WQ0019331_Inspection_20190530

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LINDA CULPEPPER NORTH CARODNA
O+A-tOr Environmental Quality
June 05, 2019
Stuart May
North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
1Roosevelt Boulevard
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512
SUBJECT: Compliance Inspection Report
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores WWTP
Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0019331
Carteret County
Dear Permittee:
The North Carolina Division of Water Resources conducted an inspection of the NC Aquarium at Pine
Knoll Shores WWTP on 5/30/2019. This inspection was conducted to verify that the facility is operating
in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified in Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0019331. The
findings and comments noted during this inspection are provided in the enclosed copy of the inspection
report entitled "Compliance Inspection Report". There were no significant issues or findings noted during the
inspection and therefore, a response to this inspection report is not required.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Helen Perez with the Water
Quality Regional Operations Section in the Wilmington Regional Office at 910-796-7215 or via email at
[e-mail].
Sincerely,
DocuSigned by:
E3ABA14AC7DC434...
Morelia Sanchez-King, Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Wilmington Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
ATTACHMENTS
Cc: Dan Fortin — electronic copy
Uploaded to Laserfiche
NorthCawEnsDepsrt rim ntofEnvironmeatalQua?rty I Diuisionof Water Resources
WilminVon Reg•3iLa-Dffioe 1 127 CardirreiDrive Exten son I Wliwaington, NorthCaro-ms2A405
- 910-796-7215

Compliance Inspection Report
Permit: WQ0019331 Effective: 02/27/18 Expiration: 01/31/23 Owner: North Carolina Department of Natural and
Cultural Resources
SOC: Effective: Expiration: Facility: NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores WWTP
County: Carteret 1 Roosevelt Blvd
Region: Wilmington
Pine Knoll Shores NC 28512
Contact Person: Daniel Edward Fortin Title: Contract ORC Phone: [phone]
Directions to Facility:
System Classifications: SI, WW2,
Primary ORC: Daniel Edward Fortin Certification: 15609 Phone: [phone]
Secondary ORC(s):
On-Site Representative(s):
On-site representative Daniel Edward Fortin 252-393-8720
Related Permits:
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Entry Time: 09:20AM Exit Time: 10:20AM
Primary Inspector: Helen I Perez Phone: [phone]
Secondary Inspector(s):
Reason for Inspection: Routine Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation
Permit Inspection Type: Reclaimed Water
Facility Status: Compliant ❑ Not Compliant
Question Areas:
Treatment Flow Measurement-Effluent Treatment Flow Measurement-Influent Miscellaneous Questions
Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Treatment Treatment Barscreen
Use Records
Treatment Filters Record Keeping Treatment Activated Sludge
Treatment Sludge Storage/Treatment Treatment Disinfection Treatment Flow Measurement
Treatment Return pumps End Use-Reuse Standby Power
Coastal Requirements
(See attachment summary)
Page 1 of 7

Permit: WQ0019331 Owner-Facility:North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Inspection Type:Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Inspection Summary:
A routine compliance inspection of the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores WWTF was conducted on May 30, 2019.The
purpose of the evaluation was to verify that the facility is operating in compliance with the conditions and limitations specified
in Permit WQ0019331. Dan Fortin, ORC,and other staff members of Fortin Contract Service were present during the
inspection.
This reclaimed water generation facility consists of a two-train membrane bioreactor system. It is permitted to treat 25,000
GPD and averages around 9,000 to 12,000 GPD during the summer months.The reclaimed water is utilized as toilet flush
water for the aquarium building.The remaining effluent is pumped to the four high-rate infiltration fields.
Records and logs were organized and complete.There have been no violations issued since the last inspection in 2017.The
EQ high level alarm was tested and was operational and ORC was notified by phone. Currently,there is a break in the
reclaim line leading to the aquarium building, and all effluent is being directed to the high-rate infiltraion fields for disposal.
Staff was working on repairs.
The facility is compliant with non-discharge permit WQ0019331. Please review the comment sections of the inspection
report for more details.
Page 2 of 7

