A. BASIS
AND PURPOSE
Reporting
responsibilities of waste discharges are specified in Sections 13225(a),
132567(b), 13268, 13383 and 13387(b) of the California Water Code and
this Regional Board’s Resolution No. 73-16 and the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Discharge Monitoring Report (Form 3320-1).
The
principal purposes of a monitoring program by a waste discharger, also
referred to as self-monitoring program, are: (1) to document compliance
with waste discharge requirements and prohibitions established by this
Regional Board, (2) to facilitate self-policing by the waste discharger
in the prevention and abatement of pollution arising from waste discharge,
(3) to develop or assist in the development of effluent or other limitations,
discharge prohibitions, national standards of performance, pretreatment
and toxicity standards, and other standards, and (4) to prepare water
and wastewater quality inventories.
B. SAMPLING AND
ANALYTICAL METHODS
Sample
collection, storage, and analyses shall be performed according to the
40 CFR 136 or other methods approved and specified by the Executive
Officer of this Regional Board (See Appendix E, attached.)
Water
and waste analyses shall be performed by a laboratory approved for these
analyses by the State Department of Health Services (DOHS) or a laboratory
waived by the Executive Officer from obtaining a certification for these
analyses by the DOHS. The director of the laboratory whose name appears
on the certification or his/her laboratory supervisor who is directly
responsible for analytical work performed shall supervise all analytical
work including appropriate quality assurance/quality control procedures
in his or her laboratory and shall sign all report of such work submitted
to the Regional Board.
All
monitoring instruments and equipment shall be properly calibrated and
maintained to ensure accuracy of measurements.
C. SPECIFICATIONS
FOR SAMPLING AND ANALYSES
The
discharger is required to perform sampling and analyses according to
the schedule in Part B in accordance with the following conditions:
1. Influent
a. Composite
samples of influent shall be collected on varying days selected at
random and shall not include any plant recirculation or other sidestream
wastes.
2. Effluent
a. Composite
samples of effluent shall be collected on days coincident with influent
composite sampling unless otherwise stipulated. At least one sampling
day in each seven shall reflect one day of weekend discharge, one
day of peak loading and during major unit operation shutdown or startup.
The Executive Officer may approve an alternative sampling plan if
it is demonstrated to the EO’s satisfaction that expected operating
conditions for the facility warrant a deviation from the standard
sampling plan.
b. Grab samples
of effluent shall be collected during periods of maximum peak flows
and shall coincide with effluent composite sample days.
c. Fish bioassay
samples shall be collected on days coincident with effluent composite
sampling.
1) Bioassay
tests should be performed on effluent samples after chlorination-dechlorination.
2) Total
ammonia nitrogen shall be analyzed and un-ionized ammonia calculated
whenever fish bioassay test results fall to meet the specified
percent survival.
d. If two consecutive
samples of a constituent monitored on a weekly or monthly basis in
a 30-day period exceed the monthly average effluent limit for any
parameter, (or if the required sampling frequency is once per month
and the monthly sample exceeds the monthly average limit), the sampling
frequency shall be increased to daily until the additional sampling
shows that the most recent 30-day moving average is in compliance
with the monthly average limit.
e. If any maximum
daily limit is exceeded, the sampling frequency shall be increased
to daily until two samples collected on consecutive days show compliance
with the maximum daily limit.
f. If the final
or on intermediate results of any single bioassay test indicate a
threatened violation (i.e. the percentage of surviving test organisms
is less than the required survival percentage), a new test will begin
and the discharger shall investigate the cause of the moralities and
report the finding in the next self-monitoring report.
g. Chlorine
residual analyzers shall be calibrated against grab samples as frequently
as necessary to maintain accurate control and reliable operation.
If an effluent violation is detected, grab samples shall be collected
at least every 30 minutes until compliance is achieved.
h. When any
typed of bypass occurs, composite samples shall be collected on a
daily basis for all constituents at all affected discharge points
which have effluent limits for the duration of the bypass.
