Document x5xRY43yZ8pjBjo8gVZKv68Jm
REGION 5 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division INSPECTION REPORT
Inspection Date(s): Time: Media: Statute(s)/Program(s): Type of inspection: Access:
05/10/2022
Announced: No
Entry: 08:25 AM (ET)
Exit: 11:14 AM (ET)
Water
Clean Water Act, NPDES, WWTP
CEI - Compliance Evaluation Inspection
Granted
Permittee Name: Facility or Site Name: Facility/Site Physical Address: (City, state, zip code) County/Parish: Facility GPS Coordinates: Mailing address: (If different) (City, state, zip code)
Village of Mt. Orab Mt. Orab WWTP 12943 US Route 68 Mt. Orab, OH 45154 Brown County 38.993133, -83.921373
Facility/Site Identifier: Permit Number: SIC or NAICS:
Mt. Orab WWTP OH0026646 4952
Persons Participating in Inspection:
Title
Name
Lead Inspector
Andi Hodaj
Inspector
Ray Cullen
Environmental Specialist 2
Richard Miller
Operator of Record Ross Standring
Phone
Email
(312) 353-4645 hodaj.andi@epa.gov
Present at Opening Conf.
Yes
(312) 886-0538 cullen.raymond@epa.gov Yes
(937) 285-6647 Richard.Miller@epa.ohio.gov Yes
(513) 301-3162 ross.standring@mtoraboh.us Yes
Present at Closing Conf. Yes Yes Yes
Yes
Lead Inspector: Andi Hodaj
Supervisor Review: Molly Smith
Digitally signed by ANDI
ANDI
HODAJ
HODAJ Date: 2022.06.13 17:28:06
-05'00'
Region 5
hodaj.andi@epa.gov
MOLLY SMITH
Digitally signed by MOLLY SMITH Date: 2022.06.14 09:47:50 -05'00'
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(312) 353-4645
Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
Region 5
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022 Smith.Molly@epa.gov
SECTION I - INTRODUCTION
Site Entry and Inspection Objectives
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, and Ohio EPA inspectors arrived at the Mt. Orab Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) (the "Site" or "Facility"), located at 12943 US Route 68, at 08:25 AM (ET) on 05/10/2022 for an unannounced inspection. The table above identifies the attendees that participated in the inspection. The Region 5 inspectors presented their credentials to Ross Standring, the Facility Operator of Record. The Region 5 Lead Inspector informed him that this was an EPA Region 5 inspection to determine compliance with the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The inspection was conducted under the authority of Section 308 of the CWA.
This report is based on information supplied by Facility representatives, observations made by the Region 5 inspectors, and records and reports maintained by the Facility and Region 5 including: direct observations made, photographs taken, physical evidence collected, and measurements taken by the Region 5 inspectors; verbal or written statements provided by Facility representatives during or subsequent to the inspection; and materials, processes, data, photographs, or documents shown, demonstrated, or submitted to the Region 5 inspectors by Facility representatives during or subsequent to the inspection. In addition, information gathered prior to or subsequent to the inspection from a review of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state, and public records may be included in this report.
Facility/Site Description The Region 5 Lead Inspector confirmed the following facility information:
The Facility is publicly owned by the Village of Mt. Orab, Ohio (the Village). It has a design flow of 0.7 million gallons per day (MGD) and serves approximately 3,500 residents connected to a sanitary-only collection system. Two industrial users discharge to the WWTP, but the Village does not have a system-wide pretreatment program. The Facility consists of a preliminary treatment building, vortex grit separation, a flow splitter box, an influent chamber, oxidation ditches, a clarifier splitter box, final clarifiers, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, a Parshall flume, a post aeration tank, a cascade aerator, and two 60,000-gallon aerobic digesters. The Facility discharges into Snapping Turtle Run via outfall 001.
The Village applied for and received a Permit To Install (PTI) from Ohio EPA to expand treatment capacity at the Facility to an average daily design flow of 1.18 MGD. Based on the PTI, Ohio EPA also issued to the Village a modified NPDES permit with an effective date of August 1, 2021 and an expiration date of June 30, 2023. Changes in the modified permit include increased pollutant loading limits for the final outfall to account for the increased average daily design flow. The new loading limits will go into effect 19 months from the effective date of the modified permit. The permit includes a compliance schedule that requires the Village to complete construction of Facility improvements as soon as possible, but not later than March 1, 2023. Mr. Standring stated that the Village has not yet started work on expanding treatment capacity due to funding issues.
