shall be subject to the conditions and
limitations as specified therein. Please note the addition of requirements for the replacement of
the panels covering the sand filters (Condition I.3), the raking the sand filter in a timely fashion
(Condition II.6), restriction of public access (Condition IL 10), use of specified chlorine tablets
(Condition 11.11), and the addition of wastewater sampling parameters (Condition III_3). 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.
If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact David Goodrich
at [phone].
Sincerely,
4-Alan W. Klimek, P.E.
cc: Beaufort County Health Department C�
Washington Regional Office, Aquifer Protection Section
Technical Assistance and Certification Unit
APS Central Files
LAU Files
Nore Carolina
Attu ally
Aquifer Protection Section 1636 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1636 Telephone: [phone]
Internet: www.ncwaterquality.org 2728 Capital Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27604 Fax 1: [phone]
Fax 2: [phone]
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NORTH CAROLINA
I.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
SURFACE 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
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Beaufort County
FOR THE
continued operation of a 800-gallon per day (GPD) surface irrigation wastewater treatment and disposal
facility consisting of the following minimum components: a 3,000-gallon septic tank; a 1,000-gallon
recirculating pump station with a 0.5-horsepower effluent pump, a 261-square foot recirculating sand
filter; a five to one flow splitter box; a 1,500-gallon per day tablet chlorinator, a 150-gallon chlorine
contact chamber; a 4,000-gallon irrigation storage/pump tank; a three -horsepower irrigation pump; a
21,927-square foot spray irrigation field; and all associated piping, valves, controls, and appurtenances
necessary to make complete and operational wastewater treatment and spray irrigation facilities. The
above -described wastewater treatment and spray irrigation disposal system is intended to serve the
Pamlico River Ferry Terminal that is owned, operated, and maintained by the Ferry Division of the North
Carolina Department of Transportation with no discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the
application received July 13, 2006, and subsequent additional information received by the Division, 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 September 30, 2011, shall void Permit
No. WQOO12696 issued January 22, 2002, and shall be subject to the following specified conditions and
limitations:
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
All fixtures within the Pamlico River Ferry Terminal shall be of the water -conserving type. These
fixtures shall provide at least a 25 percent reduction in the volume of wastewater generated when
compared to non -water saving fixtures.
2. The surface 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, such as the construction of additional or replacement
wastewater treatment and disposal facilities.

3. Within ninety (90) days of permit issuance, access to the sand filter will be improved by replacing the
panels with another type of cover that is easier to remove or swing open so that the sand filter can be
properly serviced. An Engineer's Certification, in the form of a signed and sealed letter from a North
Carolina Licensed Engineer, shall serve as notification to the Division that this work has been
satisfactorily completed. The letter shall be sent to the following address:
NCDENR-DWQ
Aquifer Protection Section
1636 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1636
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.
5. 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 the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities and any residence or places of
public assembly under separate ownership',
b) 150 feet between the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities and any property line',
c) 100 feet between the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities and any well (i.e., with the
exception of an approved groundwater monitoring well),
d) 100 feet between the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities and any drainageway or surface
water bodiess,
e) 50 feet between wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities and any public right-of-ways,
f) 100 feet between the wastewater treatment/storage units and any well (i.e., with the exception of
an approved groundwater monitoring well), and
g) 50 feet between the wastewater treatment units and any property line.
Variances from these minimum buffers have been approved by the Division. The nearby
property owners have submitted agreements to reduce the residential/place of public
assembly buffer to 200 feet and the property line buffer to 50 feet.
A variance from this :minimum buffer has been approved by the Division. A three-foot
berm has been constructed on the perimeter of the spray irrigation field in order to
eliminate the potential for irrigated wastewater effluent to runoff the field. Therefore, the
buffer from the drainageway has been reduced to 50 feet. The berm shall be maintained at
all times in order for this variance approval to be valid.
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 that 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 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.
2

H. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
1. The facilities shall be properly maintained and operated at all times.
2. Upon classification of the wastewater treatment and irrigation facilities by the Water Pollution
Control System Operators Certification Commission (WPCSOCC), the Permittee shall designate and
employ a certified operator to be in responsible charge (ORC) and one or more certified operator(s) to
be back-up ORC(s) of the facilities in accordance with 15A NCAC 8G .0201. The ORC shall visit
the facilities in accordance with 15A NCAC 8G .0204 or as specified in this permit and shall comply
with all other conditions specified in these rules.
A suitable year round vegetative cover of coastal Bermuda grass with annual rye grass shall be
maintained on the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities.
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 wetted area of the irrigation
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. This includes raking the sand
filter in a timely fashion.
7. The application rates onto the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities shall not exceed the
following.
Field
Wetted
Cumulative
Instantaneous
No.
Area
Application. Rate'
Application Rate
(acreage)
(inches per year)
(inches per hour)
1
0.503
31.8
0.174
Total
0.503
31.8
n/a
' The cumulative application rate shall be equivalent to the loading of wastewater effluent over
any 12-month period.
8. No type of wastewater other than wastewater effluent generated by the Pamlico River Ferry Terminal
that is owned, operated, and maintained by the Ferry Division of the North Carolina Department of
Transportation shall be irrigated onto the wetted area of the spray irrigation facility.
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. The chlorine tablets used in the disinfection facility shall be of the kind and type specified in the plans
and specifications approved by the Division.
12. The wetted area of the spray irrigation facility shall be fenced with at least a two -strand wire fence.

