NC0021369_Draft Permit_20190918

ROY COOPER
„\ Governor
it4 MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretory
LINDA CULPEPPER
NORTH CAROLINA Director
Environmental Quality
September 18, 2019
Mr.Timothy Barth
Town of Columbus
PO Box 146
Columbus,NC 28722-0146
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NC0021369
Columbus WWTP
Grade III Biological WPCS
Polk County
Dear Mr.Barth:
The Division has reviewed your request to renew the subject permit. Please review this draft carefully to ensure a
thorough understanding of the information,conditions,and requirements it contains.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the existing permit:
> Regulatory citations have been added.
> The list of treatment components has been updated per the permit renewal application.
➢ Quarterly monitoring for Hardness has been added to the Effluent table in Section A.(1.).
> Removed former Footnote#4 in Section A. (1.)as this is no longer required.
> Limits for Total Copper,Total Cadmium,Total Cyanide and Total Silver have been added to the Effluent
table in Section A. (1.)in conjunction with a Compliance Schedule in Section A. (3.)based on a
reasonable potential to exceed water quality standards.
> Section A.(5.)and Footnote#1 in Section A. (1.)has been updated regarding electronic submission of
effluent data. Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports
(DMRs).
➢ Updated monitoring frequency for BOD,Total Suspended Solids,Ammonia Nitrogen,Fecal Coliform,
Dissolved Oxygen,Total Residual Chlorine and pH as the facility has been reclassified to Grade III
Biological WPCS.
> A Wastewater Management Plan has been added in Section A. (4.)to address concerns in the most recent
compliance inspection.
With this notification,the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by publishing a notice in
newspapers having circulation in the general Polk County area,per EPA requirements.Please provide your
comments,if any,to me no later than 30 days after receiving this draft permit.
Following the 30-day public comment period,the Division will review all pertinent comments and take
appropriate action prior to issuing a final permit.If you have questions concerning the draft,please contact me at
the telephone number listed at the bottom of this page,or via e-mail [[e-mail]].
EQ0
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617
919-707-3712

Sincerely,
Sydney Carpenter
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting Unit
cc: NPDES File
Asheville Regional Office

NPDES Permit NC0021369
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
(NPDES)
In compliance with the provisions of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1, other lawful standards
and regulations promulgated and adopted by the North Carolina Environmental Management
Commission, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, the
Town of Columbus
is hereby authorized to discharge treated wastewater from a facility located at the
Town of Columbus WWTP
355 Levi Road Extension
Columbus
Polk County
to receiving waters designated as an unnamed tributary to White Oak Creek in the Broad
River Basin, in accordance with effluent limitations,monitoring requirements, and other conditions set
forth in Parts I, II, III and IV hereof.
This permit shall become effective
This permit and authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on July 31, 2023.
Signed this day
TDa,
A
IFir
Linda Culpepper, Director
Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET
All previous NPDES Permits issued to this facility, whether for operation or discharge are hereby
revoked. As of this permit issuance, any previously issued permit bearing this number is no longer
effective. Therefore, the exclusive authority to operate and discharge from this facility arises under the
permit conditions, requirements, terms, and provisions included herein.
The Town of Columbus
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.80 MGD wastewater treatment plant. This facility is located at 355
Levi Road Extension, Columbus in Polk County. Wastewater treatment includes the following
components:
• Automatic spiral screw screen compactor
• Manual Bypass Bar screen
• Aeration Basin with three(3) 15-hp aerators &one(1) 25-hp aerator
• Vortex grit removal
• 9' and 12' secondary clarifiers
• Two (2) RAS/WAS recirculating pumps
• Sludge thickening
• 230,000-gallon Sludge holding tank with one (1) 30-hp aerator
• Chlorine contact chamber and dechlorination upgraded to flow proportional
• Calcium Thiosulfate drip
• Ultrasonic flow measurement with circular chart recorder
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into an unnamed
tributary to White Oak Creek, currently classified C waters [Stream Index: 9-29-46] in sub-basin 03-
08-02 [HUC:0305010502] of the Broad River Basin.
