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CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD CENTRAL VALLEY REGION ORDER NO. R5-2003-0124 CEASE AND DESIST ORDER REQUIRING CITY OF ESCALON ESCALON WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY TO CEASE AND DESIST FROM DISCHARGING CONTRARY TO REQUIREMENTS The Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region, (hereafter referred to as "Regional Board") finds that: 1. Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) Order No. 5-00-142, adopted by the Regional Board on 16 May 2000, prescribes requirements for the domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plant owned and operated by the City of Escalon (hereafter referred to as "Discharger"). 2. The City of Escalon Wastewater Treatment Plant is in San Joaquin County in Sections 17 and 20, T2S, R9E, MDB&M, at 25100 West River Road. The facility is on Assessor's Parcel Numbers 247-090-36 and 247-090-38, which are both owned by the City of Escalon. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND SITE CONDITIONS 3. The WWTP treats industrial wastewater generated by vegetable processing industries and domestic wastewater generated by the City of Escalon. The treatment process consists of screening and discharge to mechanically aerated treatment ponds, followed by discharge to evaporation/percolation ponds. 4. The industrial and domestic wastewater flows are delivered to the plant in separate pipes, are treated in separate ponds, and are discharged to separate evaporation/percolation ponds. Stormwater from a limited portion of the City of Escalon is piped to the facility and is discharged to the industrial ponds. 5. The Discharger treats domestic wastewater in five treatment ponds, all of which are mechanically aerated. The domestic wastewater is disposed in two evaporation/percolation ponds (Nos. 21 and 24). The Discharger treats industrial wastewater in four treatment ponds, all of which are mechanically aerated. The industrial wastewater is then discharged to nine evaporation/ percolation ponds. 6. The Discharger allows the industrial wastewater ponds to dry completely prior to initiation of the industrial wastewater generation season. The ponds are disced and ripped annually to maintain percolation rates. 7. Industrial dischargers consist of Escalon Premier Brand (tomato canner) and Eckert Cold Storage (frozen pepper processor). The industrial dischargers' processing season is from approximately May through December. The industrial dischargers presently screen their wastewater to remove solids prior to discharge to the WWTP. 8. Industrial wastewater is characterized by high concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand. Escalon Premier Brands added tomato-peeling equipment in 1999, which resulted in additional flow and increased biochemical oxygen demand.