15A NCAC 18C .1303 FACILITY OVERSIGHT

(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.

(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;

(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;

(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.

History Note: 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.