Collection System Laws and Regulations

1
Collection SystemLaws and Regulations
Presented by Daryl Merritt Division of Water
Quality Pretreatment , Emergency Response
Collection System Unit PERCS
2
Laws Regulations

• Needs to Know Manual
• Element of Collection Systems
• Collection System Issues

3
Who Regulates Collection Systems

• DENR Division of Water Quality has permitting and
  compliance authority for Wastewater Collection
  Systems
• Statutes Enacted by General Assembly, DWQ
  Permitting Authority Granted by
• NC General Statute 143.215.1
• Construct or operate any sewer system
• Alter or extend any sewer system
• Enter into a contract alter or extend a sewer
  system

4
Statute contiunued

• Municipalities, counties, local boards etc may
  administer their own permit programs
• The local permit program must be approved by the
  state prior to implementation

5
Rules

• Rules are Approved by the EMC to give agencys
  procedures and interpretation of Statutes
  Collections System Permitting is covered under
  Rule 15A NCAC 2T

6
Penalities

• The (DENR) Secretary may assess penalties up to
  25,000 per day per violation as long as
  violation continues
• NCGS 143-215.6A

7
Collection System Operators

• NCAC 15 A Chapter 8 establishes procedures for
  Water Pollution Control System Operators
  Certification Commission (WPSOCC)
• NC first state to certify sewer operators
• Once a collection system is classified an
  Operator in Responsible Charge(ORC) must be
  designated who holds a certification equal to or
  higher than system back-up ORC can be one grade
  lower

8
Collection System Operators

• WPCSOCC may revoke or suspend an operators
  certification or issue a written reprimand if
• Operator practices fraud or deception in duties
• Reasonable care , judgment or application of
  knowledge was not used in duties
• Operator is incompetent or unable to properly
  perform duties
• False information is given to obtain or maintain
  certification

9
ORC Requirements

• Regional Office must be notified within 10 days
  of the vacancy of ORC position
• Should notify the Technical Assistance and
  Certification Unit if relinquish a position

10
ORC Requirements

• Must visit within 24hours of knowledge of a
  bypass, spill or overflow of wastewater from
  the system unlessvisited by a designated back
  up ORC
• Operate and maintain the system efficiently
• Document the operation ,maintenance and all
  visitation of the system in a daily log
  maintained on site

11
ORC Requirements

• Notify the system owner, in writing, of the need
  for any system repairs or modifications that may
  be necessary to insure the compliance of the
  system
• Be Available
• To handle emergency situations
• For consultation with the system owner or
  regulatory officials
• To provide access to the system by regulatory
  officials

12
Sewer Extension Permitting

• Minimum Design Criteria
• 15A NCAC 2T .0305
• Minimum Design Criteriafor Gravity Sewers
• Minimum Design Criteria for Pump Stations
  Force Mains

13
Minimum Design Criteria - Pump Stations

• No by-pass or overflow lines
• Spare pumps required to pump 2.5 times flow
• 2 - 8 cycles per hour
• Power reliability
• Screened vents
• A/V alarms
• Flood protection
• Restricted access
• Access road to site

14
Minimum Design Criteria Sewer Lines

• V ? feet per second
• Public sewers ? minimum ?-inch Line
• Private sewers ? minimum ?-inch Line
• Minimum Separations
• Storm sewers - 12 vertical
• Water mains - 18 vertical 10 horizontal
• Private wells - 100 (25 if ferrous pipe)
• Public wells - 100 (50 if ferrous pipe)
• Use ferrous pipe if separations cannot be met!

2
8
6
15
Minimum Design Criteria - Sewer Lines

• Minimum 3 feet cover or ferrous pipe
• Maximum 425 between manholes
• Infiltration less than 100 gallons per day per
  inch diameter per mileof pipe
• Drop manholes for over 2.5 invert separation
• 100 year flood protection for manholes
• Air release valves for high points along force
  mains - 10 change in elevation
• Odor control for long detention times

16
Underground Utilities

• Notarized document with utility contacts filed in
  Register of Deeds office in each county of
  utility ownership
• Notify utility owner in proposed excavation area
  between 2 - 10 days PRIOR to excavating - unless
  emergency, then ASAP

17
Collection System Permit

• State statutes require permits for operation of
  all sewers
• Older systems never permitted
• Holistic approach
• Permit older systems
• Ensure adequate OM program
• Rehabilitation and replacement
• Inspections recordkeeping

18
Collection System Permit

• Goals
• Change from simply reacting to problems to
  providing preventive and predictive maintenance
• Increase attention to NCs collection systems,
  especially older and non-compliant systems
• Lead to the reduction of untreated/partially-treat
  ed wastewater in the States waterways

19
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Performance Standards
• Effectively managed, operated, and maintained to
  prevent SSOs
• No enforcement IF it can be proven that the
  incident was
• Caused by severe natural conditions
• Caused by factors beyond the reasonable control
  of the owner (Vandalism car accident )
• Submit justification, 5-Day Report within 5 days,
  Division will accept written SSO reports within 5
  working days as on time while considering
  additional extension requests for submitting such
  reports on a case-by-case basis

20
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Performance Standards
• FOG Program
• Education Enforcement
• CIP
• Contingency Plan for pump stations

21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Performance Standards
• Eliminate bypass structures
• Signs Alarms
• Restricted access

24
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Operation and Maintenance (cont)
• PM
• Housekeeping
• Valves
• Pumps
• Alarms, telemetry and auxiliary equipment

25
What is this?
26
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Operation and Maintenance
• Accessible right-of-ways and easements
• Cleaning - 10 each year
• Establishing a Response Action Plan

27
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Record Keeping
• Routine operation and maintenance activities
• Line cleaning, PM, general observations, etc
• SSOs and complaints, even SSOs under reportable
  quantity
• Maintain records for three years
• Mapping and inventory of system - lifetime
• 10 per year - many parameters required
• New lines added within one year

28
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Reporting
• SSOs
• Surface waters or over 1,000 gallons
• Permittee, i.e. crew to stop SSO, visits within 2
  hours of first knowledge
• Must speak to a live body

• NCGS 143-215.1C
• Notification and news release to news media
• 1000 gal. or more, press release
• 15,000 gal. or more, public notice
• 1,000,000 gal. or more, public notice including
  downstream counties
• Annual report

29
Requirements of the IndividualCollection System
Permit

• Inspections
• Pump stations
• General observation of the entire collection
  system annually
• High priority lines once every six months

• Aerial
• Contacting surface waters
• Siphons
• Parallel to eroding stream banks

30
Collection System Issues

• Capacity
• Upgrades not consistent with area growth
• Inflow and Infiltration (I I )

• Age
• Broken and corroded sewer lines
• Crumbling manholes

31
Collection System Issues

• Operation Maintenance
• Manholes
• Line Cleaning
• Grease
• Roots
• Pump Station OM
• Bypass piping
• Solids cleaning
• Equipment testing

32
Collection System Issues

• Wetlands Nationwide Permit only allows for the
  temporary construction of a road not permanent
• CMOM- Capacity, Management, Operation and
  Maintenance EPA Region IV program
• NC had 1 Round no more anticipated

33
Collection System Issues

• BIMS-DWQ Computer system
• Direct input of five day report into database by
  Permittee
• All SSO are violations now/ No points system

34
For More Information

• NC Web Site http//h2o.enr.state.nc.us/percs/Col
  lection20Systems/CollectionSystemsHome.html
• EPA Web Site www.epa.gov/npdes

35
Contact Information
Daryl Merritt Division of Water Quality PERCS
Unit 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC
27699-1617 919-733-5083 x 554 daryl.merritt_at_ncmail
.net