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Home My WebLink AboutNCG550537_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20190925ROY COOPER Covemor MICHAEL S. REGAN Secretary LINDA CULPEPPER Director Luis and Miriam Diaz 6411 Whitt Road Durham, NC 27712 NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality September 25, 2019 Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection Single Family Wastewater Treatment System General NPDES Permit NCG550000 Certificate of Coverage NCG550537 Durham County Dear Mr. and Mrs. Diaz: 4 On September 10, 2019, Vanessa Manuel from the Raleigh Regional Office visited your single-family residence (SFR) wastewater treatment system to evaluate compliance with the subject General NPDES Permit. Your assistance during the inspection was greatly appreciated. Our records indicate the treatment system consists of a septic tank with effluent filter, flow distribution box, primary and secondary sub -surface sand filters, disinfection consisting of tablet chlorinator with chlorine contact chamber and tablet dechlorinator, and an effluent discharge pipe. General NPDES Permit NCG550000 and Certificate of Coverage (COC) NCG550537 authorize the discharge of domestic wastewater from your treatment system to receiving waters designated as an unnamed tributary to the Little River (classified WS-II; HQW; NSW; CA) in the Neuse River Basin. The authorized discharge is in accordance with the effluent limits and monitoring requirements established within the General Permit. The checked boxes below show what conditions were noted at your facility: ® Treatment system operation: The wastewater treatment system shall be maintained at all times to prevent seepage of sewage to the surface of the ground. ® Pumping the septic tank: You are required to inspect the septic tank at least yearly to determine if solids must be removed or if other maintenance is necessary. Septic tanks should be pumped out every five years or when the solids level is found to be more than 1/3 of the liquid depth in the septic tank compartment, whichever is greater. A pumping company can check the status periodically and determine when pumping is required. During the inspection, Mrs. Diaz stated the treatment system was installed in 2011 and the septic tank has not been inspected since the installation. Since it has been over S years since your treatment system lvas installed, please contact a septic tank pumping company and have the solids level in your septic tank checked. ® ChIorine tablets in the chlorinator: You are reminded that it is required that chlorine tablets be maintained in the chlorinator to ensure proper disinfection of the discharged wastewater. Chlorine tablets provide effective disinfection and prevent/limit harmful bacteria from discharging North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources Raleigh Regional Office 3800 Barrett Drive i Raleigh, North Carolina 27609 �n""�/ 919.7914200 Luis & Miriam Diaz, NCG550537 September 25, 2019 Page 2 of 3 -to the environment. The product label for these tablets mast indicate the tablets are approved or rvasteivater use and not for s;vininjing pools. Part 1, Section D (1) of General NPDES Permit NCG550000 requires the permittee to inspect the tablet chlorinator weekly to ensure there is an adequate supply of tablets for continuous and proper operation. Section D (4) requires the permittee to maintain all system components, including... disinfection units ... at all times and in good operating order. The inspector did not observe any chlorine tablets in the chlorinator. Please ensure the correct type of tablets are used and maintained in llte chlorinator as required by the General NPDES Permit. ® Dechlorination tablets: You are responsible for always having dechlorination tablets (if a required part of your system) in place. They must be the kind for wastewater treatment and not for swimming pools. The inspector did not observe any dechlorination tablets in the treatment unit. Please ensure the correct type of tablets are used and maintained in the dechlorinator as required by lire General NPDES Permit. ® Analyzing the effluent: Part 1. C., Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements, within General Permit NCG550000 requires a permittee to sample and analyze the effluent leaving his/her treatment system prior to discharge annually. Parameters to be sampled and analyzed include Flow, BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), Total Suspended Solids, Fecal Coliform and Total Residual Chlorine. Within 30-days of receiving this letter, please let this office ]snow if you have monitored your effluent discharge within the last 12 months, and provide this office with a copy of the lab results if you have. If you have not monitored your effluent, then please collect a representative sample of the effluent if it is discharging, have it analyzed by a certified commercial laboratory and submit the results to this office no later than December 20, 2019. If, during this time, you are unable to collect a representative sample of the effluent discharge due to insufficient flow from the discharge pipe, then update this office with that information and continue to monitor the discharge and if conditions for sampling become favorable, then arrange to collect a sample. ® Discharge outlet location. The permittee is required to conduct a visual review of the outfall location at least twice each year (one at the time of sampling) to ensure that no visible solids or other obvious evidence of system malfunctioning is observed. Any visible signs of a malfunctioning system shall be documented and steps taken to correct the problem. Due to the overgrowth of vegetation, the end of the discharge pipe was not visible nor accessible the day of the inspection. To comply with the general permit monitoring requirements, you need to be able to sample and analyze the effluent from your SFR system through the discharge pipe. You need to keep the area around the discharge pipe cleared of