Record · Inspections & compliance reviews
Lima WWTP
edoc-1952887
Fields
agency
Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water
district
Central Office / Northwest District Office
program
NPDES
inspection_type
Nine Minimum Control Implementation/Combined Sewer Overflow Inspection
type_code
CSO/NMC
facility
Lima WWTP
facility_address
1200 Fort Amanda Road, Lima, Ohio 45804
permit_no
2PE00000
npdes_id
OH0026069
county
Allen
inspection_date
2022-06-09
report_date
2022-08-01
entry_time
11:00 am
exit_time
3:30 pm
significant_noncompliance
—
units_in_service
—
summary
On June 9, 2022, Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water staff conducted a Nine Minimum Controls/Combined Sewer Overflow inspection of the Lima WWTP and collection system to assess compliance with the NPDES permit and the City's federal Consent Decree obligations. The inspection found that the City is in compliance with permit requirements for implementation of the Nine Minimum Controls. Three advisory recommendations were issued regarding the CSO 008 weir wall integrity, missing public notification signs at Ottawa River CSOs, and development of a hydraulic model to predict CSO and SSO occurrence and volume.
note
—
inspectors
- David Brumbaugh, Environmental Specialist III, NPDES, Ohio EPA Central Office, Division of Surface Water
- Ryan Gierhart, P.E., Environmental Specialist III, NPDES, Ohio EPA Northwest District Office, Division of Surface Water
- Peggy Christie, Ohio EPA – DSW/NWDO
facility_representatives
- Kim Furry, WWTP Manager
- Eric Bontrager, Environmental Compliance Manager
- Shawn Dershem, Assistant Supervisor
observations
- kind finding
- text Proper operation & regular maintenance programs for the sewer system and CSOs. Staff employed by the City operate and maintain the WWTP and collection system. All CSOs are inspected quarterly during dry weather and after rains of ¼" or more. All 32 pump stations are inspected at least weekly, equipped with alarms, backup power connections, and monitored via SCADA. Per the CD, the City has a schedule to inspect the full collection system every 8-10 years, including jet-cleaning and camera work. Maintenance is tracked through daily log books which are scanned for retention and summarized in monthly reports. The City developed and is implementing a CMOM program and has also developed a CSO Operational Plan.
- number 1
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Maximize use of the collection system for storage. The City has recently installed a 13-MG equalization basin and utilizes approximately 3-MG of interceptor in-line storage prior to activation of the main five CSO structures. The five main CSOs have flapgates and CSO 008 has a check valve to prevent river water intrusion. Many of the overflow weirs have been set to appropriate elevations. The weir wall at CSO 008 (Baxter Street) is tall but appears to have buckled, perhaps allowing discharge below the top of the weir wall.
- number 2
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Review and modification of pretreatment requirements to assure CSO impacts are minimized. The City maintains a pretreatment program for 21 industrial users (IUs). All permits for batch-discharging IUs include conditions for wet weather. Ford is a batch discharger that withholds flow during wet weather. P&G must request permission from the City to contribute flow to the system during a precipitation event.
- number 3
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Maximize flow at the WWTP for treatment. The Lima WWTP is an activated sludge facility with an average daily design flow of 18.5 MGD. The permittee has recently developed and implemented the Lima WWTP Flow Maximization Plan (FMP), approved by U.S. EPA on March 2, 2022. The WWTP has several wet weather operation modes depending on influent flow rate, up to a maximum peak flow of 70 MGD including partially-treated bypass.
- number 4
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Prohibition of CSOs during dry weather. All known CSOs and SSOs are inspected quarterly. If a dry weather overflow is observed, a crew is dispatched to investigate and remove debris if necessary. Screens at the five main CSOs and the storage basin are cleaned if debris accumulation threatens to blind the screens.
- number 5
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Control of solid and floatable materials in CSOs. The City implements a program for regular cleaning of the sewer system, with a CD requirement to camera and jet the full system every 8-10 years with a goal of 15,000 LF per day. The five main CSOs and the storage basin are equipped with screens to minimize the discharge of debris.
- number 6
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Pollution prevention. The City operates street cleaning and leaf removal operations. Catch basins are inspected regularly and cleaned when needed. The City collaborates with Allen County Health Department for hazardous waste control and proper mercury removal.
- number 7
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Public Notification to ensure that the public receives adequate notification of CSO occurrences and impacts. The City's CSO Public Notification Plan was approved by Ohio EPA on October 19, 2018. Activation notifications and an annual report are posted to the City's website, and emails are sent to designated individuals. Signs are placed at CSOs, though the signs at a few of the five main CSOs were observed to be missing during the inspection. The City collaborates with the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Ottawa River Coalition to produce educational materials.
- number 8
- deadline —
- kind finding
- text Monitoring to effectively characterize CSO impacts and the efficacy of CSO controls. Discharge occurrence and volume at the five main CSOs is monitored using level sensors. Occurrences at all other CSOs and SSOs are monitored using a floating block mechanism. TSS and CBOD5 is monitored at the five main CSOs. The City has eight rain gauges. The City is currently implementing a flow metering project to facilitate development and calibration of a hydraulic model of the collection system.
- number 9
- deadline —
- kind recommendation
- text Investigate the integrity of the weir wall at CSO 008.
- number 1
- deadline —
- kind recommendation
- text Replace the missing signs at CSOs on the Ottawa River.
- number 2
- deadline —
- kind recommendation
- text Develop the hydraulic model such that CSO occurrence and volume may be predicted for all CSOs and SSOs.
- number 3
- deadline —
⚠ Gaps in the record
- The permit number printed in the letter body is '2PE000000*ND' (with an extra zero) while the Re: block and Section A of the form show '2PE00000*ND'; the NPDES ID OH0026069 is taken from the form's Section A. The significant_noncompliance field is left null because the attached form's Sig. Non-Compliance box is not visible/printed in the provided document pages.
- OCR layer notes unreliable digit reads; all key numbers verified against image.
Where it connects
oepa/lima/edoc-1952887.inspection.yaml · p.1 · oepa