SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

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INFORMATION SHEET • • 6 MUSCO FAMILY OLIVE COMPANY AND THE STUDLEY COMPANY WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 22-percent of samples collected in the Field 55 East and Field 55 West (55 acres total) may be impacted by the wastewater application and 28-percent of the samples collected in Field 95 (95 acres) may be impacted. The report stated that the high concentration of sodium in the wastewater has the potential to reduce the already low permeability of the soil permeability. Pan lysimeters are required to allow measurement of percolate quality. If percolate quality is worse than background groundwater quality, additional source control or better cropping will be required. Staff s derivation of certain Discharge Specifications and Limitations contained in this Order is discussed below. Discharge Prohibition A.3 This prohibition restricts discharge of percolate from the Land Treatment Unit(LTU) of waste classified as hazardous or designated. This restriction is necessary to protect groundwater quality. Discharge Prohibition A.6 This prohibition requires each land application area to be equipped with a tailwater/runoff control system to prevent discharge of wastewater to the natural surface water drainage. This prohibition is necessary to protect surface water quality. The Discharger historically has not been able to prevent wastewater from discharging off the facility property but has stated that the construction of the 114-million gallon storage pond will allow control of the discharge to only uncontaminated stormwater. The Discharger has provided a Draft Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan to the Regional Board; but staff has determined the report is incomplete and requested additional information. The Discharger has proposed allowing diversion of stormwater around the 114-million gallon storage pond, however it has failed to present specific criteria to evaluate the acceptability of such a discharge. In addition, the Discharger has not presented an evaluation of the wastewater application areas and the potential for mixing stormwater with wastewater in runoff proposed for diversion. It is noted that the Discharger has requested permission to apply wastewater during rain events. Staff is concerned that due to low permeability rates, applied wastewater will run off the land application areas and could be diverted around the 114-million gallon storage pond. Until the watershed evaluation is completed, specific criteria on diversion is presented to the Regional Board, and the Executive Officer approves the criteria, all diversions are prohibited. Discharge Prohibition A.10 This prohibition prohibits industrial wastewater from being applied above the septic system leach lines or seepage pits. Application of wastewater over a leach line/seepage pit can result in wastewater infiltrating the leach lines and traveling to the seepage pits where it can be transported vertically to lower zones with little or no treatment. Discharge Specification B.3 This specification limits discharge of wastewater or other waste constituent to storage ponds, storage areas, or land application areas at concentrations that can cause a violation of the Groundwater Limitations. The Groundwater Limitations states the discharge shall not cause underlying groundwater to contain waste constituents in concentrations statistically greater then background water quality.