WQ0013181_Final Permit_19961219

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Jonathan B. Howes, Secretary
A. Preston Howard, Jr., P.E., Director
Mr. David Smith, Superintendent
Pender County Schools
925 Pender <,a Highway
Burgaw, NC 28425
Dear. Mr. Smith:
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December 19, 1996
Subject: Permit No. WQ0013181
Pender County Schools
Topsail Elementary School -South
Wastewater Drip Irrigation
Pender County
In accordance with your application received November 19, 1996, we are forwarding herewith
Permit No. WQ0013181, dated December 19, 1996, to Pender County Schools for the construction and
op' r ion of the subject wastewater treatment and drip irrigation facilities.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until November 30, 2001 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 Caroline General Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings, P.O. Drawer
274-1r ', Raleigh, NC 27611-7447. 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 Mr. Randy Kepler at [phone] extension 544.
Sincerely,
A. Presto oward, Jr., P.E.
cc: Pender County Health Department
Ar drew aitd Kuske Consulting Engineers
Wilmington Regional Office, Water Quality Section
Wilmington Regional Office, Groundwater Section
Bob Cheek, Groundwater Section, Central Office
Training and Certification Unit
Facilities Assessment Unit
P.O. Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone] FAX [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/ 10% post -consumer paper

NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
DRIP 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
Pender County Schools
Pender County
FOR THE
construction and operation of a 7,200 GPD wastewater treatment and drip irrigation disposal facility
consisting of a 1,500 gallon grease trap, an 8,000 gallon septic tank, a 10,000 gallon pump tank with
dual, 90 GPM pumps with high water alarm and 710 linear feet of 4 inch force main, a 35 foot by 80 foot
surface sand filter, a tablet chlorinator, a 356,800 gallon holding/storage pond, a perc rite filtration system,
a twelve zone, 3.1 acre drip irrigation area, 4,200 linear feet of 2.5 inch return line and all necessary
piping, fittings, electrical fixtures and appurtenances needed for proper operation to serve Pender County
Schools - Topsail Elementary School South with no discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to
the application received November 19, 1996, 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 November 30, 2001 and shall be
subject to the following specified conditions and limitations:
I. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
1. 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. Mail the Certification to the Water Quality
Permits and Engineering Unit, P.O. Box 29535, Raleigh, NC 27626-0535.
2. The Wilmington Regional Office, telephone number 910-395-3900, 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.
3. The drip irrigation facilities shall be effectively maintainer] 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 c'l4` 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.

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 North Carolina Division of
Water Quality.
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 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) 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.
8. The sand media of the surface sand filter must comply with the Division's sand
specifications. The engineer's certification will serve as evidence that these specifications
have been met.
9. A leakage test shall be performed on the septic 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.
10. If excavation into bedrock is required for the installation of the septic tank or sand filter, the
pit shall be lined with a 10 mil synthetic liner.
11. A sanitary tee shall be installed on the effluent pipe of the septic tank_ The engineer's
certification will serve as evidence that these specifications have been met.
iI. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
I . The facilities shall be properly maintained and operated at all times.
2. Upon classification of the facility by the Certification Commission, 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 Certification Commission. The Permittee must also employ a
certified back-up operator of the appropriate type and grade to comply with the conditions
of Title 15A, Chapter 8A, .0202. The ORC of the facility must visit each Class I facility at
least weekly and each Class I1, 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 Title 15A, Chapter 8A, .0202. Once
the facility is classified, the Permittee must submit a letter to the Certification Commission
which designates the operator in responsible charge within thirty days after the wastewater
treatment facilities are 50% complete.
3. A suitable 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.
2

5. Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent wastewater runoff from the drip 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.
7. The application rate shall not exceed a cumulative loading of 26.0 inches over any twelve
(12) month period at an instantaneous application rate not to exceed 0.23 inches per hour.
8. No type of wastewater other than that from Pender County Schools -Topsail Elementary
School South shall be dripped 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 storage/holding pond shall not be less than two feet at any time.
12. The drip irrigation field shall be fenced with at least a two strand wire fence.
III. MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
L Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, soil or plant tissue analyses)
deemed necessary by the Division of Water Quality 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 NH3 as N
Fecal Coliform pH
4. Three (3) copies of all operation and disposal records (as specified in condition III 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 1113) 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
Facility Assessment Unit
PO Box 29535
Raleigh, NC 27626-0535

5. Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Wilmington Regional Office, telephone
number 910-395-3900, 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 renders 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; or
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
Prior to beginning waste disposal operations, three monitor wells, one upgradient (MW-I)
and two downgradient (MW-2, MW-3), shall be installed to monitor groundwater quality.
The well(s) shall be constructed such that the water level in the well is never above or
below the screened (open) portion of the well at any time during the year. The general
location and name for each well is marked on Attachment A. Each monitoring well shall be
located at the review boundary, constructed in accordance with this permit, and approved
by the Wilmington Regional Office.
2. Monitor wells MW-1, MW-2 and MW-3 shall be sampled initially after construction (and
prior to waste disposal operations) and thereafter every March, July and November for the
following parameters:
Nitrate Nitrogen Ammonia Nitrogen
TDS TOC
pH Water Level
Chloride Fecal Coliforms
Total Phosphorous
Volatile Organic Compounds - In November only by Method 6230D below
Method 6230D (Capillary - Column), "Standard Methods For The Examination of
Water and Wastewater", 17th ed., 1989
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 mgll 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 mgll, 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.
If any volatile organic compounds are detected by Method 6230D, then the Wilmington
Regional Office Groundwater Supervisor, telephone number 910-395-3900, 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 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.
3. Any additional groundwater quality monitoring, as deemed necessary by the Division, shall
be provided.
4. 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).
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.
5. All wells that are constructed for purposes of groundwater monitoring shall be constructed
in accordance with 15A NCAC 2C .0108 (Standards of Construction for Wells Other than
Water Supply) and any other state and local laws and regulations pertaining to well
construction.
6. The Wilmington Regional Office, telephone number 910-395-3900, shall be notified at
least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the construction of any monitoring well so that an
inspection can be made of the monitoring well location. Such notification to the regional
groundwater 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.
7. Within sixty (60) days of completion of all monitoring wells, the permittee shall submit two
original copies of a scaled topographic map (scale no greater than V:100') signed and
scaled by a professional engineer or a state licensed land surveyor that indicates all of the
following information:
a. the location and identity of each monitoring well,
b . the location of the waste disposal system,
c . the location of all property boundaries,
d . the latitude and longitude of the established horizontal control monument,
e. the relative elevation of the top of the well casing (which shall be known as the
"measuring point"), and
f. the depth of water below the measuring point at the time the measuring point is
established.

The survey shall be conducted using approved practices outlined in North Carolina General
Statutes Chapter 89C and the North Carolina Administrative Code Title 21, Chapter 56.
The surveyor shall establish a horizontal control monument on the property of the waste
disposal system and determine the latitude and longitude of this horizontal control
monument to a horizontal positional accuracy of +/- 10 feet. All other features lasted in a.
through e. above shall be surveyed relative to this horizontal control monument. The
positional accuracy of features listed in a. through e. above shall have a ratio of precision
not to exceed an error of closure of 1 foot per 10,000 feet of perimeter of the survey. Any
features located by the radial method will be located from a minimum of two points.
Horizontal control monument shall be installed in such a manner and made of such
materials that the monument will not be destroyed due to activities that may take place on
the property. The map shall also be surveyed using the North American Datum of 1983
coordinate system and shall indicate the datum on the map. All bearings or azimuths shall
be based on either the true or NAD 83 grid meridian. if a Global Positioning System
(GPS) is used to determine the latitude and longitude of the horizontal control monument, a
GPS receiver that has the capability to perform differential GPS shall be used and all data
collected by the GPS receiver will be differentially corrected.
The maps and any supporting documentation shall be sent to the Groundwater Section,
N.C. Division of Water Quality P.O. Box 29578 Raleigh, N.C. 27626-0578.
8. Within thirty days of completion of all well construction activities, a certification must be
received from a professional engineer certifying that the monitoring wells are located and
constructed in accordance with the Well Construction Standards (15A NCAC 2C) and this
permit. This certification should be submitted with copies of the Well Completion Form
(GW-1) for each well. Mail this certification and the associated GW-1 forms to the Permits
and Compliance Unit, Groundwater Section, P.O. Box 29578, Raleigh, NC, 27626-0578.
9. For the initial sampling of the well as specified elsewhere in the permit, the permittee shall
submit a copy of the GW-1 Form (Well Completion Form) with the Compliance
Monitoring Form (GW-59) for that well. Compliance Monitoring Forms that do not
include copies of the GW-1 form will be returned to the permittee without being processed.
Failure to submit these forms as required by this permit may result in the initiation of
enforcement activities pursuant to NC General Statutes 143-215.6.
10. The lagoon shall have a liner of natural material at least one foot in thickness, compacted to
9517o proctor standard dry density and installed and compacted in layers no thicker than six
inches, with a hydraulic conductivity of no greater than 1 x 10-6 cm/sec. Following
installation and inspection of the lagoon liner, and prior to waste disposal operations,
verification of the liner's compliance with hydraulic conductivity and thickness
specifications must be provided to the Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section, by
the project engineer.
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 Iead to the release of wastes to the environment, a threat to human health, or a nuisance.
The Pcrmittee 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 of Water Quality or other permitting authority.
C.