Photo(s) 1. RIMG2658.JPG
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
Facility/Site Information
Responsible official Ross Standring
WWTP Design Capacity & Average Daily Flow
0.7 MGD
WWTP Approx. # of residents served
3500 - 4000
Outfalls: (and do the numbers, locations, and receiving waters match the permit?)
One outfall, 001. Number and location match the permit.
Operation schedule (days of operation, # shifts/day, # operators/shift, coverage overnight, weekends & emergencies)?
1 operator. 7 days per week
Do you use in-house or contract out for laboratory analyses? (including for metals or WET testing?)
Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Ammonia - Nitrogen, Orthophosphate, Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD) and Escheria Coli are measured in-house and the rest of the parameters in the permit are analyzed by Masi Laboratories.
Do you accept waste No from septage haulers? If so, what problems have you experienced?
Is there currently any Equalization (EQ) tank was out of operation at the time of inspection. portion of the treatment train that is non-operational?
Are there any plans for renovation or additional equipment to allow for increased wastewater flow?
Yes. A PTI has been submitted and approved by Ohio EPA. The upgrades will include a new clarifier, repurposing the EQ tank into an aeration basin, adding a new UV system and monitoring upgrades.
Unit(s)
Unit/Area/Sub-area Digesters Outfall 001 Pretreatment
Description
There are two 60,000-gallon digesters at the Facility.
Outfall 001 discharges into Snapping Turtle Run.
The pretreatment unit includes the preliminary treatment building, the vortex grit separator, the flow splitter box and the influent chamber.
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
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Secondary treatment
The secondary treatment includes the oxidation ditches, three clarifiers, the UV disinfection system, a post aeration tank and a cascade aerator.
SECTION II - OBSERVATIONS
Observations may not be in sequential order.
Unit: Digesters Observation #: AH2-OB-004
Contains CBI: No Date: 05/10/2022
EPA observed the two aerobic digesters that, according to Mr. Standring, were built in 2016. Each digester has a 60,000-gallon capacity and are connected to each other via a valve. Sludge in the digesters is pressed weekly, and Mr. Standring stated that this might increase to twice per week going forward. Leachate from the digesters gets pumped back to the oxidation ditches. EPA observed the sludge belt press, which has a dual pump system. EPA observed drums of polymer (FLOPAM) next to the influent pumps that are used to turn sludge into "cake". The cake is hauled to a landfill.
Photo(s) 1. RIMG2678.JPG 2. RIMG2679.JPG
Unit: Outfall 001
Observation #: AH2-OB-003
Contains CBI: No Date: 05/10/2022
EPA observed outfall 001 discharging into Snapping Turtle Run and the outfall signage. The outfall signage was facing away from the creek, not towards the creek.
Photo(s) 1. RIMG2676.JPG
Unit: Pretreatment Observation #: AH2-OB-001
Contains CBI: No Date: 05/10/2022
EPA observed the influent channel, the vortex grit separator, the grit dumpster and the influent autosampler inside the pretreatment building. The grit from the dumpster is taken by Rumpke of Ohio, Inc. (Rumpke) as needed, according to Mr. Standring. The pretreatment building was built in 2016 and also houses the control room. The Facility has a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that monitors flows and one of the clarifiers. During the inspection, EPA observed two influent 10" pipes that convey flows from the Villages of Mt. Orab and Hamersville. According to the Facility, it uses geothermal heating to keep pipes from freezing in the pretreatment building. During the inspection, EPA observed a thermometer reading of 5C at the influent autosampler. From the top of the pretreatment building, EPA observed the EQ tank that was about a quarter full of rain water. Mr. Standring stated that monthly copper samples are taken from both the influent and effluent in order to understand what has caused recent copper limit exceedances in the effluent. Mr. Standring stated that based on the data so far, increased copper concentrations were due to the copper sulfate that was added at the drinking water treatment plant for algae control. Since the drinking water plant substituted the copper sulfate with ultrasonic radiation to treat for algae, no high copper readings have occurred at the Facility since November 2021.
