WQCS00065_Annual Report_20190913

RECEIVED/NCOM/DWR
CITY OF GRAHAM SEP 1.3 2019
2018-2019
Water Quality
Permitting Section
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
OF
WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPERATION AND
COLLECTION
GENERAL INFORMATION
Facility/System Name: City of Graham Wastewater Treatment Plant
Responsible Entity: City of Graham
Person in Charge/Contact:
Tonya Mann, Utilities Director, at 336.570.6721
Cris Routh, Wastewater Plant Superintendent, at 336.570.6721
Ladd Nall, Distribution & Collection Superintendent, at 336.570.6721
Applicable Permit(s): NPDES Permit: N00021211
Non -Discharge Permit: WQ0003824
Collection System Permit: WQCS00065
Description of Collection System and Treatment Process
The City of Graham operates a Public Owned Treatment Works consisting of a
North Carolina Grade II Collection System and a North Carolina Grade IV
Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The collection system operates under a North Carolina Division of Water
Quality Collection System Permit and contains approximately 89 miles of piping and
seven lift stations. The lift stations are named Back Creek No. 1, Back Creek No. 2,
Boyd Creek, Cherry Lane, Haw River, Old Fields, and Pyrtle Drive.
The wastewater treatment facility has a permitted flow of 3.5 million gallons
per day (MGD). This facility consists of bar screens, grit collectors, primary
clarification, extended aeration, final clarifiers, chlorination, post chlorination basin,
de -chlorination, digestion, lime stabilization, sludge disposal, and laboratory. Effluent
is discharged to the Haw River designated as Nutrient Sensitive Waters (NSW),
which is part of the Cape Fear River Basin.

Performance
Text Summary of the System Performance for the Period of July 1, 2018 to June 30,
2019.
Collection System: The City of Graham collection system is a combination of
gravity and forced mains. The city is proactive in monitoring and utilizing various
methods to maintain the wastewater collection system. An education program is in
place to inform water customers about the impact of improper disposal of Fats, Oils
and Grease (FOG). Over 10% of the collection system is hydraulically cleaned
annually. Chemical treatment, closed circuit inspection and rehab projects are just a
few methods we implement to reduce and eliminate service outages and overflows.
During the past fiscal year the collection experienced two reportable wastewater
overflows.
Lift Stations: The City of Graham operates seven lift stations that are maintained by
Collection and Distribution personnel. During this reporting period, the lift stations
had thirteen reportable sewer overflows.
Wastewater Treatment Plant: The City of Graham Wastewater Treatment Plant's
permit has limits on Flow, Biological Oxygen Demand, Total Suspended Solids,
Ammonia, Dissolved Oxygen, Fecal Coliform, Chronic Toxicity, and Total
Phosphorus. Additional testing is performed for Total Residual Chlorine,
Temperature, Conductivity, Copper, Mercury, and Zinc. Each month this data is
reported to the state thru the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR). The City is a
member of The Upper Cape Fear River Basin Dischargers Coalition that performs
monitoring upstream and downstream of our discharge point on the Haw River as
well as other locations on the Haw and Deep Rivers. The Wastewater Treatment
Plant had five reportable sewer overflows and two violations of its NPDES permit.
Non -Discharge Permit: The City of Graham land applies biosolids to agricultural
land under regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency and the State of
North Carolina. The City of Graham had no violations in the past year.
Violations of permit conditions or other environmental regulations
relating to water quality from the above areas
August 8, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 12,480 gallons of
untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden Branch" and
entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and Infiltration
from over 2 inches of rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
2

September 17, 2018. Secondary Clarifier overflow: A reportable overflow of
10,500 gallons of untreated sewage spilled out of a secondary clarifier. The spill was
the result of flows exceeding 16 MGD within the Wastewater Treatment Plant due to
heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
September 17, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 2,500
gallons of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden
Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain associated with Hurricane Florence in the area. All
equipment and alarms worked properly.
September 17, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 25,000
gallons of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden
Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain associated with Hurricane Florence in the area. All
equipment and alarms worked properly.
September 18, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable overflow of 95,000 gallons of
untreated sewage from the Haw River Liftstation reached the Haw River. Heavy
rains associated with Hurricane Florence flooded the Haw River, cresting at 26 feet,
and the sanitary sewer easement and manhole with rushing water. Once the flood
waters receded, the overflow ceased.
September 20, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow at the
intersection of West Elm Street and Home Avenue of 100 gallons of untreated
sewage spilled into "Bowden Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin."
Excavation work to replace a culvert by City of Graham Street Department personnel
damaged the sewer main. City crews were notified immediately and repairs were
promptly made.
October 11, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 17,460 gallons
of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden Branch"
and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain associated with Hurricane Michael in the area. All
equipment and alarms worked properly.
November 5, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 31,065
gallons of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden
Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
November 12, 2018. Secondary Clarifier overflow: A reportable overflow of 3,800
gallons of untreated sewage spilled out of a secondary clarifier. The spill was the
result of flows exceeding 13.5 MGD within the Wastewater Treatment Plant due to
heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
Ro