3. Storm
Water
During
the wet season (October 1 to April 30) the discharger shall:
a. Conduct
visual observations of the storm water discharger locations on at
least one storm event per month that produces significant storm water
discharge to observe the presence of floating and suspended materials,
oil and grease, discoloration, turbidity, and odor, etc.
b. Measure
(or estimate) the total volume of storm water discharge and collect
and analyze grab samples of storm water discharge from at least two
storm events that produce significant storm water discharge for: oil
and grease, pH, total suspended solids (TSS), specific conductance,
and toxic chemicals and other pollutants that have a reasonable potential
to be present in storm water discharge in significant quantities.
The
grab sample(s) shall be taken during the first thirty minutes of the
discharge. If the collection of the grab sample(s) during the first
30 minutes is impracticable, grab sample(s) can be taken during the
first hour of the discharge, and the discharger shall explain in the
annual monitoring report why the grab sample(s) could not be taken
in the first 30 minutes.
c. Testing
for the presence of non-storm water discharges shall be conducted
no less than twice during the dry season (May to September) at all
storm water discharge locations. Tests may include visual observations
of flows, stains, sludges, odors, and other abnormal conditions; dye
tests; TV line surveys, and/or analysis and validation of accurate
piping schematics. Records shall be maintained of the description
of the method used, date of testing, locations observed, and test
results.
d. Samples
shall be collected from all locations where storm water is discharged.
Samples must represent the quality and quantity of storm water discharged
from the facility. If a facility discharges storm water at multiple
locations, the discharger may sample a reduced number of locations
if it is established and documented in the monitoring program that
storm water discharges from different locations are substantially
identical.
e. Records
of all storm water monitoring information and copies of all reports
required by this permit shall be retained for a period of at least
three years from the date of sample, observation, or report.
4. Receiving
Waters:
a. Receiving
water samples shall be collected on days coincident with composite
sampling of effluent.
b. Receiving
water samples shall be collected at each station on each sampling
day during the period within 1 hour following low slack water. Where
sampling at lower slack water period is not practical, sampling shall
be performed during higher slack water period. Samples shall be collected
within the discharge plume and down current of the discharge point
so as to be representative, unless otherwise stipulated.
c. Samples
shall be collected within one foot below the surface of the receiving
water body, unless otherwise stipulated.
5. Bottom
Sediment Samples and Sampling and Reporting Guidelines
a. Bottom
sediment sample means: (1) a separate grab sample at each sampling
station for the determination of selected physical-chemical parameters,
or (2) four grab samples collected from different locations in the
immediate vicinity of a sampling station while the boat is anchored
and analyzed separately for macroinvertibrates.
Physical-chemical
sample analyses include as a minimum:
1) pH
2) TOC (Total
Organic Carbon)
3) Grease
analysis:
(a)
mg grease per kg sediment
(b) Percent fraction of hydrocarbon in grease
4) Selected
metals (depending on industrial input) mg/kg dry wt. (And soluble
metals in mg/l).
5) Particle
size distribution, i.e., 96 sand, 96 silt-clay
6) Depth
of water at sampling station in meters
7) Water
salinity and temperature in the water column within one meter of the
bottom.
D. STANDARD
OBSERVATIONS
1. Receiving
Water
a. Floating
and suspended materials of waste origin (to include oil, grease, algae,
and other macroscopic particulate matter: presence or absence, source,
and size of affected area.
b. Discoloration
and turbidity: description of color, source, and size of affected
area.
c. Odor: presence
or absence, characterization, source, distance of travel, and wind
direction.
d. Evidence
of beneficial water use: presence of water-associated waterfowl or
wildlife, fishermen, and other recreational activities in the vicinity
of the sampling stations.
e. Hydrographic
condition:
1) Time
and height of corrected high and low tides (corrected to nearest
NOAA location for the sampling date and time of sample and collection).
2) Depth
of water columns and sampling depths.
f. Weather
conditions:
1) Air
temperatures.
2) Wind
- direction and estimated velocity.
3) Total
precipitation during the previous five days and on the day of
observation.
2. Wastewater
Effluent
a. Floating
and suspended material of waste origin (to include oil, grease, algae,
and other macroscopic particulate matter): presence or absence.
b.
Odor: presence or absence, characterization, source, distance of travel.
3. Beach
and Shoreline
a. Material
of waste origin: presence or absence, description of material, estimated
size of affected area, and source.
b. Beneficial
use: estimate number of people sunbathing, swimming, water skiing,
surfing, etc.
