Aquifer Protection Section

Aquifer Protection Section :: Application Forms

Animal Feeding Operations

• State Permits
• NPDES Permits

Groundwater Protection

• Geothermal Heating and Cooling Injection Wells
• In Situ Groundwater Remediation Injection Wells
• Large Capacity Water Supply Wells
• Monitoring Wells
• Non-Discharge Pump and Treat Groundwater Remediation
• Other Injection Wells
• Recovery Wells

Land Application

• Agreements, Attachments, Etc.
• Closed-Loop Recycle Systems
• Express Review Forms
• High-Rate Infiltration Systems
• Other Non-Discharge Wastewater Systems
• Reclaimed Water Systems
• Residuals Management
• Single-Family Residence Wastewater Irrigation Systems
• Wastewater Irrigation Systems

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Aquifer Protection Section :: Compliance Reporting

Groundwater Quality Monitoring Report Form (GW-59)

Groundwater Quality Compliance Report Form (GW-59A)

Animal Feeding Operations

• Record Keeping Forms
• Reporting Forms

Groundwater Protection

• Injection Wells
• Non-Discharge Pump and Treat Groundwater Remediation
• Other Reporting Forms

Land Application

• Land Application of Residuals
• Non-Discharge Wastewater

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Aquifer Protection Section :: News

• Reclaimed Water Rule Changes and Public Hearing Announcement
• New Groundwater Standards Effective January 1, 2010

Reclaimed Water Rule Changes and Public Hearing Announcement

A Division-sponsored workgroup was formed in April 2007 to examine issues surrounding reclaimed water and to investigate potential rule changes that would facilitate the use of reclaimed water while assuring protection of public health and the environment.  The resulting draft rule revisions were approved by the Enviromental Management Commission (EMC) in September of 2008 and the associated fiscal analysis was completed in November of 2009.

G.S. 143-355.5, adopted as part of Session Law 2008-143, states that it is the public policy of the State to reuse treated wastewater or reclaimed water to meet the existing and future water supply needs of the State.  The Statute directs the EMC to encourage and promote safe and beneficial reuse of treated wastewater as an alternative to surface water discharges, and to adopt rules to identify acceptable uses of reclaimed water, facilitate the permitting of reclaimed water systems, and establish standards for reclaimed water systems that are adequate to prevent the direct distribution of reclaimed water as potable water.  The proposed rule changes fulfill the directive of G.S. 143-355.5.

• Public Hearing Announcement
• Approved Fiscal Analysis
• 15A NCAC 02T .0113 Revision
• 15A NCAC 02T .0506 Revision
• 15A NCAC 02T .0900 Repeal
• 15A NCAC 02U Adopt

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New Groundwater Standards Effective January 1, 2010

The following revisions to 15A NCAC 02L .0202 Groundwater Quality Standards become effective January 1, 2010. 

In Section .0202(c):

• “concentrations at or above the practical quantitation limit” was added to the text to clarify the meaning of “detection".

In Section .0202(g):

• Units of measure were changed from milligrams per liter (ppm) to micrograms per liter (ppb), except where otherwise noted;
• Standards were rounded to one scientifically significant figure, where appropriate;
• The groundwater standard for endrin and total endrin was combined into one total endrin standard;
• A  formaldehyde standard was added;
• Seven interim maximum allowable concentrations (IMACs) were added as permanent standards--benzoic acid, bis(chloroethyl)ether, dibromochloromethane, ethyl acetate, hexachlorobutadiene, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene;
• The standard for fourteen substances was made more stringent (arsenic; barium; chromium; 1,1-dichloroethane; 1,4-dioxane; lindane; methyl tert-butyl ether; naphthalene; petroleum aliphatic carbon fraction class C9-C18; petroleum aliphatic carbon fraction class C19-C36; phenol; selenium; styrene; toluene).
• The standard for twelve substances was made less stringent (acetone, boron; butylbenzyl phthalate; 1, 2-dibromo-3-chloropropane; 1,4-dichlorobenzene; 1,2-dichloropropane; 1,3-dichloropropene; ethylene dibromide; 2-methylnaphthalene; 3-methylphenol; 4-methyphenol; vinyl chloride).
• The chemical names for ten substances were updated to the term most commonly used by analytical laboratories and EPA databases as follows:
  • Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is now listed as bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate;
  • Di-n-butyl phthalate is now listed as dibutyl phthalate (di-n-butyl phthalate);
  • Orthodichlorobenzene is now listed as 1,2 dichlorobenzene (orthodichlorobenzene);
  • Metadichlorobenzene is now listed 1,3 dichlorobenzene (metadichlorobenzene);
  • Paradichlorobenzene is now listed as 1,4 dichlorobenzene (paradichlorobenzene);
  • Cis-1,2-dichloroethene is now listed as 1,2-dichloroethene (cis);
  • trans-1,2-dichloroethene is now listed as 1,2-dichloroethene (trans);
  • p-dioxane is now listed as 1,4-dioxane (p-dioxane);
  • Diphenyl is now listed as 1,1-diphenyl (1,1-biphenyl);
  • Endosulfan II is now listed as endosulfan because the standard is based on a technical mixture of alpha and beta isomers (endosulfan II is the beta isomer).

The revised 15A NCAC 02L .0202 rule is located on the Division of Water Quality’s Web site at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/ps/csu/rules.  It will be available in the NC Administrative Code in January 2010 at http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac.asp.
 

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Aquifer Protection Section :: Organization

The Aquifer Protection Section consists of personnel in five Central Office Units and seven Regional Offices.  The duties and responsibilities of each include:

• Animal Feeding Operations Unit - Responsible for the oversight of animal waste systems in accordance with federal and state rules and regulations.
• Groundwater Investigation Unit - This is the Division of Water Quality's drill team, and they assist in the characterization of the state's groundwater aquifers and investigate contamination cases.
• Groundwater Planning Unit - Conducts invesigations and monitoring to aid in the prevention of groundwater pollution, to protect public heath and the environment, and to promote efficient and effective response to environmental emergencies.
• Groundwater Protection Unit - Focuses on the prevention and investigation of instances of groundwater contamination, groundwater remediation permitting and compliance, as well as technical support for well construction.
• Land Application Unit - Permits and performs compliance of wasewater treatment and various non-discharge disposal systems, such as wastewater irrigation, single-family residence wastewater irrigation, high-rate infiltration, reclaimed water utilization and closed-loop recycle systems.  The unit is also responsible for the permitting and documenting compliance of the distribution and land application of residuals.
• Regional Offices - Performs inspections of all non-discharge wastewater treatment and disposal systems, as well as investigates compliance issues and pollution incidents.

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Aquifer Protection Section :: Policies and Memorandums

Table 1 - Policies

Table 2 - Memorandums 

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