Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
A. Education
and notification program. An education and notification program (program) shall
be developed and submitted with the RWM plan in accordance with
9VAC25-740-100
C 1 for reuses that require Level 1 reclaimed water, will be in areas
accessible to the public, or are likely to have human contact. For indirect
potable reuse (IPR) projects that do not require a RWM plan, the program shall
be submitted with the application to permit the project in accordance with
9VAC25-740-100
D. The program shall be the responsibility of the permittee to implement.
1. Education. The education component of the
program shall:
a. For end users and the public
likely to have contact with reclaimed water, provide information:
(1) To ensure that they are informed of the
origin, nature, and characteristics of the reclaimed water; the manner in which
the reclaimed water can be used safely; and uses for which the reclaimed water
is prohibited or limited;
(2) To
individual end users, at the time of their initial connection to the reclaimed
water distribution system, which may be provided in the service agreement or
contract with the permittee established in accordance with
9VAC25-740-100
C 1 d; and
(3) To individual end
users, annually or more often after the reclaimed water distribution system is
placed into operation for nonbulk irrigation reuse of reclaimed water not
treated to achieve biological nutrient removal (BNR).
b. For IPR projects, provide information to
generators of source water for reclamation and IPR that are other than SIUs.
This information shall describe methods and practices to avoid or reduce the
introduction of contaminants from domestic and commercial sources into the
wastewater collection system prior to reclamation and shall be provided to
individual generators annually or more often after the reclamation system is
placed into operation.
c. Describe
all modes of communication to be used to educate and inform, including, but not
limited to, meetings, distribution of written information, the news media
(i.e., newspapers, radio, television, or the Internet), and advisory signs as
described in
9VAC25-740-160.
2. Notification. The notification
component of the program shall contain procedures to notify end users and the
affected public of discharges of substandard reclaimed water to reuse that can
adversely impact human health, or the loss of reclaimed water service due to
planned or unplanned causes.
a. Notifications
required for discharge of substandard reclaimed water to reuse.
(1) For reuses other than IPR. Where
treatment of the reclaimed water fails more than once during a seven-day period
to comply with Level 1 disinfection or other standards developed in accordance
with
9VAC25-740-70
D or
9VAC25-740-70
E for the protection of human health, and the noncompliant reclaimed water has
been discharged to a reclaimed water distribution system or directly to a
reuse, the permittee shall notify the end user of the treatment failures and
advise the end user of precautions to be taken to protect human health when
using the reclaimed water in areas accessible to the public or where human
contact with the reclaimed water is likely. These precautions shall be
implemented for a period of seven days or greater depending on the frequency
and magnitude of the treatment failure.
(2) For IPR. Where treatment of the reclaimed
water fails at any time to comply with standards specified in
9VAC25-740-90
C and is discharged to the water supply source (WSS), the permittee shall
notify the owner or management of the waterworks that withdraws water from the
affected WSS of the time, duration, volume, and pollutant characteristics of
the noncompliant discharge within a period of less than or equal to half the
shortest determined travel time between the reclamation system discharge and
the waterworks intake, but in no case greater than eight hours. Such
notification shall be implemented for a period of seven days or greater
depending on the frequency and magnitude of the noncompliant reclaimed water
discharge and the ability of subsequent multiple barriers as described in the
permit application of the IPR project to mitigate the impact of the discharge
on the WSS.
b.
Notifications required for loss of service.
(1) For reuses other than IPR. Where
reclaimed water service to end users will be interrupted due to planned causes,
such as scheduled maintenance or repairs, the permittee shall provide advance
notice to end users of the anticipated date and duration of the interrupted
service. Where reclaimed water service to end users is disrupted by unplanned
causes, such as an upset at the reclamation system, the permittee shall notify
end users and the affected public of the disrupted service if it cannot or will
not be restored within eight hours of discovery.
(2) For IPR. Where the discharge of the
reclamation system to the WSS will be interrupted due to planned causes, such
as scheduled maintenance or repairs, the permittee shall provide advance notice
to the owner or management of the waterworks that withdraws water from the WSS
of the anticipated date, duration, and cause for the interrupted discharge.
Where the discharge of the reclamation system is interrupted by unplanned
causes, such as an upset at the reclamation system, the permittee shall notify
the waterworks owner or management of the interrupted discharge if the
discharge cannot or will not be restored within eight hours of initial
occurrence.
c. The
notification component of the program shall describe all modes of communication
that may be used to provide the notifications specified in subdivisions 2 a and
b of this subsection. Modes of communication may include, but are not limited
to, those described in subdivision 1 c of this subsection for the education
component of the education and notification program.
B. Reclaimed water shall be used
in a manner that is consistent with this chapter and with the conditions of the
VPDES or VPA permit, such that public health and the environmental shall be
protected.
C. Reclaimed water
delivered to end users shall comply with reclaimed water standards required for
the intended reuses at the point of delivery to end users.
D. There shall be no nuisance conditions
resulting from the distribution, use, or storage of reclaimed water.
E. For all irrigation reuses of reclaimed
water, the following shall be required:
1.
There shall be no application of reclaimed water to the ground when it is
saturated, frozen or covered with ice or snow, and during periods of
rainfall.
2. The chosen method of
irrigation shall minimize human contact with the reclaimed water.
3. Reclaimed water shall be prevented from
coming into contact with drinking fountains, water coolers, or eating
surfaces.
