Document 44X4mmRgKQ0OzEwRoNz7qoBbx

EPA REGION 10 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division INSPECTION REPORT Inspection Entry Date/Time Inspection Exit Date/Time Weather Media Statute(s)/Program(s) Type of Inspection 03/29/2023 09:09 AM (PT) Announced: No 03/29/2023 03:45 PM (PT) Access: Granted 40F, Overcast Water Clean Water Act, NPDES, WWTP Compliance Evaluation Inspection Permittee Name Facility Name Facility Physical Address City, State, Zip Code County Facility GPS Coordinates Mailing Address City, State, Zip Code City Of Pendleton City Of Pendleton WWTP 4300 Houtama Road Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Umatilla 45.66751, -118.83607 500 SW Dorion Ave Pendleton, Oregon 97801 FRS ID Permit Number SIC ORT3850174458 R0026395 4952 (Sewage Systems) Lead Inspector: RAYMOND ANDREWS Date: 2023.06.02 11:48:22 -07'00' Digitally signed by RAYMOND ANDREWS Raymond Andrews EPA Region 10 andrews.raymond@epa.gov (206) 553-4252 Supervisor Review: PETER CONTRERAS Date: 2023.06.02 11:56:10 -07'00' Digitally signed by PETER CONTRERAS Peter Contreras EPA Region 10 contreras.peter@epa.gov (206) 553-6708 SECTION I - Opening Conference I arrived at the City of Pendleton WWTP (the "Site" or "Facility"), located at 4300 Houtama Road, Pendleton, OR, at 09:09 AM (PT) on 03/29/2023 for an unannounced inspection. I presented my inspector credentials to Mark Milne and informed him I was there to conduct an inspection to determine compliance with the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the facility's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, permit # OR0026395. This report is based on information supplied by City of Pendleton representatives, my direct observations, and records and reports maintained by the permittee. In addition, information gathered prior to or after the Inspection from a review of EPA, State, and/or public records may be included in this report. City of Pendleton WWTP Permit # OR0026395 Attendees Organization EPA Region 10 City of Pendleton City of Pendleton Attendee Name Raymond Andrews Mark Milne Kyle Willman Title Lead Inspector Wastewater Superintendent Lead Operator Present in Opening Conf. Yes Present in Closing Conf. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Facility Information Responsible official Mayor John H. Turner; john.turner@ci.pendleton.or.us WWTP Approx. # of The facility services a population of approximately 17,500, which includes the residents served cities of Pendleton, Mission, and Reith. What are the names and certification levels of facility employee? Mark Milne, Wastewater Superintendent, Level IV Treatment Kyle Willman, Lead Operator, Level III Treatment Heidi Stiers, Operator II, Level II Treatment Michael Walborn, Operator II, Level II Treatment Greg Senter, Operator I, Level I Treatment John Harvey, Operator I, Level I Treatment Jessica Schneider, Laboratory Technical Manager, Level I Treatment When is the facility The facility is staffed from 6:30am until 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. On staffed? Saturday and Sunday, an operator spends two to three hours at the facility. How many discharge The facility has one effluent outfall (001), a discharge point for biosolids (002), and points or outfalls an outfall for flood relief. does the facility have? The biosolids outfall is for land application of solids. Does the facility treat anything other than domestic sewage waste? No. The facility accepts waste from septage haulers but there have been no known issues related to the additional sewage input. What is the average daily flow? The facility has an average daily 2.1 million gallons per day (MGD). What is the design flow of the facility? The facility has a design flow of 5.5 MGD with a peak daily flow of 4.48 MGD. How often does the facility discharge? The facility discharges continually. What is the facility's receiving water? The Umatilla River receives the facility's discharge. Explain the facility's treatment process. The influent enters the headworks and goes through 2mm screening to remove grit and other fine particulates. The wastewater then goes through primary clarification. Solids are sent to the anaerobic digester followed by dewatering and discharge for land application. Liquids continue from the primary clarifier to biological nitrogen (ammonia) removal using the Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) process. The influent continues to secondary clarification followed by disinfection with hypochlorite. After disinfection, the effluent goes through dichlorination with calcium thiosulfate. Once the effluent has been dechlorinated, it travels by underground pipe to discharge into the Umatilla River. Page 2 of 5 City of Pendleton WWTP Permit # OR0026395 Does the facility conduct its own analysis? Are the composite samples time, or flow, proportional? What parameters does the facility monitor? Is the facility sampling more frequently than required? Who conducts the sampling? Where does the facility collect effluent