4. Land
Retention or Disposal Area
This
applied both to liquid and solid wastes confined and unconfined.
a. For
each impoundment determine the amount of the freeboard at lowest point
of dikes confining liquid wastes.
b. Evidence
of leaching liquid from area of confinement and estimated size of
affected area. Show affected area on a sketch and volume of flow (gpm,
etc.)
c. Odor:
presence or absence, characterization, source, and distance of travel.
d. Estimated
number of waterfowl and other water-associated birds in the disposal
area and vicinity.
5. Periphery
of Waste Treatment and/or Disposal Facilities
a. Odor:
presence or absence, characterization, source, and distance of travel.
b. Weather
condition: wind direction and estimated velocity.
E. RECORDS TO BE
MAINTAINED
1. Written
reports, strip charts, calibration and maintenance records, and other
records shall be maintained by the discharger and accessible (at the
waste treatment plant), and retained for a minimum of three years. This
period of retention shall be extended during the course of any unresolved
litigation regarding this discharge or when requested by the Regional
Board or Regional Administrator of the USEPA, Region IX. Such records
shall show the following for each sample:
a. Identity
of sampling and observation stations by number.
b. Date
and time of sampling and/or observations.
c. Method
of composite sampling (see Section G-Definition of Terms)
d. Type
of fish bioassay test (96 hour static or flow-through bioassay)
e. Date
and time that analyses are started and completed, and name of personnel
performing the analyses.
f. Complete
procedure used, including method of preserving sample and identity
of volumes of reagents used. A reference to specific section of Standard
Methods is satisfactory.
g. Calculations
of results.
h. Results
of analyses and/or observations.
2. A
tabulation shall be maintained showing the following flow data for influent
and effluent stations and disposal areas:
a. Total waste
flow or volume, for each day.
b. Maximum
and minimum daily flows for each month.
3. A
tabulation shall be maintained showing the following information for
all other plant wastes and disposal areas:
a. Total
monthly volume of grit, skimming, and undigested sludge (in cubic
yards or cubic feet) from each treatment unit and the disposal site
location.
b. Total
monthly volume and solids content of dewatered sludge from each treatment
unit (in cubic yards or cubic feet) and the disposal site location.
4. A tabulation
reflecting bypassing and accidental waste spills shall be maintained
showing information items listed in Sections E-1 and E-2 for each occurrence.
5. A chronological
log for each month shall be maintained of the effluent disinfection
and bacterial analyses, showing the following:
a. Date
and time each sample is collected and waste flow rate at time of collection.
b. Chlorine
residual, contact time, and dosage (in kilograms per day and parts
per million).
c. Coliform
count for each sample.
d. Moving
median coliform of the number of samples specified by waste discharge
requirements.
F. REPORTS TO BE
FILED WITH THE REGIONAL BOARD
1. Spill
Reports
A report
shall be made of any spill of oil or other hazardous material. Spills
shall be reported to this Regional Board, at (510)286-1255 on weekdays
during office hours from 8 AM to 5 PM, and to the Office of Emergency
Services at (800)852-7550 during non-office hours, and the U.S. Coast
Guard at (415)437-3091 by telephone immediately after occurrence.
A written report shall be filed with the Regional Board within five
(5) working days and shall contain information relative to:
a. Nature
of waste or pollutant,
b. Quantity
involved,
c. Duration
of incident,
d. Cause
of spill,
e. SPCC
Spill Prevention and Containment Plan in effect, if any,
f. Estimated
size of affected area,
g. Nature
of effects (i.e., fishkill, discoloration of receiving water, etc.),
h. Corrective
measures that have been taken or planned, and a schedule of these
activities, and
i. Persons
notified.
2. Reports
of Plant Bypass, Treatment Unit Bypass and Permit Violation
In
the event the discharger violates or threatens to violate the conditions
of the waste discharge requirements and prohibitions or intends to
experience a plant bypass or treatment unit bypass due to:
a. Maintenance
work, power failures, or breakdown of waste treatment equipment, or
b. Accidents
caused by human error or negligence, or
c. Other
causes, such as acts of nature,
The discharger
shall notify the Regional Board office by telephone as soon as he
or his agents have knowledge of the incident and confirm this notification
in writing within 7 working days of the telephone notification. The
written report shall include time and date, duration and estimated
volume of waste bypassed, method used in estimating volume and person
notified of the incident. The report shall include pertinent information
explaining reasons for the noncompliance and shall indicate what steps
were taken to prevent the problem from recurring.