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
PART I
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
Grade III Biological Water Pollution Control System [15A NCAC 08G .0302]
During the period beginning on the effective date of the permit and lasting until expiration, the
Permittee is authorized to discharge from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitoredI
by the Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS LIMITS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[eDMR Code] Monthly Weekly Daily Measurement Sample Sample
Average Average Maximum Frequency Type Location
Flow [50050] 0.800 MGD Continuous RecordingInfluent or
Effluent
BOD,5 day,20°C2(mg/L) [C0310] 30.0 mg/L 45.0 mg/L 3/Week Composite Influent&
Effluent
Total Suspended Solids2(mg/L) [C0530] 30.0 mg/L 45.0 mg/L 3/Week Composite Influent&
Effluent
NH3 as N(mg/L) [C0610] Monitor&Report 3/Week Composite Effluent
Fecal Coliform [31616] 200/100 ml 400/100 ml 3/Week Grab Effluent
(geometric mean)
Dissolved Oxygen(mglL) [00300] Monitor&Report 3/Week Grab Effluent
Temperature(°C) [00010] Monitor&Report Daily Grab Effluent
Total Residual Chlorine3 [50060] 28 pg/L 3/Week Grab Effluent
I pH [00400] >_6.0 and<_9.0 standard units 3/Week Grab Effluent
Total Nitrogen(TN)(mg/L) [C0600] Monitor&Report 2/Year Composite Effluent
Total Phosphorus(TP)(mg/L) [C0665] Monitor&Report 2/Year Composite Effluent
Total Copper's(pg/L) [01042] 27.92 pg/L 36.28 pg/L Monthly Composite Effluent
Total Silvers(pg/L) [01067] 0.162 pg/L 1.381 pg/L Monthly Composite Effluent
Total Zinc(pg/L) [01092] Monitor&Report Quarterly Composite Effluent
Total Cadmium's(pg/L) [01027] 2.025 pg/L 10.932 pg/L Monthly Composite Effluent
Total Cyanides(pg/L) [00720] 13.5 pg/L 53.2 pg/L Monthly Grab Effluent
Total Lead(pg/L) [01051] Monitor&Report Quarterly Composite Effluent
Total Mercury4(ng/L) [COMER] Monitor&Report Annual Composite Effluent
Chronic Toxicity5 [TGP3B] Quarterly Composite Effluent
Hardness—Total as Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
[CaCO3 or(Ca+Mg)]6 (mg/L) [00900]
Hardness—Total as Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Upstream
[CaCO3 or(Ca+Mg)]7 (mg/L) [00900]
Footnotes:
1. The permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the Division's eDMR system.
[See Section A. (5)]
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
2. The monthly average effluent BOD5 and Total Suspended Solids concentrations shall not exceed 15 percent
of the respective influent value(85 percent removal).
3. The Division shall consider all effluent TRC values reported below 50 gg/L to be in compliance with the
permit.However,the Permittee shall continue to record and submit all values reported by a North Carolina
certified laboratory(including field certified),even if these values fall below 50 µg/L.
4. EPA Method 1631 must be used for the sampling of mercury data.
5. Chronic toxicity(Ceriodaphnia)Pass/Fail test at 37%shall be conducted in March,June, September,and
December. [See Section A.(2)]
6. Effluent hardness sampling should be performed in conjunction with testing for hardness dependent metals
(cadmium,copper,lead,nickel, silver,and zinc).
7. The Permittee shall sample instream hardness,upstream of the facility's discharge.The sample shall be
representative of the hardness in the receiving stream. If the Permittee is a member of the Monitoring
Coalition Program, sampling for instream hardness may be waived as long as the Monitoring Coalition
agrees to sample hardness at the nearest upstream location,at a minimum frequency of quarterly,and the
Permittee has obtained approval from DWR-NPDES Permitting Unit that the upstream station being
monitored by the Coalition is representative of the receiving stream for this discharge.The Permittee is
responsible for submitting instream hardness test results with its permit renewal application package.If
Coalition membership is cancelled or the Coalition terminates instream hardness sampling at the approved
station,the Permittee will immediately notify the Division and resume sampling for instream hardness,
upstream of its discharge.
8. See Section A. (3)for a compliance schedule regarding Total Copper,Total Cadmium,Total Cyanide and
Total Silver monitoring over the next five years.
All samples collected should be from a representative discharge event.
THERE SHALL BE NO DISCHARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN OTHER THAN TRACE AMOUNTS.
A. (2.) CHRONIC TOXICITY PERMIT LIMIT (QUARTERLY)
[15A NCAC 02B .0200 et seq.]
The effluent discharge shall at no time exhibit observable inhibition of reproduction or significant
mortality to Ceriodaphnia dubia at an effluent concentration of 37%.
The permit holder shall perform at a minimum,quarterly monitoring using test procedures outlined in
the"North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chronic Effluent Bioassay Procedure,"Revised December 2010, or
subsequent versions or"North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure"
(Revised- December 2010)or subsequent versions. The tests will be performed during the months of
March,June, September and December. These months signify the first month of each three-month
toxicity testing quarter assigned to the facility. Effluent sampling for this testing must be obtained
during representative effluent discharge and shall be performed at the NPDES permitted final effluent
discharge below all treatment processes.
If the test procedure performed as the first test of any single quarter results in a failure or a ChV below
the permit limit, then multiple-concentration testing shall be performed at a minimum, in each of
the two following months, as described in"North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole Effluent Toxicity
Test Procedure" (Revised-December 2010)or subsequent versions.
