15A NCAC 02H .0124. RELIABILITY

All facilities shall provide adequate reliability measures, which, in the opinion of the Director, will insure continued treatment and disinfection where the interruption of such treatment would render the waters unsafe for their best intended uses.  The reliability measures shall include the following:

(1)        For new or hydraulically expanding facilities with mechanically operated components, and for any facility designated by the Director, multiple (dual at a minimum) components such as pumps, chemical feed systems, aeration equipment and disinfection equipment; and

(2)        At least one of the following:

(a)        dual or standby power supply on site, or

(b)        approval by the Director that the facility:

(i)         serves a private water distribution system which has automatic shut‑off at power failure and no elevated water storage tanks, and

(ii)        has sufficient storage capacity that no potential for overflow exists, or

(iii)       can tolerate septic wastewater due to prolonged detention, and

(iv)       would have de minimus impacts as a result of power failure, or

(c)        a demonstration that the waters that would be impacted by a power failure are classified as C Waters, the applicant may be allowed to show a history of power reliability that would demonstrate that an alternative power source would not be needed or demonstrate other measures which provide comparable assurances that surface waters will not be impacted during power failures;

(3)        For new or hydraulically expanding mechanical facilities, the treatment plant must contain parallel units for components in the liquid line (screening, primary sedimentation, biological treatment units, chemical and physical treatment units, clarifiers, disinfection and effluent filters), unless the applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Director that this requirement is unwarranted for a particular case; and

(4)        For mechanical facilities with a design capacity equal to or greater than 5.0 mgd, continuous operation, 24 hours, seven days per week, with each shift staffed by at least one certified wastewater operator shall be provided on or before October 1, 1993, unless the applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Director that this requirement is unwarranted for a particular case; and

(5)        For facilities permitted under this Section, the permittee must designate an Operator in Responsible Charge and a back‑up operator as required by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission as established in 15A NCAC 8A .0202; and

(6)        In order to insure the proper operation and maintenance of facilities permitted under this Section, the Operator in Responsible Charge, or back‑up operator when appropriate, must operate and visit the facility as required by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission as established in 15A NCAC 8A .0202; and

(7)        Compliance with other reliability measures that, in the opinion of the Director, are necessary in a particular case.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 143‑214.1; 143‑215.1(b); 143‑215.3(a)(1);

Eff. December 1, 1984;

Amended Eff. March 1, 1993; October 1, 1987.