Document oe6OLxNpMbD9GKxygg32ZOej8

Alvin Hodo Mayor Town of Falcon 125 Nevils Road Falcon, MS 38628 townoffalcon38670@gmail.com Dear Alvin Hodo: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI) on the Town of Falcon Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) on August 13, 2024. The objective of the inspection was to assess the Town of Falcon's (Falcon) compliance with the Clean Water Act and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, and to evaluate the general condition of the POTW. The inspection results have been summarized in the enclosed CEI Report. If you have specific questions about the inspection report, please contact Ms. Mel-Chilecee Taylor via email at taylor.melchilecee@epa.gov or 404.562.9586. Please verify receipt of this letter and report by emailing Ms. Taylor at the email address provided. Sincerely, ENCLOSURES 1. Falcon MS POTW CV-MS0036731.docx JAIRO Digitally signed by JAIRO CASTILLO CASTILLO Date: 2024.09.11 13:57:46 -04'00' Jairo Castillo, P.E., Chief Wastewater Enforcement Section Water Enforcement Branch cc: James Gammill Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality jgammill@mdeq.ms.gov William Q. West Contract Operator, Town of Falcon qmwest104@gmail.com United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Water Enforcement Branch 61 Forsyth Street, SW Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Compliance Evaluation Inspection Report Falcon POTW 125 Nevils Road, Falcon, MS 38628 NPDES Permit Number: MS0036731 Project No. CV-MS0036731-08132024 Date of Inspection: August 13, 2024 Inspectors: Mel-Chilecee Taylor, EPA Region 4 Brad Ammons, EPA Region 4 James Gammill, MDEQ Inspection Report Prepared by: Mel-Chilecee Taylor COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION REPORT Falcon MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 Title and Approval Sheet Title: Falcon MS POTW CV-MS0036731-08132024.docx Project No. CV-MS0036731-08132024 Approving Official: JAIRO Digitally signed by JAIRO CASTILLO C__A_S__T_I_L_L_O____1_3:_58_:5_5 -_04_'0_0'___________ Date: 2024.09.11 Jairo Castillo, P.E., Chief Wastewater Enforcement Section Water Enforcement Branch Enforcement Officer: Digitally signed by MEL- MEL-CHILECEE CHILECEE TAYLOR TAYLOR Date: 2024.09.10 _____________1_3:_46_:2_0 _-04_'0_0'___________ Mel-Chilecee Taylor, Physical Scientist Wastewater Enforcement Section Water Enforcement Branch COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION REPORT Falcon MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Participants ................................................................................................................................... 1 3. Facility Description ........................................................................................................................ 1 4. Inspection Procedures. ................................................................................................................. 2 5. Findings & Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 2 A. Permit Review ......................................................................................................................... 2 B. Records and Reports.................................................................................................................. 3 C. Flow Measurement.................................................................................................................... 3 D. Sampling/Laboratory ................................................................................................................ 3 E. Site Visit (Operation and Maintenance)........................................................................................ 3 F. Sludge Handling.......................................................................................................................... 4 G. Effluent/Receiving Water........................................................................................................... 4 6. Discussion...................................................................................................................................... 4 COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION REPORT Falcon MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 1. Introduction On August 13, 2024, representatives of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI) on the Town of Falcon Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), owned by the Town of Falcon, Mississippi (The Town) and operated by Mr. William Q. West, Contract Operator. The inspection was conducted under the authority of Section 308 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended. This report provides a summary of the inspection. 2. Participants Name Mel-Chilecee Taylor Brad Ammons James Gammill William Q. West Organization EPA Region 4 EPA Region 4 MDEQ Town Contractor Contact Information Taylor.Melchilecee@epa.gov Ammons.Brad@epa.gov jgammill@mdeq.ms.gov qmwest104@gmail.com 3. Facility Description The Falcon POTW is a lagoon publicly owned treatment works located at 125 Nevils Road in Falcon, MS. The facility is currently permitted under NPDES permit number MS0036731 to discharge 0.023 million gallons per day (MGD) from outfall 001 which discharges to Burrell Bayou then to Coldwater River. The POTW consists of two facultative lagoons with chlorine tablet disinfection (out of service during this inspection), the first cell is approximately 400'x100' and feeds to the second cell which is approximately 125'x100'. The facility was rehabilitated in 2005 according to the Community Development Block Grant billboard at the facility. The facility's current wastewater plant operational staff are as follows: One Mississippi Wastewater Treatment Class 4 Operator; One Service Worker. 