In addition, the
waste discharger shall promptly accelerate his monitoring program
to analyze the discharge at least once every day (Section C.2.h).
Such daily analyses shall continue until such time as the effluent
limits have been attained, until bypassing stops or until such time
as the Executive Officer determines to be appropriate. The results
of such monitoring shall be included in the regular Self-Monitoring
Report.
3. The discharger
shall file a written technical report to be received at least 30 days
prior to the advertising for bid (a 60 days prior to construction) on
any construction project which would cause or aggravate the discharge
of waste in violation of requirements; said reports shall describe the
nature, cost, and scheduling of all actions necessary to preclude such
discharge. In no case will any discharge of wastes in violation of permit
and order be permitted unless notification is made to the Executive Officer
and approval obtained from the Regional Board.
4. Self-Monitoring
Reports
Written
reports shall be filed regularly for each calendar month (unless specified
otherwise) and filed no later than the fifteenth day of the following
month. The reports shall be comprised of the following:
a. Letter
of Transmittal:
A
letter transmitting self-monitoring reports should accompany each
report. Such a letter shall include:
1) Identification
of all violations of waste discharge requirements found during the
reporting period,
2) Details
of the magnitude, frequency, and dates of all violations,
3) The
cause of the violations, and
4) Discussion
of the corrective actions taken or planned and the time schedule
for completion. If the discharger has previously submitted a detailed
time schedule for correcting requirement violations, a reference
to the correspondence transmitting such schedule will be satisfactory.
Monitoring
reports and the letter transmitting reports shall be signed by a
principal executive officer or ranking elected official of the discharger,
or by a duly authorized representative of that person.
The
letter shall contain the following certification:
"I
certify under penalty of law that this document and all attachments
are prepared under my direction or supervision in accordance with
a system designed to assure that qualified personnel properly gathered
and evaluated the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of
the person or persons who managed the system, or those persons directly
responsible for gathering the information, the information submitted
is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true, accurate, and
complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting
false information, including the possibility of fine and imprisonment
for knowing violations."
b. Compliance
Evaluation Summary
Each
report shall be accompanied by a compliance evaluation summary sheet
prepared by the discharger. The report format will be prepared using
the example shown in APPENDIX A (attached). This discharger will
prepare the format using those parameters and requirement limits
for receiving water and effluent constituents specified in his permit.
c. Map
or Aerial Photograph
A
map or aerial photograph shall accompany the report showing sampling
and observation station locations.
d. Results
of Analyses and Observations
Tabulations
of the results from each required analysis specified in Part B by
date, time, type of sample, detection limit and station, signed
by the laboratory director. The report format will be prepared using
the examples shown in APPENDIX B.
1) If
the discharger monitors any pollutant more frequently than required
by this permit using test procedures approved under 40 CFR Part
136 or as specified in this Permit, the results of this monitoring
shall be included in the calculation and reporting of the data submitted
in the Self-Monitoring Report.
2) Calculations
for all limitations that require averaging of measurements shall
utilize an arithmetic mean unless otherwise specified in this permit.
e. Effluent
Data Summary
Summary tabulations
of the data shall include for each constituent total number of analyses,
maximum, minimum, and average values for each period. The report
format will be the NPDES Discharge Monitoring Report, EPA Form 3320-1.
Flow data shall be included. The original is to be submitted to:
Executive
Officer
California Regional Water Quality Control Board
San Francisco Bay Region
2101Webster Street, Suite 500
Oakland, CA 94612
f. List of
Approved Analyses
1) Listing
of analyses for which the discharger is approved by the State Department
of Health Services.
2) List
of analyses performed for the discharger by another approved laboratory
(and copies of reports signed by the laboratory director of that
laboratory shall also be submitted as part of the report).
3) List
of "waived" analyses, as approved.
g. Flow
Data
1) The
tabulation pursuant to Section F-2.