F. For bulk
irrigation reuse of reclaimed water, the following shall be required:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed,
installed and adjusted to:
a. Provide uniform
distribution of the reclaimed water over the irrigation site;
b. Prevent ponding or pooling of reclaimed
water at the irrigation site;
c.
Facilitate maintenance and harvesting of irrigated areas and preclude damage to
the irrigation system from the use of maintenance or harvesting
equipment;
d. Prevent aerosol
carry-over from the irrigation site to areas beyond the setback distances
described in subsection H of this section; and
e. Prevent clogging from algae or suspended
solids.
2. All pipes,
pumps, valve boxes and outlets of the irrigation system shall be designed,
installed, and identified in accordance with
9VAC25-740-110
B.
3. Any reclaimed water runoff
shall be confined to the irrigation reuse site unless authorized by the
department.
G. Overspray
of surface waters, including wetlands, from irrigation or other reuses of
reclaimed water is prohibited.
H.
Setback distances for irrigation reuses of reclaimed water.
1. For sites irrigated with reclaimed water
treated to Level 1, the setback distances provided in Table 170-H1 are
required:
|
Table 170-H1
Setback Distances for Irrigation
Reuses of Reclaimed Water Treated to Level 1
|
|
Feature Requiring Setback
|
Setback Distance
|
|
a. Potable water supply wells and springs and
public water supply intakes
|
100 feet
|
|
b. Nonpotable water supply wells
|
10 feet
|
|
c. Limestone rock outcrops and sinkholes
|
50 feet
|
2.
For sites irrigated with reclaimed water treated to Level 1, no setback
distances are required from occupied dwellings and outdoor eating, drinking and
bathing facilities. However, aerosol formation shall be minimized within 100
feet of occupied dwellings and outdoor eating, drinking and bathing facilities
through the use of low trajectory nozzles for spray irrigation, above-ground
drip irrigation, or other means.
3.
For sites irrigated with reclaimed water treated to Level 2, the setback
distances provided in Table 170-H2 are required:
|
Table 170-H2
Setback Distances for Irrigation
Reuses of Reclaimed Water Treated to Level 2
|
|
Feature Requiring Setback
|
Setback Distance
|
|
a. Potable water supply wells and springs and
public water supply intakes
|
200 feet
|
|
b. Nonpotable water supply wells
|
10 feet
|
|
c. Surface waters, including wetlands
|
50 feet
|
|
d. Occupied dwellings
|
200 feet
|
|
e. Property lines and areas accessible to the
public
|
100 feet
|
|
f. Limestone rock outcrops and sinkholes
|
50 feet
|
4.
For sites irrigated with reclaimed water treated to Level 2, the setback
distances may be reduced as follows:
a. Up to
but not exceeding 50% from occupied dwellings and areas accessible to the
public if it can be demonstrated that alternative measures shall be implemented
to provide an equivalent level of public health protection. Such measures shall
include, but are not limited to, disinfection of the reclaimed water equivalent
to Level 1, application of the reclaimed water by methods that minimize aerosol
formation (e.g., low trajectory nozzles for spray irrigation, above-ground drip
irrigation), installation of permanent physical barriers to prevent migration
of aerosols from the reclaimed water irrigation site, or any combination
thereof. Written consent of affected landowners is required to reduce setback
distances from occupied dwellings.
b. Up to 100 % from property lines with
written consent from adjacent landowners.
c. To but not less than 100 feet from potable
water supply wells and springs, or public water supply intakes if it can be
demonstrated that disinfection of the reclaimed water is equivalent to Level 1
and there are no other constituents of the reclaimed water present in
quantities sufficient to be harmful to human health.
d. To but not less than 25 feet from surface
waters, including wetlands, where reclaimed water shall be applied by methods
that minimize aerosol formation (e.g., low trajectory nozzles for spray
irrigation, above-ground drip irrigation); or permanent physical barriers are
installed to prevent the migration of aerosols from the reclaimed water
irrigation site to surface waters.
5. Application of reclaimed water shall not
occur during winds of sufficient strength to cause overspray or aerosol drift
into or beyond the buffer zones or setbacks specified in subdivisions 1 through
4 of this subsection.
6. For
irrigation reuses where more than one setback distance may apply, the greater
setback distance shall govern.
7.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, all setback distances shall be measured
horizontally.
I. Minimum
separation distances for in-ground reclaimed water distribution pipelines
specified in
9VAC25-740-110 B
3, shall apply to in-ground piping for irrigation systems of reclaimed
water.
J. A setback distance of 100
feet horizontally shall be maintained from indoor aesthetic features (i.e.,
decorative waterfalls or fountains) that use reclaimed water treated to Level
1, to adjacent indoor public eating and drinking facilities where the aesthetic
features have the potential to create aerosols and eating and drinking
facilities are within the same room or building space.
K. A setback distance of 300 feet
horizontally shall be provided from an open cooling tower to the site property
line where reclaimed water treated to Level 2 is used in the tower. No setback
distance shall be required from an open cooling tower to the site property line
where a drift or mist eliminator is installed and properly operated or
reclaimed water treated to Level 1 disinfection standards is used in the tower.
Treatment of the reclaimed water to Level 1 disinfection standards may be
provided by the industrial end user through the contract or agreement
established by the permittee in accordance with
9VAC25-740-100
C 1 d.
Statutory Authority: § 62.1-44.15 of the Code of
Virginia.
