SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

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CENTRAL VALLAREGIONAL WATER QUALIP CONTROL BOARD INSPECTION REPORT DATE PREPARED: 29 September 2005 DISCHARGER: California Concentrate LOCATION AND COUNTY: Acampo, San Joaquin County CONTACT(S): Andy Alexander, Owner INSPECTION DATE: 20 September 2005 INSPECTED BY: Tim O'Brien, Mark List ACCOMPANIED BY: Jackie Gifford OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS: The site inspection was performed unannounced in response to several objectionable odor complaints staff had received from residents of the adjacent Mokelumne River Resort (MRR). Upon arriving at MRR, the objectionable odor was immediately noticeable. Staff then proceeded to California Concentrate's offices. Jackie Gifford escorted us during the site inspection. During the visit the Discharger was crushing and processing grapes. The product that is manufactured is grape juice concentrate. There was no processing of malted barley extract. The grape concentrate process includes crushing grapes and heating the juice to create a concentrate that is placed in barrels or cans. A boiler is used to produce heat for the evaporation. Boiler feed water is treated with ion exchange water softening treatment. No objectionable odors were noted during the processing facility inspection. However, the use of a boiler and ion exchange water treatment will result in higher concentrations of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the wastewater. A new building houses oak barrel aged wine vinegar. The wine vinegar is purchased in bulk and placed in the oak barrels at the site. The barrels are stored in a building that is cooled by a Baltimore Air Coil cooling tower that was noted at the facility. Water was observed draining from the BAC cooling tower into a drain that goes to the wastewater system. Ms. Gifford did not know if the cooling system was closed loop or not. Closed loop systems produce low TDS condensation; evaporative cooling systems produce wastewater with evapo-concentrated TDS wastewater. No objectionable odors were noted at the wine vinegar storage or cooling tower but the use of an evaporative cooling system will result in higher concentrations of TDS in wastewater. The Aeration Pond (see attached figure) was inspected and a measurement of Dissolved Oxygen(DO) was collected. Staff s measurement indicated 7.27 mg/L of DO when measured within one-foot of the surface at 8:50 am. At the time of the Aeration Pond measurement, the brush style aerator automatically started. A DO meter that is installed in the pond at an unknown depth controls the aerator. No odor was noted at the Aeration Pond at the time of the inspection. Staff inspected the Geohring Pond, which appeared to contain approximately one foot of wastewater. The wastewater depth is estimated from the pond slope. A strong objectionable odor was noted emanating from the Geohring Pond and bubbles were observed coming to the surface of the pond. It was determined that the Geohring Pond was overloaded with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) constituents and 1