samples? How often do you calibrate the pH meter? How was the exceedance reported? Are any upgrades planned at the facility? Has the facility been changed or upgraded in the last 5-years? The facility's Laboratory Technical Manager, Jessica Schneider, analyzes wastewater samples. The facility uses refrigerated composite samplers to collect time proportional composite samples. Per the permit, the facility is required to monitor biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), Bod & TSS % removal, ammonia, total residual chlorine (TRC), E. coli, and pH. The facility is sampling for total suspended solids (TSS) more frequently than required for process monitoring. The additional samples are factored into calculations for DMR reporting. The facility conducts its own sampling. The facility collects influent samples in the headworks after the flow has passed through screening and the grit chamber. Effluent samples are collected in the "sample", which is approximately 50 feet after the chlorine contact chamber. The facility calibrates the pH meter daily. The facility has had daily maximum exceedances. Those exceedances were reported to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) telephonically within 24-hours of knowledge of the exceedance and the phone call was followed with a 5-day written notification through email. Within 18 months, the facility plans to install a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to aid in controlling and monitoring the wastewater treatment plant and install a secondary clarifier. A secondary digester and lab/office remodel is a longer-term plan which will depend on acquiring funding and getting a new permit. The facility added a new lift station, switched from gas chlorine to bleach for decontamination, and completed a drying bed upgrade. SECTION II - OBSERVATIONS No areas of concern were observed during the site tour. SECTION III - RECORDS REVIEW Records may not be in sequential order. Record: Other - EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) Database AOC: Yes Ref #: RA1-RR-001 Reviewed By: Raymond Andrews Reviewed Date: 05/30/2023 I reviewed EPA's ICIS database data from 6/1/2018 through 5/30/2023. I found the facility had exceeded its maximum daily limit for total residual chlorine in the monitoring month September 2021. The facility reported a value of 0.127 mg/L. The facility also exceeded its monthly average and daily maximums for ammonia, and the daily maximum for chlorine in the monitoring month July 2022. The reported values are 1.3 mg/L, 3.07 mg/L, and 0.081 mg/L, respectively. Page 3 of 5 City of Pendleton WWTP Permit # OR0026395 SECTION IV - Sampling Activities No sampling was conducted. SECTION V - Areas of Concern Areas of Concern may not be in sequential order. The presentation of Areas of Concern does not constitute a formal compliance determination or violation. AOC Reference #: RA1-RR-001 Permit Requirement Records Review: Other - EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) Database Permit Part A.1.a.1 shows from May 1 through October 13 the maximum daily concentration limit for total residual chlorine is 0.05 mg/L, the maximum daily concentration limit for ammonia is 2.0 mg/L, and the monthly average limit for ammonia is 1.0 mg/L. SECTION VI - Closing Conference The EPA REGION 10 Lead Inspector held a closing conference with Facility personnel at 03:45 PM (PT) on 03/29/2023 for the inspection. During the closing conference, EPA REGION 10 Lead Inspector discussed the observations and Area(s) of Concern identified during the inspection. Observations and Area(s) of Concern have not yet been evaluated for a formal compliance determination. SECTION VII - Lis of Appendices 1. Photo Log Page 4 of 5 City of Pendleton WWTP Permit # OR0026395 APPENDIX 1: Photo Log All photos were taken by Lead EPA Inspector, Ray Andrews, during the inspection. Photos were not manipulated beyond minor cropping for sizing and labels or callouts to draw attention to the subject of the photo. All photos taken during the inspection are included in the Photo Log; however, only photos that support an Area of Concern are included in the inspection report. P1010673 - Drying Oven with Temperature Log P1010674 - Incubator with Back-up Thermometer on Top P1010675 - Sample Refrigerator with Temperature Log P1010676 - Sample Refrigerator Back-up Thermometer P1010677 - 2mm Screen P1010678 - Screenings Collection (Blurry) P1010679 - Auto-Sampler Controls (Influent) P1010680 - Auto-Sampler Interior P1010681 - Primary Clarifier, photo 1 P1010682 - Primary Clarifier, photo 2 P1010683 - Primary Clarifier, photo 3 P1010684 - Drying Bed, 1 of 9 P1010685 - Primary Clarifier, photo 3 P1010686 - Aeration Basin P1010687 - Secondary Clarifier, photo 1 P1010688 - Secondary Clarifier, photo 2 P1010689 - Chlorine Contact Chamber, photo 1 P1010690 - Chlorine Contact Chamber, photo 2 P1010691 - Dechlorination, sprayed in from white tube at top P1010692 - Dechlorination, mixing P1010693 - Auto-Sampler Controls (Effluent) Page 5 of 5