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
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Photo(s) 1. RIMG2659.JPG 2. RIMG2660.JPG 3. RIMG2661.JPG 4. RIMG2662.JPG 5. RIMG2663.JPG
Unit: Secondary treatment
Observation #: AH2-OB-002
Contains CBI: No Date: 05/10/2022
From pretreatment, wastewater is routed to the oxidation ditches. The oxidation ditches are a modified activated sludge biological treatment that provide longer retention time to remove organics. Wastewater from the oxidation ditches flows into a splitter box that splits the flow equally among three clarifiers. Mr. Standring stated that one of the clarifiers was constructed in 2008, and the other two were constructed earlier. EPA observed floating foam and solids on the two older clarifiers. Return flow from the clarifiers goes back to the oxidation ditches, and effluent from the clarifiers flows into the UV channel for disinfection. Effluent flow is measured at the UV channel. EPA observed a discharge of 546 gallons per minute from the flowmeter at the time of the inspection. According to Mr. Standring, the flowmeter is calibrated annually. Flow from the UV channel is directed to the post aeration tank and the cascade aerator and from there to outfall 001. At the bottom of cascading stairs there is a bypass pipe on the south side of the channel that is used when bypass of the post aeration tank is needed for maintenance.
Photo(s)
1. RIMG2664.JPG 2. RIMG2667.JPG 3. RIMG2665.JPG 4. RIMG2666.JPG 5. RIMG2668.JPG 6. RIMG2669.JPG 7. RIMG2670.JPG 8. RIMG2671.JPG 9. RIMG2672.JPG 10. RIMG2673.JPG 11. RIMG2674.JPG 12. RIMG2675.JPG 13. RIMG2677.JPG
SECTION III - RECORDS REVIEW Records may not be in sequential order.
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
Record: Manifests
Ref #: AH2-RR-007
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
Area of Concern (AOC):No
Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
EPA reviewed Annual Sludge Reports for years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Rumpke hauls sludge from the Facility to a landfill operated by Rumpke.
Record: Overflow/Bypass/Upset Reports or Notifications
Ref #: AH2-RR-006
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
AOC: No Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
EPA reviewed an Unanticipated Emergency Overflow Report for the month of May 2020.
Record: Other - Operator's certificate for wastewater treatment facilities
Ref #: AH2-RR-005
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
AOC: No Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
EPA reviewed the certificate of the operator of record. Mr. Ross Standring had a Class III Wastewater Treatment Professional Operator Certificate.
Photo(s)
1. RIMG2681.JPG
Record: Process Description/Flow Diagram
Ref #: AH2-RR-004
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
AOC: No Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
EPA reviewed the process flow diagram.
Record: Laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Ref #: AH2-RR-003
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
AOC: No Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
EPA reviewed the Facility's laboratory SOP.
Photo(s)
1. RIMG2680.JPG
2. RIMG2682.JPG
Record: Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs)
Ref #: AH2-RR-002
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
AOC: Yes Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
EPA reviewed DMRs for the months of February and March 2022. No effluent limit violations were selfreported. For the month of February, the effluent flow was above the 0.7 MGD average daily design rate for most of the month and as high as 1.9 MGD.
Record: Calibration Records
Ref #: AH2-RR-001
Reviewed By: Andi Hodaj
AOC: No Reviewed Date: 05/10/2022
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
The Village analyzes some of the pollutants included in the Facility's permit in an in-house lab and sends samples for the analysis of the rest to MASI Environmental Laboratories (MASI). EPA reviewed calibration records and certificate of calibrations for the instruments used in the in-house lab such as the pH meter, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) incubator, dissolved oxygen (DO) probe.
Photo(s) 1. RIMG2683.JPG
SECTION IV - SAMPLING ACTIVITIES AND ANALYTICAL RESULTS 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.
Unit: AH2-OC-NT
The modified NPDES permit includes a compliance schedule that requires the Village to complete construction of Facility improvements as soon as possible, but not later than March 1, 2023. Mr. Standring stated that the Village has not yet started work on expanding treatment capacity due to funding issues.
AH2-RR-002
For the month of February, the effluent flow was above the 0.7 MGD average daily design rate for most of the month and as high as 1.9 MGD.
Unit: Outfall 001 AH2-OB-003
The outfall signage was facing away from the creek and needs to be facing the creek.
Unit: Secondary treatment AH2-OB-002
EPA observed floating foam and solids on the two older clarifiers.
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
SECTION VI - CLOSING CONFERENCE AND FOLLOW UP
Closing Conference
The Region 5 Lead Inspector held a closing conference with Mr. Sandring immediately prior to concluding the inspection at 11:14 AM (ET). During the closing conference, the Region 5 Lead Inspector discussed the observations and Areas of Concern identified during the inspection, which have not yet been evaluated for a formal compliance determination.
