NC0067008_Draft Permit_20230530

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR.
Director
Water Quality Lab and Operations, Inc
Attn: Paul Isenhour, President
P.O Box 1167
Banner Elk, NC 28604
Dear Permittee,
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
5/30/2023
Subject: Draft NPDES Permit NCO067008
Old Cove Creek WWTF
Grade I Biological WPC -'--
Watauga County
The Division has reviewed your request to rene,N the subject permit. Please review this draft carefully to ensure a
thorough understanding of the information, conditions, and requirements it contains.
Thedraft permit indudesthefollowing significant changesfrom theexisting permit:
• Section A. (2.) has been updated to require electronic submission of
effluent data reports (DM Rs). Federal regulations require electronic
submittal of all discharge monitoring
• An updated outfal I map has been i ncl uded.
Section A. (1.) Monitoring requirements for Flow have been updated to
require continuous sampl i ng instead of instantaneous. [15A N CA C 2B.0505]
The N PDES standard conditions (Farts 11, 111, and IV) that area part of the permi t are not included i n thi s draft
document (cover, map, and Part 1). The conditions are the same as in your current permit except that agency and
division names have been updated. The latest version i s avai 1 abl a at https://bit.l y/3k5N FaL and can be vi ewed
online or downloaded as a PDF file.
With this notification, the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by publishing a noticein
newspapers having circulation i n the general Watauga County area, per EPA requirements. Please provide your
comments, if any, to meat theaddressbelow no later than 30 daysafter receiving this draft permit.
Following the 30-day public comment period, the Division will review all pertinent comments and take
appropriate action prior to i ssui ng a fi nal permit. If you have questions concerni ng the draft, please contact me at
[phone] or via e-mail at kate.shadwell .nc.gov.
Si ncerel y,
Catheri ne Shadwel I
NPDES Compliance and Expedited Permitting
cc: NPDES File [Laserfiche]
Winston Salem Regional Office [Laserf iche]
North Carol inaDepartment oFEnvironmental Quality I Division dWater Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 1 1617 Mail Servi ce Center I Rai eigh, North Carol i na 27699-1617
919.707.9000
a•It V

Permit NCO067008
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
DES
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 Pollutio ontrol Act, as amended,
Watauga County Board of C&n issioners
is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Old Cove Creek WWTP
207 Dale Adams Road
Sugar Grove
to receiving waters designated a °Cove Creek in the Watauga 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 beconfective
This permit and authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on September 30, 2027.
Signed this day
Richard E. Rogers Jr.
Director, Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 6

Permit NCO067008
SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET
All previous NPDES Permits issued to this facility, whether for operation or discharge are
hereby revoked, and as of this 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 described herein.
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.01 MGD extended aeration wastewater treatment system
which includes the following components:
• Grit Chamber
• Aeration Basin
• Clarifier
• Chlorination
• De -chlorination
• Return Sludge holding
The facility is located at the Old
Grove, in Watauga County.
Dale Adams Road, near Sugar
2. Discharge from said treatment lently
ks via Outfall 001, at the location on the attached map,
into Cove Creek, a waterbody classified as Class C [Stream Index: 8-15] within
subbasin 04-02-01 [HUC: 060101030302] of the Watauga River Basin.
Page 2 of 6

Permit NCO067008
PART I.
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
Grade II Biological Water Pollution Control System [15A NCAC 08G .0302]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the Permittee is
authorized to discharge from Outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the Permittee as
specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS
LIMITS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly
Daily
Measurement
Sample
Sample
eDMR Code
Average
Maximum
Frequency
Type
Location'
Flow (MGD)
50050
0.01
Continuous
Recorder
Influent or
Effluent
BOD, 5-day (20°C)
C0310
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
Total Suspended Solids
C0530
30.0 mg/L
45.0 mg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
NH3 as N
C0610
Monitor and Report
Monthly
Grab
Effluent
Fecal Coliform (geometric
31616
200/100 mL
400/100 mL
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
mean
Total Residual Chlorine
50060
28 pg/L
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
(TRC)2
Temperature (°C)
00010
Monitor and Report
Daily
Grab
Effluent
pH
00400
Between < 6.0 or > 9.0 standard
2/Month
Grab
Effluent
units
Footnotes:
1 Sample Locations: E = Effluent, I = Influent. U = at least 50 feet above discharge point. D
= at least 100 feet below the discharge point.
2. Total Residual Chlorine (TRC) — The Permittee shall monitor and report Total Residual
Chlorine only if chlorine is used to disinfect. TRC effluent concentrations reported below
50µg/L shall be deemed compliant with this permit. However, the Permittee shall continue to
submit all levels reported by NC -certified test methods (including field certified), even if these
concentrations fall below 50µg/L.
3. The Permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using the NC DWR's
eDMR system [see A. (2.)].
THERE SHALL BE NO DISCHARGE OF FLOATING SOLIDS OR VISIBLE FOAM IN
OTHER THAN TRACE AMOUNTS
Page 3 of 6