1 COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION REPORT Falcon MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 Figure 1. Aerial View of Facility 4. Inspection Procedures The overall objective of this CEI was to evaluate the condition and operational performance of the POTW and Falcon's self-monitoring program and to offer compliance assistance as needed. Specific tasks included conducting an opening conference, interviewing POTW staff, reviewing WWTP laboratory and Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) records, conducting a WWTP walkthrough, and a closing conference. 5. Findings & Conclusions A. Permit Review Falcon's NPDES permit (MS0036731) for the POTW has an effective date of November 3, 2020, and expires on October 31, 2025. The NPDES permit lists and describes the outfall as Outfall 001 (Treated Domestic Wastewater) to Burrell Bayou then to Coldwater River. The NPDES permit contains Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements for Outfall 001 at the POTW's current design capacity of 0.023 MGD. 2 COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION REPORT Falcon MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 B. Records and Reports The EPA's Enforcement Compliance History Online (ECHO) shows that the POTW is in Significant Non-Compliance (SNC) for Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) non-submittal since at least 2021. Mr. West became the operator for Falcon the week prior to the inspection. Recent DMRs and analytical results from Falcon's contract laboratory (Waypoint Analytical in Ridgeland, MS) were not able to be reviewed as the town had no records. According to Waypoint Analytical no samples were collected or sampled for any parameter since 2013. Katetra (K.T.) Newman was the last known certified operator for Falcon 10 years ago. The mayor was under the impression their drinking water operator (Mr. Walter Nash) had his wastewater license, which he does not. No paperwork was available such as: the analytical results, chain of custody, DMRs, or maintenance or operational logs. C. Flow Measurement The effluent flow meter was not evaluated during this inspection as it was non-operational, but Mr. West said he would start using a yardstick at the v-notch weir to determine flow. D. Sampling/Laboratory At the time of the inspection the Town has not sampled or have record of any sampling in 10 years. With a new operator, the facility will be contracted with Waypoint Analytical in Ridgeland, MS to analyze the parameters required in the permit. E. Site Visit (Operation and Maintenance) Two lift stations feed into the plant. The POTW consists of two facultative lagoons with chlorine tablet disinfection which at the time of the inspection was out of service. No chlorine tablets were on site for effluent disinfection. Neither the operator nor service worker were sure of the last time chorine tablets were available for disinfection. The first cell of the facility is approximately 400'x 100' and feeds to the second cell which is approximately 125'x 100'. The following components were observed: The Charley Pride lift station was inoperable (Photo 1). The Charley Pride lift station pump seal was not working, and the Town is waiting for Luckett pumping to come out and provide service (Photo 2). The Third Street lift station is manually being pumped down. Both pumps seem to be operational, but the maintenance worker says they'll burn out if left on automatic. The floats may be inoperable. (Photo 3). The v-notch weir and chlorine contact chamber have not been maintained. No feed control. Excessive algae and duckweed (Photo 4). Chlorine disinfection tablets were empty. No knowledge of the type of tablets, percentage of tablets used, or if there were any tablets on hand (photo 5). 3 COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION REPORT Falcon MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 Cells 1 and 2 have not been maintained. Vegetation and woody plants/trees have accumulated along both dikes, pond edge and in the pond. Excessive algae and duckweed. (Photos 6 & 7). F. Sludge Handling Sludge was not evaluated during the inspection. No record of lagoon dredging was available. G. Effluent/Receiving Water The effluent at the end of treatment leading to Outfall 001 was full of algae. The facility has not been in operation, thus, there has been no flow and there was no discharge during this inspection. 6. Discussion The Falcon POTW DMR non-receipt violations are due to not having a certified operator for the POTW for some time although the facility had hired an operator the week before this inspection. The required quarterly samples were not collected in 10 years. Due to not having an operator, the POTW has not been maintained. The facility has no record on hand of any use of any accredited laboratory for sampling, no daily or weekly operating log, no written preventive maintenance log, or chain of custody where sampling has taken place. The lagoons' dikes, ponds, and pond edge has become overgrown, there is excessive algae and duckweed in the ponds and chlorine contact chamber, and no chlorine disinfection tablets. END OF REPORT 4 Attachment 1, Photographs. Falcon, MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 Appendix 1: Photographic Log Photo 1: Inoperable pump at lift station no.1. Photo 2: Lift station no.1 well full. Photo 3: Lift station no. 2 Photo 4: V-notch weir & Chlorine contact chamber 5 Attachment 1, Photographs. Falcon, MS POTW, Project # CV-MS0036731-08132024 Photo 5: No chlorine tablets present. Photo 6: Lagoon- Cell 2, full of duckweed. Photo 7: Lagoon- Cell 1, full of duckweed. 6