WQ0012948_Final Permit_20011212

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources i ci l5,rk/€�Eii
Division of Water Quality uygi Gi,OutdO AfEit SECTION
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D., Acting
01 DEC 12 QM 10* 25
Director
TODD EWING — CENTER SUPERVISOR
PISGAH CENTER FOR WILDLIFE EDUCATION
PO Box 1600
PISGAH FOREST, NC 28768
Dear Mr. Ewing:
December 12, 2001
7 1 i i
NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATuRAI_ RESOURCES
Subject: Permit No. WQ0012948
Drip Irrigation System Renewal
Transylvania County
In accordance with your application received September 11, 2001, we are forwarding herewith Permit
No. WQ0012948 dated December 12, 2001, to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for the
continued operation of the subject wastewater treatment and drip irrigation facilities.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until November 30, 2006, shall void Permit No.
WQ0012948 issued March 3, 1997, 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.
Please pay particular attention to the following permit conditions for they are specific to your facility
and/or are new since your last permit issuance:
> Condition H1.3 - Since the last permit issuance, minor non -discharge facilities (flow less than
10,000 gallons per day) are now required to measure the amount of influent into the wastewater
treatment system. For this system, only an average daily value shall be reported on the NDMR
Form.
7 Condition 111.5 - Since the last permit issuance, the address for submittals to be sent has be
changed. All NDAR-I and NDMR-1 forms shall be sent to this new address (See Condition M.5).
➢ Condition 1H.6 - Since the last permit issuance, non -discharge systems are now required to do an
annual soil fertility analysis. This analysis shall test for the required parameters and shall be kept on
site for a minimum of five (5) years.
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]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/10% post -consumer paper

If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact Nathaniel Thornburg at (9.;,
733-5083 extension 533.
CC-,;5tne r y,
Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D.
cc: Transylvania County Health Department
Asheville Regional Office, Water Quality Section
Asheville Regional Office, Groundwater Section
Groundwater Section, Central Office
Technical Assistance and Certification Unit
Non -Discharge Compliance/Enforcement Unit

AQUIFER PROTEuaq SEcto
NORTH CAROLINA MAY O 200
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
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Transylvania County
FOR THE
continued operation of a 7,500 gallon per day (GPD) wastewater treatment and drip irrigation disposal facility
consisting of a 4,000 gallon baffled septic tank, a 2,000 gallon baffled septic tank, a 5,000 gallon baffled septic tank, a
4,000 gallon recirculation tank, two (2) 1,500 square foot (ft) recieulating sand filters, a 4,000 gallon dosing/storage
tank with dual 40 gallon per minute (GPM) pumps and high water alarms, a modified Perc-Rile drip irrigation pump
unit, a tablet chlorinator, a 20,340 gallon subsurface wetland cell, a 100,500 gallon surface wetland cell, approximately
17,000 linear feet of 1/2 -inch diameter polyethylene pressure compensating drip irrigation piping, and a 1.6 acre drip
irrigation field mixed with mature hardwoods and pines to serve the Pisgah Center fer Wildlife Education, with no
discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received September 11, 2001, and in conformity
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 November 30, 2006, shall void Permit No.
WQ0012948 issued March 3, 1997, and shall be subject to the following specified conditions and limitations:
1. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
1. The drip irrigation facilities shall be effectively maintained and operated at all times so that Ehere 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 perforin satisfactorily, including the
creation of nuisance conditions or failure of the irrigation area to adequately assimilate the wastewater, the
Permittee shall take imuxtediate 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.
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.

5. The following buffers shall be maintained:
a) 100 feet between wetted area and any residence or places of public assembly under separate
ownership,
b) 50 feet between wetted area and property lines,
c) 100 feet between wetted area and wells,
d) 50 feet between wetted area and drainageways or surface water bodies,
e) 50 feet between wetted area and public right of ways,
(] 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 drip 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
I. The facilities shall be properly maintained and operated at all tunes.
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 -Lip 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 11, 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.
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.
Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent wastewater runoff from the drip field.
G. The facilities shall be effectively maintained and operated as a non -discharge system to prevent the
discharge of any wastewater resulting frorn the operation of this facility.
7. The application rate shall not exceed a cumulative loading of 62.4 inches over any twelve (12) month
period at an instantaneous application rate not to cause runoff or ponding.
8. No type of wastewater other than that from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education shall be emitted
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 surface wetland cell shall not be less than one fool at any time.
111. 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:
Lt. date of irrigation,
b. volume of wastewater irrigated,
c. field irrigated,
d. length of time field is irrigated,
c. continuous weekly, monthly, and year-to-date hydraulic (inches/acre) loadings for each field,
f. weather conditions, and
g. maintenance of cover crops.
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 June and September for the following parameters:
BOD5 TSS T� :'
Fecal Coliform pH
NH3 as N
Three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records (as specified in condition Ili 2) on Form NDAR-1
and three (3) copies of all effluent monitoring data (as specified in condition III 3 and III 4) 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. A representative annual soils analysis (Standard Soil Fertility Analysis) shall be conducted on each drip
field and the results maintained on file by the Permittee for a minimum of live years. The Standard Soil
Fertility Analysis shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following parameters:
Acidity Manganese Potassium
Calcium Percent Hun is Matter Sodium
Copper pH Zinc
Magnesium Exchangeable Sodium. Percentage Phosphorus
Cation Exchange Capacity Base Saturation (by calculation)

7. Noncompliance Notification:
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 tic facility incapable or
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. Vertical Separation Requirements:
a. Waste application activities shall not occur when the vertical separation between depth of application
and the water table is as less than one (1) foot. Verification of [he water table elevation can be
confirmed by water level readings obtained from the monitoring 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.
2. Applicable Boundaries:
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 arca.
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 disposaI area. Any exceedance of standards at
the Review Boundary shall require action in accordance with 15A NCAC 2L .0106(d)(1).
V. INSPECTIONS
AdequaLC 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 inspec!4 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; Inay 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.
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 213 .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 213 .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.
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).
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.

0
Permit issued this the 12th day of December, 2001
f
NORTH CAROLINA EVVJRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D., Acting Director
Division of Water Quality
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Permit Number WQ0012948

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