5. Annual
Reporting
By January
30 of each year, the discharger shall submit an annual report to the
Regional Board covering the previous calendar year. The report shall
contain both tabular and graphical summaries of the monitoring data
during the previous year. In addition, the report shall contain a
comprehensive discussion of the compliance record and the corrective
actions taken or planned which may be needed to bring the discharger
into full compliance with the waste discharge requirements. The report
format shall be prepared by the discharger using the examples shown
in APPENDIX C (attached) and should be maintained and submitted with
each regular self-monitoring report.
G. DEFINITION
OF TERMS
1. A grab
sample is defined as an individual sample collected in a short period
of time not exceeding 15 minutes. Grab samples shall be collected during
normal peak loading conditions for the parameter of interest, which
may or may not be during hydraulic peaks. It is used primarily in determining
compliance with daily maximum limits and instantaneous maximum
limits. Grab samples represent only the condition that exists at the
time the wastewater is collected.
2. A composite
sample is defined as a sample composed of individual grab samples
mixed in proportions varying not more than plus or minus five percent
from the instantaneous rate (or highest concentration) of waste flow
corresponding to each grab sample collected at regular intervals not
greater than one hour, or collected by the use of continuous automatic
sampling devices capable of attaining the proportional accuracy stipulated
above throughout the period of discharge for 8 consecutive or of 24
consecutive hours, whichever is specified in Table 1 of Part B.
3. A flow
sample is defined as the accurate measurement of the average daily
flow volume using a properly calibrated and maintained flow measuring
device.
4. Duly
authorized representative is one whose:
a. Authorization
is made in writing by a principal executive officer or ranking elected
official;
b. Authorization
specifies either an individual or a position responsibility for the
overall operation of the regulated facility or activity, such as general
partner in a partnership, sole proprietor in a sole proprietorship,
the position of plant manager, operator of a well or a well field,
superintendent, position of equivalent responsibility, or an individual
or position having overall responsibility for environmental matters
for the company. (A duly authorized representative may thus be either
a named individual or any individual occupying a named position.)
5. Average
values for daily and monthly values is obtained by taking the sum of
all daily values divided by the number of all daily values measured
during the specified period.
6. Median
of an ordered set of values is that value below and above which there
is an equal number of values, or which is the arithmetic mean of the
two middle values, if there is no one middle value.
a. A
5-day median value for coliform bacteria is the third highest
count of 5 daily counts obtained from 5 consecutive sampling days.
A 7-day median value is the fourth highest of 7 daily counts
obtained from 7 consecutive sampling days.
b. A
5-day moving median value for coliform bacteria is the median
value calculated for each consecutive sampling day based upon the
period from the sample day and the previous 4 sampling days.
A
7-day moving median is calculated for each consecutive sampling
day based upon the period from the sample day and the previous 6 sampling
days. Moving median values for the beginning of the month shall be
calculated using the previous month’s counts (i.e. the last four counts
for a 5-day moving median and the last seven counts for a 7-day moving
median from the previous month).
7. A
6-month median means a moving median of daily values for
any 180 day period in which daily values represent flow-weighted average
concentrations within a daily or 24-hour period. For intermittent discharges,
the daily value shall be considered to equal zero for days on which
no discharge occurred.
8. The
geometric mean is antilog of log mean. Used for determining compliance
with bacteriological standards, the log mean is calculated with the
following equation:
|
Log
Mean = (1/N)
|
N
|
log
Ci
|
|
i=1
|
in which
"N" is the number of days samples that were analyzed during
the period and "Ci" is the concentration of bacteria
(MPN/100 ml) found on each day of sampling.
9. Daily
Maximum limit is the total discharge in a calendar day for pollutants
measured by mass or the average measurement obtained for other pollutants.
10. Instantaneous
Maximum is defined as the highest measurement obtained for the calendar
day.
11. A
depth-integrated sample is defined as a water or waste sample
collected by allowing a sampling device to fill during a vertical traverse
in the waste or receiving water body being sampled and shall be collected
in such a manner that the collected sample will be representative of
the waste or water body at that sampling point.
12. Bottom
sediment sampling and reporting guidelines mean those guidelines
developed by the Regional Board staff to provide for standard bottom
sampling, laboratory, and reporting procedures.
|