Enforcement Meeting between
Tri-City Utilities & ADEQ
September 19, 2013
10:15 – 11:45 A.M.
Permit #AR0043486 AFIN: 61-00072
Present: R. Healey, K. Suel, C. Uyeda, K. Fuller, D. Gerst, ADEQ; Dianne Neill, Tri-City and Mayor of Peach Orchard; Jeff Taylor, Larry Myrick, Tri-City Utilities
Introductions were made and Mayor Neill gave some history of the plant. The plant is 24 years old. The septic waste is pumped to their plant in Peach Orchard. She said they do no dosing. They have sand filters and did have UV, but have replaced that with chlorine. She explained that the plant is a non-profit for the three towns of: Peach Orchard, Delaplaine and O’Kean. It takes everything they take in to run the plant. Mayor Neill explained that the plant is a separate entity and is owned by Tri-City. Tri-City contracts with each town.
The Mayor explained that they have had problems with Nitrogen and D.O. She said that theUSDA is trying to help them get a grant to help them with corrective action. I & I problems were discussed and the Mayor said that the City of Nobel could help them with smoke testing. She said there are also issues with overflows when pumps shutoff. The Mayor said that the biggest problem to be corrected is Nitrogen.
She said they did rehabilitate the filters and changed sand all the way up, but they are not sure it was all done correctly. They said the beds have rocks on top. At the City of Noble, they are using artificial sand. They were told that Rural Water can check the sand. Ms. Fuller told them they could get effluent values better by getting a bubbling system. She said they could put in a small pump that would make the water bubble up and spray up. Ms. Fuller did tell them they might need to overhaul a valve. She stressed the importance of getting the ammonia under control as it can start feeding ammonia.
They were in compliance this month with DMRs. They had so much rain they had water in their flood zone and the weirs were higher. In the past, when smoke testing was done, they did raise some of their manholes.
When reviewing their B.O.D. they said it had been 200-300. They thought that having the septic tanks on the system may be causing that problem.
The City discussed using an enzyme to control the ammonia, but said that can become very expensive. Cost is an issue for them. They do have some lab equipment to check their ammonia. Ms. Fuller said that they have very stringent limits because they are at the head of the watershed and it was noted that the Cashe River would have less stringent limits. She said piping it to the Cashe River might be a good option due to the fact that they might have less stringent limits going into the Cashe River. Mr. Healey said that this plant or a package plant would require a Class III or IV operator.
The Mayor said they have no flow unless the farmers are irrigating rice. Walnut Ridge is 12-14 miles from them. The Cashe River is South of them by 5 miles. They thought the farmers probably would not oppose that plan, because at least one would regain more of his field that way. The Mayorsaid they could submit a request for limits and the location of final discharge to the Cashe River for consideration.
Mr. Healey suggested they might need to enter into a CAO. He said the piping to the Cashe River might be a possibility, but a CAO would offer structure to whatever corrective action is taken. He said that any major corrective actions must be under a CAO. He explained that ADEQ wants to work with towns and bring them back into compliance. He said these things are decided by the ADEQ Director. She will consider your situation and any input staff may have in deciding this. He also told them that a penalty would probably need to be assessed. The Mayor did say that money was not available. Mr. Healey said that the goal is to bring the City into compliance, and ADEQ would work with them the best they could.
The mayor said they would need to look at possible obstacles to piping to the Cashe River. Ms. Fuller stated that if the City could get the approximate latitude and longitude numbers to wherethe piping would enter the Cashe River to the Permits Branch of ADEQ, they could use an equation to determine the Nitrogen Limits and BOD limits, in an effort to determine if they were less stringent limits. Mr. Healey and Mayor Neill agreed that following the Board meeting, she would send ADEQ a letter giving a probability on plan, an estimate on time frame for the work, possible funding available and the goal of the work. The Mayor said maybe the USDA might be able to help them get a grant for this work.
The Mayor turned in a signatory authorization change form to ADEQ at the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 A.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Gerst