Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 12, December 1, 2024
(a) Treatment
Facility Oversight. At a minimum, the supplier of water shall ensure that
during each oversight visit required by this Rule the water system's treatment
facility receives a routine visual inspection from the source to the point
where water enters the distribution system; equipment settings are adjusted and
chemical feed tanks are filled as necessary; dates and quantities of chemicals
added are recorded; and the physical and chemical tests required on plant
monthly operation reports are performed. In addition, the supplier of water
shall have an ORC, or a certified treatment facility operator working under the
direction of the ORC, on site as frequently as necessary to ensure compliance
with the requirements of this Section and Subchapter. At least one visit per
week shall be performed by the ORC for the treatment facility or by an operator
with a grade of certification corresponding to or higher than the
classification of the facility. The supplier of water shall provide oversight
at a public water system treatment facility while the facility is in operation,
as follows:
(1) Surface Water or Groundwater
Under the Direct Influence (GWUDI) of Surface Water Treatment Facilities.
Surface water or GWUDI systems shall provide an operator as required in
15A NCAC
18D .0206 and shall have the ORC or an
operator with a grade of certification corresponding to or higher than the
classification of the facility on-site at least 20 percent of the time the
facility is in operation, as calculated on a weekly basis.
(2) Ground Water Treatment Facilities. The
requirements for ground water treatment facilities are as follows:
(A) Ground water treatment facilities with
any individual parameter rating value of 10 or higher as classified by
15A NCAC
18D .0203 shall be visited by an operator
daily.
(B) Ground water treatment
facilities with all individual parameter rating values less than 10 as
classified
15A NCAC
18D .0203 shall be visited by an operator as
often as necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of this
Subchapter but no less often than denoted in Table B below. For the standard
frequency of three times per week, no more than two consecutive days shall pass
between operator oversight visits. For the standard frequency of two times per
week, no more than three consecutive days shall pass between operator oversight
visits.
(3) Supplemental
Treatment Facilities. The requirements for supplemental treatment facilities
are as follows:
(A) A supplemental treatment
facility, including booster chlorination, is a facility designed to treat water
that has previously been treated to meet standards of the "North Carolina
Drinking Water Act." Supplemental treatment facilities with any individual
parameter rating value of 10 or higher as designated by
15A NCAC
18D .0203 shall be visited by an operator
daily.
(B) Supplemental treatment
facilities with all individual parameter rating values less than 10 as
designated by
15A NCAC
18D .0203 shall be visited by an operator as
often as necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of this
Subchapter but no less often than denoted in Table B below. For the standard
frequency of three times per week, no more than two consecutive days shall pass
between operator oversight visits. For the standard frequency of two times per
week, no more than three consecutive days shall pass between operator oversight
visits.
.
Table B: Standard Frequency of Oversight Visits for Ground
Water and Supplemental Treatment Facilities
|
SYSTEM TYPE
|
Population size
|
standard frequency of oversight VISITS
|
|
Community
|
> 10,000
>3,300 to 9,999
501 to 3,300
500 or fewer
|
Daily
Five times per week
Three times per week
Two times per week
|
|
Non-transient, non-community
|
>1,000
1,000 or fewer
|
Three times per week
Two times per week
|
|
Transient, non-community
|
Any population size
|
Once per week, unless an ORC is not required by
15A NCAC
18D .0206
|
(b) Distribution Facility Oversight.
Distribution facilities have no specified standard frequency of oversight
visits under this Section. The distribution facility shall be visited by the
operator as frequently as necessary to operate the facility, provide emergency
response and ensure compliance with the requirements of this Section and
Subchapter.
(c) Increased Frequency
of Oversight. The requirements for increasing the frequency of oversight visits
are:
(1) A system that fails to maintain any
operational parameter or has any failure of the treatment or distribution
facility that would cause a violation of water quality or treatment standards
of Section .1500 of this Subchapter shall be visited by the operator daily
until the system has returned to compliance, as determined by the Department.
Daily visits shall be required for all systems failing to maintain minimum
residual disinfectant concentrations under Rules .2002 or .2201 of this
Subchapter or maximum residual disinfectant levels under Rule .2008 of this
Subchapter until compliant disinfection levels are restored, regardless of the
standard frequency of oversight visits for that system.
(2) The Department may require additional
operator oversight visits for a system that has a violation of this Subchapter,
an equipment malfunction, a customer complaint, an emergency or other situation
that may affect the ability of the system to comply with the requirements of
this Subchapter. In determining the frequency and duration of increased
oversight visits, the Department shall consider the following:
(A) nature of the malfunction, complaint,
emergency or other situation;
(B)
degree of risk to the public health or welfare;
(C) size and type of population
exposed;
(D) type of treatment and
chemicals used by the water system;
(E) type, size, and configuration of the
distribution system; and
(F)
potential or actual damage to property or the environment.
(d) Reduced Frequency of
Oversight. The Department may grant written approval to reduce the standard
frequency of operator oversight visits of this Subchapter to not less than once
per week if a system can document compliance with this Subchapter and any of
the following:
(1) Equivalent public health
protection is provided through use of remotely controlled continuous monitoring
and recording technology. The recorded data must be reviewed at a minimum of
five days a week. This technology must be capable of contacting the operator 24
hours a day, seven days a week in case of operational failure, including a loss
of signal.
(2) Equivalent public
health protection is provided by operator visits less frequent than those
specified under Part (a)(2)(B) of this Rule based on a facility's overall
contribution to the daily flow of the water system and the system's proposed
alternative plan and schedule.
(3)
Equivalent public health protection is provided through use of process control
devices and standard operating procedures to ensure that no chemical misfeeds
can occur and include all of the following, at a minimum:
(A) wiring of chemical pumps to the well
pumps such that they must operate simultaneously;
(B) devices to regulate chemical feeds such
that overfeeding and underfeeding of chemicals is prevented;
(C) anti-siphoning devices installed to
prevent siphonage of chemicals into the water system;
(D) demonstration that adequate chemical
storage and supply is available to ensure continuous feed between visits;
and
(E) equipment is calibrated in
accordance with manufacturers' recommendations but in no case less than once
per year.
Authority
G.S.
90A-29;
130A-315;
P.L.
93-523;
Eff. January 1,
1977;
Readopted Eff. December 5, 1977;
Amended Eff.
October 1, 2009; July 1, 1994; September 1, 1990; June 30, 1980; September 1,
1979;
Pursuant to
G.S.
150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without
substantive public interest Eff. November 23,
2015.