All toxicity testing results required as part of this permit condition will be entered on the Effluent
Discharge Monitoring Form(MR-1) for the months in which tests were performed,using the
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
parameter code TGP3B for the pass/fail results and THP3B for the Chronic Value. Additionally,
DWR Form AT-3 (original) is to be sent to the following address:
Attention: North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicology Branch
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,NC 27699-1621
Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Water Sciences Section no later than 30
days after the end of the reporting period for which the report is made.
Test data shall be complete, accurate, include all supporting chemical/physical measurements and all
concentration/response data, and be certified by laboratory supervisor and ORC or approved designate
signature. Total residual chlorine of the effluent toxicity sample must be measured and reported if
chlorine is employed for disinfection of the waste stream.
Should there be no discharge of flow from the facility during a month in which toxicity monitoring is
required, the permittee will complete the information located at the top of the aquatic toxicity(AT) test
form indicating the facility name, permit number, pipe number, county, and the month/year of the
report with the notation of"No Flow"in the comment area of the form. The report shall be submitted
to the Water Sciences Section at the address cited above.
Should the permittee fail to monitor during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required,
monitoring will be required during the following month. Assessment of toxicity compliance is based
on the toxicity testing quarter, which is the three-month time interval that begins on the first day of the
month in which toxicity testing is required by this permit and continues until the final day of the third
month.
Should any test data from this monitoring requirement or tests performed by the North Carolina
Division of Water Resources indicate potential impacts to the receiving stream, this permit may be re-
opened and modified to include alternate monitoring requirements or limits.
NOTE: Failure to achieve test conditions as specified in the cited document, such as minimum control
organism survival, minimum control organism reproduction, and appropriate environmental controls,
shall constitute an invalid test and will require immediate follow-up testing to be completed no later
than the last day of the month following the month of the initial monitoring.
A. (3.) SCHEDULE OF COMPLIANCE (OUTFALL 001)
[NCGS 143-215.1(b)]
1. Within one year from the effective date of the permit the Permittee shall submit to the Division of
Water Resources a Corrective Action Plan summarizing the actions or strategy to be taken to
achieve compliance with the Total Copper, Total Cadmium, Total Cyanide and Total Silver limits
at Outfall 001. Specific dates for completion or implementation of each action shall be included.
2. Within two years from the effective date of the permit submit a report to the Division summarizing
actions taken in accordance with the Corrective Action Plan.
3. Within three years from the effective date of the permit submit a report to the Division
summarizing actions taken in accordance with the Corrective Action Plan.
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
4. Within four years from the effective date of the permit submit a report to the Division summarizing
g
actions taken in accordance with th
e e Corrective Action Plan.
5. Achieve compliance with Total Copper, Total Cadmium, Total Cyanide and Total Silver limits
specified in Section A. (1) within five years of the permit effective date.
Upon approval of the Corrective Action Plan by the Division, the report and actions become an
enforceable part of this permit. Any modifications to the schedule shall be requested to the Division at
least ninety(90) days before the deadline. Modifications to the schedule in excess of four months will
be subject to public notice.
A. (4.) WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN (WWMP)
[NCGS 143-215.1(b)]
No later than 180 days after the effective date of this permit, the Permittee shall submit to the Division
a wastewater management plan. The plan shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:
• Sheet-pile Wall Assessment: Have a Professional Engineer, certified by the State of North
Carolina, assess and report their findings regarding the structural integrity of the Sheet Pile
Wall. Based on the findings of the assessment, a permanent solution for addressing the wall and
accumulated solids, with a timeline, shall be developed.
• Biosolids Removal Plan: Develop an operations protocol to be used or describe the protocol
currently used for managing solids in the treatment system, including associated solids wasting
and disposal, to promote optimum treatment system performance. This should specifically
include procedures the Town will implement to ensure solids will not accumulate to a critical
level within the aeration basin in the future. A schedule shall be established to remove
accumulated solids within the aeration basin.
The completed WWMP shall be submitted to both the NC DEQ Asheville Regional Office and the
NPDES program.
Contact Mikal Willmer [[e-mail]] or Sydney Carpenter
[[e-mail]] prior to submission of the WWMP to receive instructions on how the
WWMP should be submitted [hard copy, digital, etc.].
A. (5.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[NCGS 143-215.1 (b)]
Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) and
program reports. The final NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule was adopted and became effective on
December 21, 2015.