Permit: WQ0019331 Owner-Facility:North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Inspection Type:Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Type Yes No NA NE
Reuse(Quality) ❑
Lagoon Spray, LR ❑
Single Family Spray, LR ❑
Activated Sludge Spray, LR ❑
Activated Sludge Spray, HR ❑
Activated Sludge Drip,LR ❑
Single Family Drip ❑
Infiltration System
Recycle/Reuse
Treatment Yes No NA NE
Are Treatment facilities consistent with those outlined in the current permit? ❑ 0 ❑ ❑
Do all treatment units appear to be operational?(if no,note below.) 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The permit lists an anerobic reactor chamber within each of the membrane bioreactor systems.
Staff stated that there are anoxic chambers that flow to the aerobic chambers, but there has
never been anerobic chambers. Ozone disinfection system is not in operation.
Treatment Flow Measurement-Influent Yes No NA NE
Is flowmeter calibrated annually? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is flowmeter operating properly? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter monitor continuously? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter record flow? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment:
Treatment Flow Measurement-Water Use Records Yes No NA NE
Is water use metered? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are the daily average values properly calculated? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment:
Treatment Flow Measurement-Effluent Yes No NA NE
Is flowmeter calibrated annually? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is flowmeter operating properly? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter monitor continuously? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter record flow? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does flowmeter appear to monitor accurately? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The flowmeter, as well as the turbidity meter, was calibrated on 05/18/2019 by Delta Systems
Environmental.
Page 3 of 7

Permit: WQ0019331 Owner-Facility:North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Inspection Type:Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Standby Power
Yes No NA NE
Is automatically activated standby power available? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Is generator tested weekly by interrupting primary power source? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is generator operable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does generator have adequate fuel? ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The generator provides standby power to the entire aquarium as well as the wastewater
treatment facility. It was not tested during this inspection. The aquarium staff is responsibile for
the proper service and maintenance of the generator.
Treatment Barscreen Yes No NA NE
Is it free of excessive debris? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is disposal of screenings in compliance? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are the bars spaced properly? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the unit in good condition? ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: The design of this facility did not include barscreens. Staff constructed basket-type screens to
catch debris as flow enters each of the MBR systems from the EQ to maximize the operation of
the membrane filters.
Treatment Activated Sludge Yes No NA NE
Is the aeration mechanism operable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the aeration basin thoroughly mixed? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the aeration equipment easily accessed? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is Dissolved Oxygen adequate? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are Settleometer results acceptable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is activated sludge an acceptable color? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: No comment.
Treatment Return pumps Yes No NA NE
Are they in place? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Are they operational? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: No comment.
Treatment Filters Yes No NA NE
Is the filter media present? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the filter media the correct size and type? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the air scour operational? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the scouring acceptable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the clear well free of excessive solids? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the mud well free of excessive solids and filter media? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does backwashing frequency appear adequate? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Page 4 of 7

Permit: WQ0019331 Owner-Facility:North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Inspection Type:Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Comment: The Zenon membrane filtration modules are operated by a PLC screen located in the equipment
building next to the MBR. The membranes are programmed to automatically backwash with
reuse water every 11 minutes. Periodically, they are removed and cleaned further with citric acid.
Staff indicated that the membranes were replaced approximately 2 years ago.
Treatment Sludge Storage/Treatment Yes No NA NE
Is the aeration operational? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the aeration pattern even? ❑ ❑ ❑
If required,are Sanitary"Ts"present in tankage? ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: Solids are removed by Barnes Environmental every 3-4 months from the 14,000 gallon aerobic
digester. Because the original number of blowers for the facility did not adequately aerate the
digester, a blower was added.
Treatment Disinfection Yes No NA NE
Is the system working? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Do the fecal coliform results indicate proper disinfection? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is there adequate detention time(-30 minutes)? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the system properly maintained? ❑ ❑ ❑
If gas,does the cylinder storage appear safe? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the fan in the chlorine feed room and storage area operable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the chlorinator accessible? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
If tablets,are tablets present? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are the tablets the proper size and type? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is contact chamber free of sludge,solids,and growth? ❑ ❑ ❑
If UV,are extra UV bulbs available? ❑ ❑ ❑
If UV, is the UV intensity adequate? ❑ ❑ ❑
#Is it a dual feed system? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Does the Stationary Source have more than 2500 Ibs of Chlorine(CAS No.7782-50-5)? ❑ ❑ ❑
If yes,then is there a Risk Management Plan on site? ❑ ❑ ❑
If yes,then what is the EPA twelve digit ID Number?(1000- )
If yes,then when was the RMP last updated?
Comment: No comment.
Record Keeping Yes No NA NE
Is a copy of current permit available? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are monitoring reports present: NDMR? ❑ ❑ ❑
NDAR? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are flow rates less than of permitted flow? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are flow rates less than of permitted flow? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are application rates adhered to? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Page 5 of 7