The closing conference took place in the lab area at 10:45 AM (ET). EPA discussed some of the Areas of Concern that were observed during the inspection, such as increased flows to the Facility, foam and sediments in the clarifiers, and the compliance schedule in the NPDES permit. EPA also noted the fact that there had not been any self-reported effluent exceedances in the last eight months.
Follow Up No follow up was required after exiting the Facility.
Communication Log No additional information was received by Region 5 after exiting the Facility.
SECTION VII - LIST OF APPENDICES 1. Photo Log
APPENDIX 1: PHOTOLOG All photographs taken by Andi Hodaj, Environmental Engineer, U.S. EPA
Camera: RICOH WG-4 Time stamps in the photographs are in central time
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WWTP schematic RIMG2658.JPG 05/10/2022 08:50 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj [Unit/Area] No CBI No PII Schematic of the wastewater treatment plant.
List of pollutants that MASI analyzes RIMG2680.JPG 05/10/2022 10:28 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj [Unit/Area] No CBI No PII
Certificate of operator RIMG2681.JPG 05/10/2022 10:33 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj [Unit/Area] No CBI No PII Class III operator certificate for Mr. Standring.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Log of measurements RIMG2682.JPG 05/10/2022 10:37 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj [Unit/Area] No CBI No PII Logbook of pollutant measurements for pollutants that are measured in the in-house lab.
Flow meter calibration RIMG2683.JPG 05/10/2022 10:41 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj [Unit/Area] No CBI No PII Record of flow meter calibrations.
Digester RIMG2678.JPG 05/10/2022 10:01 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Digesters No CBI No PII The south aerobic digester. Camera looking south.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Belt press RIMG2679.JPG 05/10/2022 10:08 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Digesters No CBI No PII Belt press and dumpster. Camera looking southwest.
Outfall 001 RIMG2676.JPG 05/10/2022 09:56 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Outfall 001 No CBI No PII Signage for outfall 001. Camera looking south.
Pretreatment building RIMG2659.JPG 05/10/2022 08:59 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Pretreatment No CBI No PII Pretreatment building was built in 2016.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Influent channel RIMG2660.JPG 05/10/2022 09:02 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Pretreatment No CBI No PII Influent channel and bar screen inside the pretreatment building.
Influent autosampler RIMG2661.JPG 05/10/2022 09:07 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Pretreatment No CBI No PII Influent autosampler and the thermometer inside it in the pretreatment building.
Inflow pipes RIMG2662.JPG 05/10/2022 09:12 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Pretreatment No CBI No PII Inflow pipes, from left to right: for future expansion, from Mt. Orab and from Hamersville.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
EQ Tank RIMG2663.JPG 05/10/2022 09:26 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Pretreatment No CBI No PII The EQ tank was not in operation. Camera looking west.
Oxidation ditches RIMG2664.JPG 05/10/2022 09:31 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Oxidation ditches. Camera looking southwest.
Clarifier RIMG2667.JPG 05/10/2022 09:39 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII One of the three clarifiers. Camera looking Southeast.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Mount Orab WWTP Inspection Date(s):
Oxidation ditch RIMG2665.JPG 05/10/2022 09:32 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII The west oxidation ditch. Camera looking northwest.
Oxidation ditches RIMG2666.JPG 05/10/2022 09:38 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Oxidation ditches. Camera looking north.
Clarifier RIMG2668.JPG 05/10/2022 09:39 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII The west of the two old clarifiers. Camera looking southwest.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Clarifier RIMG2669.JPG 05/10/2022 09:42 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Middle clarifier with foam floating on it. Camera looking down.
Clarifier RIMG2670.JPG 05/10/2022 09:42 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII The west clarifier. Camera looking west, down.
UV disinfection RIMG2671.JPG 05/10/2022 09:47 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII UV disinfection channel. Camera looking south.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Flow meter RIMG2672.JPG 05/10/2022 09:48 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Eflluent flow meter. Camera looking south.
Post aeration tank RIMG2673.JPG 05/10/2022 09:51 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Post aeration tank and the top of the cascade aerator. Camera looking southwest.
Post aeration tank RIMG2674.JPG 05/10/2022 09:51 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Post aeration tank. Camera looking southwest.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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Cascade aerator RIMG2675.JPG 05/10/2022 09:53 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII Cascade aerator. Camera looking northwest.
New clarifier RIMG2677.JPG 05/10/2022 10:00 AM (ET) Andi Hodaj Secondary treatment No CBI No PII The clarifier built in 2008. Camera looking east.
05/10/2022 - 05/10/2022
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