PUBLIC NOTICE West Virginia

PUBLIC NOTICE
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Water and
Waste Management
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25301
Telephone: (304) 926-0495

Public Notice No: MM-2-19
Public Notice Date: April 1, 2019

GENERAL WV/NPDES WATER
POLLUTION CONTROL PERMIT
FOR DOMESTIC SEWAGE
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS SERVING
INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCES
(FLOW < 600 GPD) The Division of Water and Waste Management is proposing to reissue a General WV/NPDES Water Pollution Control Permit to regulate discharges from domestic sewage disposal systems which have flows of 600 GPD or less serving individual residences. The General Permit will authorize the installation, operation and maintenance of domestic sewage disposal systems, or parts thereof, and the direct discharge of treated wastewater to the waters of the state. All facilities that are currently permitted shall be required by the agency to renew their current WV/NPDES Water Pollution Control Permit for small sewage treatment systems, serving individual residences and small commercial facilities through this reissued permit. It is proposed that this General Permit be issued for five (5) years. Described below are some important aspects of the General Permit Program. 1. This proposed general permit will be a reissued permit. Currently, the DWWM has an agreement with the Bureau for Public Health for small sewage treatment systems serving individual residences, also known as home aeration units (HAU). The agreement prohibits the Bureau for Public Health from granting approval for HAUs unless other means of treatment and disposal has proven ineffective and a real potential health hazard exists. Also, West Virginia Code 64, Series 9 allows the use of HAUs for new single-family residences. In order to protect public health and the water quality in the state, the DWWM proposes to reissue this general permit to regulate those discharges. 2. All eligible existing facilities will be required to complete the general permit registration procedures before receiving coverage under this permit, except for those facilities registered since January 1, 2019. These facilities will automatically be covered under the new general permit once a new 5-year maintenance contract is in place. The DWWM will establish a treatment category prior to authorizing general permit coverage. The current general permit expires on June 30,2019. However, it will be extended through December 31, 2019 to provide continued coverage during the reissuance process. 3. Only those sewage treatment systems that serve the connection of single-family dwellings, and the connection of small commercial facilities (food service facilities and industrial wastes are strictly prohibited) with flows of 600 GPO or less will be provided coverage under this permit. 4. Coverage under this permit will be required, through site registration, prior to construction of the facility. 5. Coverage under this permit will be issued jointly to the owner and operator (maintenance contractor) of the facility. Facilities without a maintenance contract, minimum of five (5) years, will not be granted coverage under this permit. 6. An applicant for new construction will be required to secure the wasteload allocation prior to filing application for coverage under this permit. This procedure is used to determine if the receiving stream is available for discharge and the type of treatment needed to protect the state Water Quality Standards . 7. This general permit prohibits the permittees from cancelling the maintenance contract without prior approval of this agency. If either permittee makes a motion to terminate his or her maintenance contract with the other permittee, a Release Request form, if the maintenance contractor is requesting release, or a transfer form and contract with a new service provider, if the homeowner wishes to be released, shall be sent to our office for approval of such termination. At the discretion of the Division or Water and Waste Management, approval may be granted, and notification given. This is to further ensure that the permitted facility is properly operated and remains under a maintenance contract. 8. Upon receipt of the registration application form, the Division will review the contained information and prescribed discharge load allocation and will assign each individual permittee to one of four (4) available treatment categories. Individual permittees must comply with the effluent limitations of their assigned treatment category and must provide the minimum treatment technology for their category. The draft general permit and fact sheet may be inspected by appointment between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Department of Environmental Protection, Public Information Office, 601 57th Street SE, Charleston, WV 25304. Copies of the document may be obtained at a nominal cost. Any interested persons may submit written comments on the draft permit. Comments will be accepted until Apri1 30, 2019. They should be addressed to: Department of Environmental Protection Public Information Office 601 57th Street SE Charleston, WV 25304 Attention: Mylinda Maddox (304) 926-0499, extension 1065 Fax: (304) 926-0496 E-mail: [email protected] All comments received within this period will be considered prior to acting on the draft permit. Correspondence should include the name, address, and telephone number of the writer; and a concise statement of the nature of the issues being raised. 4-1-MON-1-RH; LG 229873 ID: 229873