Permit: WQ0019331 Owner-Facility:North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Inspection Type:Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
Is GW monitoring being conducted,if required(GW-59s submitted)? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are all samples analyzed for all required parameters? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are there any 2L GW quality violations? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is GW-59A certification form completed for facility? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is effluent sampled for same parameters as GW? ❑ ❑ ❑
Do effluent concentrations exceed GW standards? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are annual soil reports available? ❑ ❑ ❑
#Are PAN records required? ❑ ❑ ❑
#Did last soil report indicate a need for lime? ❑ ❑ ❑
If so,has it been applied? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are operational logs present? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are lab sheets available for review? ❑ ❑ ❑
Do lab sheets support data reported on NDMR? ❑ ❑ ❑
Do lab sheets support data reported on GW-59s? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are Operational and Maintenance records present? ❑ ❑ ❑
Were Operational and Maintenance records complete? ❑ ❑ ❑
Has permittee been free of public complaints in last 12 months? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is a copy of the SOC readily available? ❑ ❑ ❑
No treatment units bypassed since last inspection? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: Records and logs were organized and complete. Field parameters are done by staff under Lab
Certification #5504. Instruments are calibrated at the main office of Fortin Contract Service and
used at their facilities. Environmental 1, Inc. analyzes all the remaining effluent parameters under
Lab Certification #10.
End Use-Reuse Yes No NA NE
Is the acreage in the permit being utilized? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does the acreage specified in the permit correspond to the measured acreage at the site? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are all essential units provided in duplicate? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is an automatically activated standby power source available? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the equalization capacity adequate? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is aerated flow equalization present? ❑ ❑ ❑
Has the turbidity meter been calibrated in the last 12 months? ❑ ❑ ❑
Does the turbidity meter have recording capabilities? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is all flow diverted at the appropriate times? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is all upset wastewater diverted from reuse storage unit? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is all upset wastewater treated, retreated,or disposed of acceptably? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is upset wastewater treated prior to discharge to irrigation storage? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is public access restricted from irrigation area during active site use? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Page 6 of 7

Permit: WQ0019331 Owner-Facility:North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Inspection Date: 05/30/2019 Inspection Type:Compliance Evaluation Reason for Visit: Routine
If golf course, is a sign posted in plain sight on the club house? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the cover crop acceptable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are buffers adequate? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the site free of ponding/runoff? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the acreage in the permit being utilized? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the application equipment acceptable? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the application area free of limiting slopes? ❑ ❑ ❑
How close is the closest water supply well? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are any supply wells within the CB? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are any supply wells within 250' of the CB? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is municipal water available in the area? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are GW monitoring wells required? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are GW monitoring wells located properly w/respect to RB and CB? ❑ ❑ ❑
Are GW monitoring wells properly constructed,including screened interval? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑
Comment: The facility utilizes the reclaimed water for toilet flush water for the aquarium building. A plaque is
posted at each toilet notifying the public of reclaim use. The 4 high-rate infiltration fields were not
inspected. Signs to restrict public access to the fields need to be reposted. The turbidity meter
was calibrated on 5-18-2019 by Delta Systems Environmental.
Coastal Requirements Yes No NA NE
Are essential treatment units provided in duplicate? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is an adequately sized aerated equalization basin present? ❑ ❑ ❑
If so, is it operable? ❑ ❑ ❑
If present,are diffusers cleaned regularly? ❑ ❑ ❑
Is the equalization capacity adequate? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Comment: No comment.
Page 7 of 7