Document ev6GVxmNwVpkkRB1aZJbR36dm

Region 6 - Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division INSPECTION REPORT Inspection Date(s): Media Program: Regulatory Program(s) August 29, 2023 Water CWA Company Name: Facility Name: Facility Physical Location: (city, state, zip code) Mailing address: (city, state, zip code) County/Parish: Facility Phone Number Facility Contact: City of Farmington Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant 1395 South Lake Street Farmington, New Mexico 87401-2263 800 Municipal Drive Farmington, New Mexico 87401-2263 San Juan 505-325-7027 Nicholas King Wastewater & Laboratory Manager Nicholas.king@jacobs.com FRS Number: Identification/Permit Number: Media Identifier Number: NAICS: SIC: 110017838722 NM0020583 N/A 221320 4952 Personnel participating in inspection: Nicholas King City of Farmington-Contract Operator (Jacobs) Yvonne Mazza City of Farmington-Contract Operator (Jacobs) Wastewater & Laboratory Manager Compliance Manager David Esparza, P.E. USEPA/R6-ECDWM Environmental Engineer EPA Lead Inspector Signature/Date Supervisor Signature/Date DAVID ESPARZA Date: 2023.11.30 09:00:32 -07'00' Digitally signed by DAVID ESPARZA David Esparza Date ROBERTO BERNIER Date: 2023.11.30 17:35:10 -06'00' Digitally signed by ROBERTO BERNIER Roberto Bernier Date 6ENFORM-020-R8.2 (02/12/2020) 1 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Section I - INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THE INSPECTION United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 inspector David Esparza, P.E., arrived at the City of Farmington (Farmington) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at approximately 8:30 AM on August 29, 2023, for an unannounced inspection. I met with Mr. Nicholas King, Wastewater and Laboratory -Jacobs, Ms. Yvonne Mazza, Compliance Manager-Jacobs. I presented my credentials to Mr. Smith, informed him that this was an EPA inspection to determine the facility's compliance under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, in accordance with the CWA. The generation of this report is based on information supplied by Farmington representatives, observations made by the EPA inspector, NMED, and records and reports maintained by the permittee and the EPA. Before leaving the facility on August 29, 2023, an exit briefing was held with Mr. King, and the above-mentioned individuals to explain areas of concern noted at the time of the inspection. FACILITY DESCRIPTION The WWTP is a major discharger with a design flow of 6.67 million gallons per day (MGD), with an average daily flow of 5.0 MGD. The activated sludge treatment facility is located at 1395 South Lake Street, Farmington, San Juan County New Mexico (depicted in Aerial Image #1 below). The WWTP facility serves a population of approximately 45,000 persons. The WWTP was operated under contract agreement with CH2MHill (renewed in 2016). In late 2017, CH2MHill was acquired by Jacobs Engineering Group and all appurtenant employees/contracts were transitioned from CH2MHill to Jacobs. Currently the WWTP has seven (7) full-time equivalent (FTE) operators (3-certified and 4-operators-in-training (OIT)) and operates on overlapping 10-hour shifts, 24-hours per day. The WWTP also provides wastewater collection services to the communities of Kirtland and McGee Park, a county facility consisting of a racetrack and casino, Harper Valley Homeowners Association (decommissioned and treatment works removed in approximately August 2017) and hauled septic waste (septage) from San Juan County. The hauled septage equates to approximately 400-500 trucks per month at an average load of 1,000-gallons per truck. Upon entry to the WWTP, the pH of each load of septage is tested, and is accepted if within parameters. If the pH is greater than 10.0, a toxic screen procedure is performed to determine the presence of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The assumption is made that if ATP is present, living organisms must be present in the sample and therefore it is not toxic. The WWTP is a gravity flow system with 20 lift stations (LS) (Identified in Table 1 below). Note: Regarding numerical identification with respect to the LSs; according to information provided by Farmington, in the previous 30-years there have not been any LSs associated with #4, #6 and/or #10. The previous LS #7 was decommissioned approximately 10-years ago by back-filling and bypassing. The lift stations are equipped with standby generators and automatic switchovers in the event of power loss. The generators are exercised monthly to verify system readiness. In the event of a local power outage, an emergency generator at the headworks is available to operate the main lift station in the facility. This enables the WWTP to continue the treatment process through gravity flow, unabated. The WWTP receives the septage at the headworks of the treatment plant outside the main WWTP entrance, but 2 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 within the fenced perimeter. Wastewater treatment begins with the influent entering at the headworks of the plant where it is pumped up grade via the main lift station to the initial screening process. Nonorganic solids and grit from the screens are fed by conveyor into a compactor/grinder, thence to a dumpster for disposal. The influent then passes through parallel aerated grit basins for further separation of solids, where when combined with solids from the screening process are disposed of in the San Juan County Landfill. At this juncture, the influent is divided and sent to either A or B primary clarifiers. Sludge drawn from