November 13, 2018. Final Effluent sampling vault overflow: A reportable
overflow of 1,875 gallons of treated effluent and river water spilled out of the Effluent
sampling vault into an area of flood waters from nearby Town Branch Creek. The
spill was the result of water back feeding from the Haw River, which was at elevated
levels due to over 5 inches of rain. in the past week, into the plant effluent discharge
line.
November 13, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 22,140
gallons of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden
Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
November 13, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable overflow of 6,375 gallons of
untreated sewage from the Haw River Liftstation reached the Haw River. Heavy
rains flooded the Haw River within 1.5 feet of being categorized as a major flooding
event and flooded the sanitary sewer easement and manhole with rushing water.
Once the flood waters receded, the overflow ceased.
December 20, 2018. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 360 gallons
of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden Branch"
and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
December 20, 2018. Manhole overflow: A reportable overflow of 19,500 gallons of
untreated sewage overflowed out of a manhole inside the Wastewater Treatment
Plant. Influent flow, in excess of 12 MGD from heavy rain at the time, entering the
plant backed up into our recycle flow line due to an unknown malfunctioning wet well
pump. Another pump was placed into service and the overflow ceased.
January 20-26, 2019. NPDES Permit: The Wastewater Plant had a Notice of
Violation for its weekly BOD average. The limit is a weekly average of 36.0
milligrams per liter (mg/L) of effluent. The City's average for the week was 45.2
mg/L. A brief upset of the plant was caused by heavy rains during the week. By the
end of the week, the plant was back in compliance.
January 20-26, 2019. NPDES Permit: The Wastewater Plant had a Notice of
Violation for its weekly TSS average. The limit is a weekly average of 45 mg/L of
effluent. The City's average for the week was 63.42 mg/L. A brief upset of the plant
was caused by heavy rains during the week. By the end of the week, the plant was
back in compliance
February 4, 2019. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow at Manhole
#00083, West Gilbreath Street outfall of 6,600 gallons of untreated sewage spilled
into "Bowden Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin." The spill was the
result of grease buildup in a sewer pipe. The blockage was cleared and service was
restored.
M

February 23, 2019. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 11,808
gallons of untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden
Branch" and entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and
Infiltration from heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
February 24, 2019. Sewer Overflow: A reportable overflow of 3,360 gallons of
untreated sewage from the Haw River Liftstation reached the Haw River. Heavy
rains caused the Haw River to rise and flooded the sanitary sewer easement and
manhole with rushing water. Once the flood waters receded, the overflow ceased.
April 12, 2019. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 5,250 gallons of
untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden Branch" and
entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and Infiltration
from heavy rain in the area. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
April 13, 2019. Secondary Clarifier overflow: A reportable overflow of 2,000
gallons of untreated sewage spilled out of a secondary clarifier. The spill was the
result of flows exceeding 16 MGD within the Wastewater Treatment Plant due to
heavy rain in the area during the previous 24 hours. All equipment and alarms
worked properly.
April 13, 2019. Sewer Overflow: A reportable sewer overflow of 14,034 gallons of
untreated sewage from the Boyd Creek Liftstation spilled into "Bowden Branch" and
entered the Cape Fear River Basin. The spill was caused by Inflow and Infiltration
from heavy rain in the area. The ground was already saturated from heavy rains
earlier in the week. All equipment and alarms worked properly.
SUMMARY
During this 12-month period, there were two NPDES permit violations out of
more than 2,400 sample results.
The City of Graham had eighteen reportable sanitary sewer overflows of 1,000
gallons or more during this reporting period. The total gallons of overflow were
290,747.
Total gallons handled by the system were 839,560,000. Percent gallons
overflowed are 290,747 divided by 839,560,000 x 100 = 0.035 %. Therefore, the City
of Graham achieved a 99.965 % collection rate of all gallons discharged into the
system, excluding any spills that were less than 1,000 gallons.
All sludge was land applied per Land Application Permit regulations with no
permit violations.
5

Notification
A Public Notice was placed in a local newspaper informing the public that a
copy of this report can be obtained at the City of Graham, City Hall located at 201
South Main Street, Graham, NC. Additionally, this report is also, available on the
Internet at http://www.cityofgraham.com/
I certify under penalty of law that this report is complete and accurate to the best of
my knowledge. I further certify that this report has been made available to the users
or customers of the named system and that those users have been notified of its
availability.
(Date)
`JTonya Mann
Utilities Director
City of Graham
A