3. Any duly authorized officer, employee, or representative of the Division of Water Quality
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 of Water Quality 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 of Water Quality in accordance with
North Carolina General Statute 143-215.6(a) to 143-215.6(c).
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 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.
Permit issued this the Nineteenth day of December, 1996
NORTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
A. Preston 4oward, Jr., Pk, Director
Division of'Water Quality
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Permit Number WQ0013181

Permit No. WQ0013181
December 19, 1996
ENGINEER'S CERTIFICATION
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, , for the
Project Name Location
Perznittee 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.

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RATING SCALE FOR CLASSIFICATION OF WATER POLLUTION CONTROL SYSTEMS
Name of Facility:
Owner or Contact Person.' : _ ,(: � ��, �a r.�.,,.� fz� -
Mailing Address: w ' ` r . r.
County: Telephone: J91 ,2t &-7
Present Classification: New Facility ✓ Existing Facility
NPDES Per NC00 Nondisc. Per. No.WQ ! 3rl Health Dept.Per No.
Bated by: ic�L Telephone: Date:
Reviewed by: Health Dept. Telephone:
Regional Office Telephone:
Central Office Telephone:
ORC: Grade: Telephone:
Check Classification(s): Subsurface ray Irrigaticn Land Application
Wastewater Classification: (Circle One) 1 11 Ill IV Total Points:
av 1!i l!: ,.. !.�• a • : �.� ' Tabu
---------------------------
SLBS UPFACE CLP&S�FiI ICN
(c- ieck all units that apply)
1. septic tanks
2. pump tanks
3. siphon or pump -dosing systems
4. sand filters
5. grease trapfintercepter
6. oil/water separators
7. gravity subsurface treatment and disposal_
8. pressure subsurface treatment and disposal:
--------------------------
SPAYIRPJGATICNCL-A�'IICN
(check all units that iy}
1. preliminary tre=tntent (definition no. 32 }
Z lagoons
3. ✓septic tanks
4. �ttmp tanks
5. pumps
6.��sand fillers
7. f/rease tr—Artercat for
8. oillwater sera =tors
9._ ;Cdisinfedlon
10. chemical aec::cn icr nutrient/al_eae control
11.�ray irrieatian ct wastewater
In addition to the above classifications, pretreatment of WesteWS,Er In excess of these components sh&JI
be rated using the point rating system and will require an onerarcr with an appropriate dual certification.
LAND APPLICAT1ONMESIDUALS CLASSIFICATION (Applies only to permit holder)
1. Land application of bicsolids, residuals or contarninted sciis an a designFe~ - 2.
WAS i EWATF- 1 EA i Mobi FACILITY CLASSi PICA•iN
The following systems shall be assigned a Class I c!ass:•iicngon, unfass the flow is of a 6 niiicant quantity or the technology is unusually
complex, to require ccnsderation by the Commission on a c2sa-by-case basis: (Check � Appropriate)
1. Oil/waler Separ'cr Systems consisting only of physical separation, pumps and csposal;
2. Septic Tank/Sand Titer Systems consisting only of septic tanks, dosing a pumps,sand fillers, disinfection
and direct disci-zme;
3, lagoon Systems consisting only of preliminary treatment, lagoons, pumps, id.�nzad!on, necessary chemical treatment fcr
algae or nutrient ccntrof, and direr discharge;
4, Closed-400p Roc/de Systems;
5. Groundwater Remeciailon Systems consisting only of oil water separators, pW�.ys, air-vLripping, carbon adsorption, disinfeClon
and dts4o�:l;
S. Aquacufture operations with discharge to surface waters;
7. Water Pent sludge handling and back -wash water treatment;
8. Seafood processing ccrtsisting of screening and disposal.
4, Single-family disc.. rging systems, with the exception of Aerobic Treatment L'n.s. will be classified if permitted alter July 1,
15.93 or it upon irsper~ion by the Division, it is found that the system is not beirc adeque:ely operated or maintained- Such
systems will be notified of the ctapsHicalion or reclassification by the Carr.-;issicn, in wing.