these clarifiers is pumped to primary sludge digesters #1 and #2. The supernates from the primary clarifiers is split with 25% of the flow being sent to each of two trickling filters (A and B), with the remaining 50% being routed to one (1) of two (2) Medium Rate Activated Sludge (MRAS) units. These MRAS units are approximately 17-feet deep, and the volume of each basin equates to approximately 1.3 million gallons. The MRAS is a modified racetrack, having both aerobic and anoxic zones. Flow from the MRAS is sent to the secondary clarifiers where it is combined and routed to the ultraviolet (UV) treatment building for disinfection. Treated (disinfected) effluent passes through a Parshall flume, where the discharge rate is measured with a sonic flow meter; thence routed through an enclosed pipe conduit to outfall 001 (depicted in Aerial Image #2 below) and into the San Juan River. Note: An additional detailed site specific WWTP Site Plan prepared by Animas Environmental Services is provided in Aerial Site Map Image #2 below. Aerial Image #1: Overall view of the City of Farmington's Wastewater Treatment Plant. Aerial from Google Earth maps. 3 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Aerial Site Map Image #2: Prepared by Animas Environmental Services 4 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Aerial Image #2: Overall view of the City of Farmington's Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall 001. Aerial from Google Earth maps. Table 1: City of Farmington Lift Stations Lift Station Number 1 2 3 5 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Location by Street Address 1395 South Lake St. South Auburn Avenue and West Murray Drive North of Murray Drive. at Animas River Bisti Hwy at San Juan River Stewart Stevens, west Murray Drive Meadow View Trailer Park North, Hwy 64 & La Plata Mosseycup Drive Westland Park, La Habra St. Crestview Trailer Pk Library Berg Park, Parking Lot Lions Wilderness Park Sunrise Parkway West of Teton Harper Hill turn North on Viento Avenue to Lomas Street VFW on Hwy 64- behind Detention center Bluffview off Andrea Drive 2409 Wes Pinon Hills Boulevard Sports Complex-North Ball Field Sports Complex-South Ball Field 5 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Currently there is one (1) established Industrial User (IU) that currently has entered into individual wastewater discharge agreements for disposal of their effluent into the City's WWTP (identified in Table 2 below) (See Appendix 2 IU Discharge Agreements). Table 2: City of Farmington Industrial Users Name ALSCO Address 511 East Cedar Permit Number 1002 Discharge Volume (Gallons per Day) 43,000 Effective Dates 07/01/2022 thru 06/30/2026 Additionally, Farmington has implemented written policies and procedures to address any potential sanitary sewer overflow events (SSOs), and standard operating procedures (SOPs) pertaining to facility operations and maintenance (O&M). Furthermore, by City Ordinance, a Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) program was enacted with respect to existing and/or new FOG contributors. Section II - OBSERVATIONS I observed the following and/or the following information was provided or stated: The WWTP has completed over $4 million in upgrades/rehabilitation to lift stations. The previous $14 million upgrade commenced in 2016 converted the WWTP to 100% activated sludge with ultra-violet (UV) disinfection. An Administrative Order (AO) (Docket #CWA-06-2023-1799) was issued on August 24, 2023, implementing a "Schedule of Compliance" regarding the WWTP's NPDES permit with respect to TDS net increase effluent concentration limit. The overall WWTP's general facility housekeeping appeared to be in good order. It was stated that Farmington experienced two (2) Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) events for the period of September 1, 2021, thru July 4, 2023. Section III - SUMMARY/AREAS OF CONCERN A review of the submitted Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR) data for the period September 1, 2023, through August 20, 2023, indicates some confusion between the permitted limit value and the reported Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) value. Most notably the ">" greater than numeric sign listed under the DMR Value Qualifier Code (Appendix 2 ICIS E90 Effluent Violations). 6 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Additionally, the ICIS review indicates Farmington experienced two (2) Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) events for the period of September 1, 2021, thru July 4, 2023. Section IV - FOLLOW UP The following information and/or clarification was received by EPA after exiting the Facility on August 29, 2023: Clarification of the Industrial Discharge Permit with Alsco, Inc. (#1002) has been updated or reissued. Section V - LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Industrial User Discharge Agreements Appendix 2 - ICIS E90 Effluent Violations 7 City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Appendix 1 Industrial User Discharge Agreements City of Farmington/Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES permit No. NM0020583 Inspection Date August 29, 2023 Appendix 2 Review of the ICIS E90 Effluent Violations City Farmington WWTP NM0020583 Violations Monitoring Period End Date 10/31/2022 10/31/2022 10/31/2022 10/31/2022 Outfall 001 001 001 001 Parameter E. coli E. coli E. coli E. coli Monitoring 30DAVGEO 30DAVGEO DAILY MX DAILY MX DMR Value Qualifi Reported Limit er DMR Number of Unit Value Code Value Excursions CFU/100126. > 3. 1 MCFU/d31900. > 415. 1 CFU/100235. > 2420. 1 MCFU/d31900. > 386069. 1