13. In the event that the maximum storage capacity for these wastewater treatment and spray irrigation
facilities has been reached, the restrooms in the Pamlico River Ferry Terminal shall be closed to the
public until such time that the wastewater effluent may be irrigated properly. Additional storage
volume shall be constructed (i.e., after the appropriate approvals have been received from the
Division) should continual closing of the restrooms to the public be necessary because of the lack of
adequate storage capacity.
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. Influent wastewater flow to the wastewater treatment facility shall be continuously monitored and
recorded. 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.
3. The wastewater effluent from: the subject wastewater treatment facilities shall be monitored by the
Permittee at the point following all wastewater treatment processes (i.e., including disinfection) and
prior to irrigation every March, duly, and November for the following parameters:
BOD5
TSS
NO2-NO3
Fecal Coliform
NH3 as N
TKN
pH
Total Phosphorous
4. The Permittee tracking the amount of wastewater disposed shall maintain adequate records, 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.
5. Three (3) copies of all monitoring data [as specified in Conditions III (2) and III (3)] on Form
NDMR-1 and three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records [as specified in Condition III (4)]
on Form NDAR-1 shall be submitted on or before the last day of the following month. All
information shall be submitted to the following address:
Division of Water Quality
Information Processing Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
6. An annual representative soils analysis (Standard Soil Fertility Analysis) shall be conducted on each
irrigation field and the results maintained on file by the Permittee for a minimum of rive years. The
Standard Soil Fertility Analysis shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following
parameters:
Acidity
Manganese
Potassium
Calcium
Percent Humic Matter
Sodium
Copper
PH
Zinc
Magnesium
Base Saturation (by calculation)
Phosphorus
Cation Exchange Capacity
Exchangeable Sodium Percentage

7. Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Washington Regional Office, telephone number (252)
946-6481, 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.
e. 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.
Occurrences outside normal business hours may also be reported to the Division's Emergency
Response personnel at telephone number [phone], [phone], or [phone].
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. Vertical Separation Requirements:
a. Waste application activities shall not occur when the vertical separation between the depth of
application and the water table is at less than one foot. Verification of the water table elevation
may be confirnzed by water level readings obtained from groundwater monitoring well(s) near to
the wetted area of the spray irrigation facilities or auger boring(s), which shall be performed
within 24 hours, prior to application of waste. Any open boring(s) shall be properly filled with
native soil prior to application to decrease the chance of any waste contaminating the
groundwater.
2. Applicable Boundaries.
a. The COMPLUNCE BOUNDARY for the disposal system shall be as specified by regLilations
in 1.5A NCAC 2L (i.e., "Groundwater Classifications and Standards"). The Compliance
Boundary for a disposal system individually permitted after December 31, 1983 shall be
established at either (1) 250 feet from the waste disposal area or (2) 50 feet within the property
boundary, whichever is closer to the waste disposal area. An exceedance of groundwater quality
standards at or beyond the Compliance Boundary shall be subject to immediate remediation
action according to 15A NCAC 2L .0106(d)(2).
b. The REVIEW BOUNDARY shall be established around the disposal system midway between
the Compliance Boundary and the perimeter of the waste disposal area. Any exceedance of
groundwater quality standards at the Review Boundary shall require action in accordance with
I SA NCAC 2L .0106(d)(1).

3. Other Requirements:
a. Any groundwater quality monitoring, as deemed necessary by the Division, shall be provided.
V. INSPECTIONS
I. 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.
3. 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 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.
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 unposed 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 Chapter 4 and under
the Division's General Permit NCG010000, and any requirements pertaining to wetlands under 15A
NCAC 2B .0200 and 2H .0500.
6. The Permittee shall retain a set of approved plans and specifications for the life of the project.
7. The Permittee must pay the annual administering and compliance fee 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).
6

8. 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.
9. 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 the 20`h day of October 2006
NORTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
AIan W. Klimek, P.E., Director
Division of Water Quality
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Permit Number WQ0012696
7

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FIGURE 1
SCALE IN FEET NCDOT - PAM ICO RIVER. FERRY TERMINAL
0 2, 000 4,000 800 GPD SPRAY APPLICATION SYSTEM
BEAUFORT COUNTY
n w04
SITE LOCATION MAP

n
s,f
PR'1'JATE Dfa1lE
OGATION MAP
FIGURE 7
NCDOT - PAMLICO RIVER FERRY TFRABNAL
800 GPD SPRAY APPLICATION SYSTEM
BEAUFORT COUNTY
WQ00126%/G W01204
APPLICATION FIELD LOCATION MAP

8a u rtL ry
erDfer-f7 Lir,{
FIGURE 3
NCDOT - PAMLICO RIVER FERRY TERMINAL
800 GPD SPRAY APPLICATION SYSTEM
BEAUFORT COUNTY
WQD012696/GWOl204
DFTAIL MAP OF APPLICATION FIELD