vegetation, soil and leaves. Please take the necessary steps to ensure the discharge outlet is visible and accessible. Maintaining the area will allow you to monitor the discharge and to collect effluent samples as required by the subject permit. The wastewater treatment system should be periodically inspected to ensure the treatment components are always maintained and in good operating order. You are also reminded to maintain all monitoring data onsite for a minimum of three years from date of sampling and available for inspection. Luis & Miriam Diaz, NCG550537 September 25, 2019 Page 3 of 3 If you have questions or comments about this inspection or the requirements to take corrective action (if applicable), then please contact Vanessa Manuel at 919-791-4255. Sincerely, io ifich.,L.G., Assistant Supervisor Water Quality Regional Office Section Raleigh Regional Office Attachment(s): EPA Water Compliance Inspection Report Cc: RRQ/SWP Files Laserfiche .0 United States Environmental Pratechan Agency Form Approved. EPA Washington. D C 20460 OMB No 20411-0057 Water Compliance Inspection Report Approval expires 0-31-96 Section A: National Data System Coding (i e., PCS) Transaction Code NPDES yr.'ma,day Inspection Type Inspector Fac Type 1 1u 1 2 15 1 3 I NCG550537 111 12 19'09; 10 17 18 I �j U 19 I s I 201 I LJ LJ 21 6 Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating 81 CIA Reserved 67 70 71 IJ 72 I I „ 73 Lj 751 I I I I I I 180 Section 6 Facility Data Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW 21SM ^-1Lde POTW name and NPDES Aermit Number) 6411 Whitt Read 6411 Whitt Rd Durham NC 27712 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(suTides(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) X Name, Address of Responsible Official/Tide/Phone and Fax Number Entry Time/Date I permit Effective Dale 11 00AM 19 09 10 14101,21 Exit Time; Date I Permit Expiration Date 1125AM 19;0910 18,07,31 Other Fac lily Data Luis A Diaz,6411 Whitt Rd Durham NC 27712111 C ontaded I Yes Section C* Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) . Permit 0 Operations & Maintenance 0 Facility Site Review 0 EHluent/Receiving Waters Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) (See attachment summary) Name(s) and Signature(s) of Inspector(s) Vanessa E Manuel Q A Reviewer EPA Farm 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete Agency/OfficefPhene and Fax Numbers 9-791-4200 Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date Date Page# s NPDES yrlmolday Inspection Type 3 NCG550537 11 12 19109,110 17 18 ICI Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) See attached inspection report. Payed Permit: NCG550537 Owner -Facility: 6411 Whitt Road Inspection Date: 09IM201 g Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Permit Yes No NA NE (If the present permit expires in 6 months or less). Has the permittee submitted a new ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ application? Is the facility as described in the permit? ❑ ❑ ❑ # Are there any special conditions for the permit? ❑ E ❑ ❑ Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public? ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection? ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment Operations & Maintenance Yes No NA NE Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ Does the fa.:rl.ty analyze process control parameters, for ex MLSS. MCRT, Settleable ❑ ❑ ❑ Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable? Comment: Se tic Tank Yes No NA NE (If pumps are used) Is an audible and visual alarm operational? ❑ ❑ M ❑ Is septic tank pumped on a schedule? ❑ ❑ ❑ Are pumps or syphons operating properly? ❑ ❑ ❑ Are high and low water alarms operating properly? ❑ ❑ M ❑ Comment: Sand Filters (Low rate) Yes No NA NE (If pumps are used) Is an audible and visible alarm Present and operational? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Is the distribution box level and watertight? ❑ ❑ ❑ Is sand filter free of ponding? ❑ ❑ ■ ❑ Is the sand filter effluent re -circulated at a valid ratio? ❑ ❑ ❑ # Is the sand filter surface free of algae or excessive vegetation? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ # is the sand filter effluent re -circulated at a valid ratio? (Approximately 3 to 1) ❑ ❑ ❑ 0 Comment: Disinfection -Tablet Yes No NA NE Are tablet chlorinators operational? ❑ ❑ ❑ Are the tablets the proper size and type? ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ Number of tubes in use? 2 Page# 3 Permit NCG550537 Owner -Facility; 6411 WhittRoad Inspection Date: 09110/2019 Inspection Type: C,.?mpl.ance Evaluation Disinfection -Tablet Yes No NA NE Is the level of chlorine residual acceptable? Is the contact chamber free of growth, or sludge buildup? Is there chlorine residual prior to de -chlorination? Comment: The inspector did not observe any chlorine tablets in the chlorinator. The on -site re resentative Mrs. Diaz stated they had run out of the tablets. De -chlorination Type of system ? Is the feed ratio proportional to chlorine amount 0 to 1)? Is storage appropriate for cylinders? # Is de -chlorination substance stored away from chicrire containers" Are the tablets the proper size and type? ❑ M ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ M ❑ M ❑ ❑ Yes No NA NE Tablet ON ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment. The inspector did not observe any de-chlor tablets in the chlorinator. The on -site representative. Mrs Diaz stated they,had run out of the tablets. Are tablet de -chlorinators operational? ❑ E ❑ ❑ Number of tubes in use? 2 Comment The inspector did not observe any de-chlor tablets in the chlorinator. The on -site representative, Mrs. Diaz stated they had run out of the tablets. Effluent Pipe Yes No NA NE Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained? ❑ M ❑ ❑ Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris? E ❑ ❑ ❑ If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly? ❑ ❑ N ❑ Comment. The inspector could not locate the outfall pipe due to high vegetation. Pa3*4- 4