Permit NCO067008
A. (2.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING - DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS
[G.S. 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. Signatory Requirements
(11.)
• Section D. Reporting
(2•)
• Section D. Records Retention
(6.)
• Section E. Monitoring Reports
(5.)
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes SeQ9
The permittee shall report discharge monitoring data
Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) interr�appli
Monitoring results obtained during the previous
submitted electronically using eDMR. The eW,,
monitoring data and submit DMRs electronicall
accessed at: httos:Hdea.nc.2ov/4tbout/di usA
using the NC DWR's Electronic
shall be summarized for each month and
em allows permitted facilities to enter
the internet. The eDMR system may be
If a permittee is unable to use the eDN4a system due to a demonstrated hardship or due to the facility
being physically located in an area whmNess than 10 percent of the households have broadband
access, then a tempo&ry 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
following address:
NC DEQ / Division of Water Resources / Water Quality Permitting Section
ATTENTION: Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
See "How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below.
Monitoring results obtained during the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
reported via the eDMR system no later than the last calendar day of the month following the
completed reporting period. 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.
Page 4 of 6

Permit NCO067008
Starting on December 21, 2025, 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 identik the initial recipient at the time
of each electronic submission. The permittee should use the EP website resources to identify the
initial recipient for the electronic submission.
Initial recipient of electronic NPDES information from NP S- ated facilities means the entity
(EPA or the state authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES pro that is the designated entity
for receiving electronic NPDES data [see 40 CFR 127.2(b)].
EPA plans to establish a website that will also link06 the opriate 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 ble as well. Information on EPA's NPDES
Electronic Reporting Rule is found at: htts: ralre'"'ster. ov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-
24954/national- ollutant-dischar e-eliminatio - es -electronic -re ortin -rule
Electronic submissions must start blaft6tes d in the "Reporting Requirements" section
above.
3. How to Reguest a M44iver from Electronic Re ortin
The permittee may seek a tempora ectromc eporting waiver from the Division. To obtain an
electronic reporting waiver, a penni ee must first submit an electronic reporting waiver request to
the Division. Reque is for temporary dho tronic reporting waivers must be submitted in writing to
the Division for written approval a ` ast sixty (60) days prior to the date the facility would be
n fu required under this permit to begibmitting 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:
http://deg.nc. gov/about/divi sions/water-resources/edmr
4. Sianatory Requirements [Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.)
Page 5 of 6

Permit NCO067008
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part II,
Section B. (I I .)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part lI,
Section B. (I 1.)(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:
h=://deg.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 STAZENTS OF CERTIFICATION
WILL BE ACCEPTED:
V certify, under penalty of law, that this document and
direction or supervision in accordance with a system
properly gather and evaluate the information subm'
persons who manage the system, or those persons
the information submitted is, to the best of my knowle 1
am aware that there are significant penaltie AN
ma
possibility of fines and imprisonment for kno g v
ichments were prepared under my
( to assure that qualified personnel
it on my inquiry of the person or
nonsible for gathering the information,
belief, true, accurate, and complete. I
,lse information, including the
5. Records Retention [Supplements MEtion D. (6.)]
The permittee shall retain records of all Discharge Monitoring Reports, including eDMR
submissions. These records ortopies shall b intained 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
122.411.
Page 6 of 6

\� ., • `� ��, � . ?mop
_ r
�IN
Outfall 001 ,
N
1 �
Old Cove Creek School WWTP
Facility
Latitude: 36' 15' 45" N Longitude: 810 47' 05" W
Stream Class: C Sub -Basin: 04-02-01
Location
Receiving Stream: Cove Creek Drainage Basin: Watauga
Stream Index: 8-15 HUC: 060101030302
not to scale
NPDES Permit NCO067008
North
Watauga County