NOTE: This special condition supplements or supersedes the following sections within Part II of this
permit(Standard Conditions for NPDES Permits):
• Section B. (11.) Signatory Requirements
• Section D. (2.) Reporting
• Section D. (6.) Records Retention
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
1. Reporting[Supersedes Section D. (2.) and Section E. (5.) (a)l
The permittee shall report discharge monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR's Electronic
Discharge Monitoring Report(eDMR)internet application.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
submitted electronically using eDMR. The eDMR system allows permitted facilities to enter
monitoring data and submit DMRs electronically using the internet. Until such time that the state's
eDMR application is compliant with EPA's Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Regulation
(CROMERR),permittees will be required to submit all discharge monitoring data to the state
electronically using eDMR and will be required to complete the eDMR submission by printing,
signing, and submitting one signed original and a copy of the computer printed eDMR to the following
address:
NC DEQ/Division of Water Resources/Water Quality Permitting Section
ATTENTION: Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617
If a permittee is unable to use the eDMR system due to a demonstrated hardship or due to the facility
being physically located in an area where less than 10 percent of the households have broadband
access,then a temporary waiver from the NPDES electronic reporting requirements may be granted
and discharge monitoring data may be submitted on paper DMR forms (MR 1, 1.1, 2, 3) or alternative
forms approved by the Director. Duplicate signed copies shall be submitted to the mailing address
above. See"How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting"section below.
Regardless of the submission method,the first DMR is due on the last day of the month following the
issuance of the permit or in the case of a new facility, on the last day of the month following the
commencement of discharge.
Starting on December 21, 2020,the permittee must electronically report the following compliance
monitoring data and reports,when applicable:
Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports;
Pretreatment Program Annual Reports; and
Clean Water Act(CWA) Section 316(b)Annual Reports.
The permittee may seek an electronic reporting waiver from the Division(see"How to Request a
Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below).
2. Electronic Submissions
In accordance with 40 CFR 122.41(1)(9),the permittee must identify the initial recipient at the time of
each electronic submission. The permittee should use the EPA's website resources to identify the
initial recipient for the electronic submission.
Initial recipient of electronic NPDES information from NPDES-regulated facilities means the entity
(EPA or the state authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES program)that is the designated entity
for receiving electronic NPDES data [see 40 CFR 127.2(b)].
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
EPA plans to establish a website that will also link to the appropriate electronic reporting tool for each
type of electronic submission and for each state. Instructions on how to access and use the appropriate
electronic reporting tool will be available as well. Information on EPA's NPDES Electronic Reporting
Rule is found at: http://www2.epa.gov/compliance/final-national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-
system-npdes-electronic-reporting-rule.
Electronic submissions must start by the dates listed in the "Reporting Requirements"section above.
3. How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting
The permittee may seek a temporary electronic reporting waiver from the Division. To obtain an
electronic reporting waiver, a permittee must first submit an electronic reporting waiver request to the
Division. Requests for temporary electronic reporting waivers must be submitted in writing to the
Division for written approval at least sixty(60) days prior to the date the facility would be required
under this permit to begin submitting monitoring data and reports. The duration of a temporary waiver
shall not exceed 5 years and shall thereupon expire. At such time,monitoring data and reports shall be
submitted electronically to the Division unless the permittee re-applies for and is granted a new
temporary electronic reporting waiver by the Division. Approved electronic reporting waivers are not
transferrable. Only permittees with an approved reporting waiver request may submit monitoring data
and reports on paper to the Division for the period that the approved reporting waiver request is
effective.
Information on eDMR and the application for a temporary electronic reporting waiver are found on the
following web page:
https://deq.nc.gov/aboutldivisions/water-resources/edmr
4. Signatory Requirements ISupplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.)
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part II,
Section B. (11.)(a)or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II, Section
B. (11.)(b). A person, and not a position, must be delegated signatory authority for eDMR reporting
purposes.
For eDMR submissions,the person signing and submitting the DMR must obtain an eDMR user
account and login credentials to access the eDMR system. For more information on North Carolina's
eDMR system, registering for eDMR and obtaining an eDMR user account,please visit the following
web page:
http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr
Certification. Any person submitting an electronic DMR using the state's eDMR system shall make
the following certification [40 CFR 122.22]. NO OTHER STATEMENTS OF CERTIFICATION
WILL BE ACCEPTED:
"I certify, under penalty of law, that this document and all attachments were prepared under my
direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel
properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person or persons
who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the information,the
information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief,true, accurate, and complete. I am
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NPDES Permit NC0021369
aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the possibility of
fines and imprisonment for knowing violations."
5. Records Retention [Supplements Section D. (6.)1
The permittee shall retain records of all Discharge Monitoring Reports, including eDMR submissions.
These records or copies shall be maintained for a period of at least 3 years from the date of the report.
This period may be extended by request of the Director at any time [40 CFR 122.41].
Page 9 of 9

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acility 414•41.4„
cation
Latitude_ 35°15'13" N USGS Quad: Mill Spring,NCt to scale
Longitude: 82°09'56" W
Receiving Stream: UT Whiteoak Creek Drainage Basin: Broad River Basin NPDES Permit NC0021369
Stream Class: C Sub-Basin: 03-08-02 Polk County