SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

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WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS -3- SIMPSON INVESTMENT COMPANY AND SIMPSON PAPER COMPANY RIPON MILL SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY b. The Discharger has purchased a Superstill Model S-1000 PVC (concentrator) to increase the concentration of the regeneration brine waste from the water softeners to 25 percent solids. The concentrated solution will be stored in a tank and trucked off-site for reuse as a brine solution by another company. This will completely eliminate the TDS from water softener regeneration and will enable recovery of about 12,000 gallons per day of purified water. C. The Discharger plans to replace its three existing water supply wells (Wells No. 1, 2, 3), which are screened in the upper, intermediate and lower zones. The Discharger will replace these wells with four water supply wells (Wells No. 4, 5, 6, 7) screened only in the intermediate zone. The Discharger believes this will reduce the TDS in their wastewater to 1100 mg/l and eliminate the cross- contamination of salt into the deeper zones from the semi-perched zones. 10. Background water quality at the site is difficult to ascertain due to a plume of pollutants to the north of the site, which originates from the Nestle facility. Also, to the west of the site, the City of Ripon discharges both domestic and industrial wastewater to percolation ponds. Recharge from the Stanislaus River is of very high quality. 11. The ground water model looked at the semi-perched aquifer zone, the upper aquifer zone, and an intermediate aquifer zone. The semi-perched zone had an average TDS of 938 mg/l; the upper aquifer had an average TDS of 566 mg/1; and the intermediate aquifer had an average TDS of 422 mg/l. Over a five-year period, the model predicts that TDS in the semi-perched zone will improve as a result of the lowered TDS in the plant discharge. A report discussing the effect of the discharge on TDS in the three water-bearing zones is due in 1998 and every five years thereafter. 12. Following extensive ground water modeling, the Discharger's consultant David A. Lawrence, C.E.G. 618, stated in a letter, dated 21 September 1992, that Simpson's discharge at 1100 mg/l is not a designated waste and will not cause degradation of the waters of the State of California beyond ambient environmental conditions. The Discharger will continue ground water monitoring to confirm that its discharge is not impacting or degrading ground water. 13. The beneficial uses of the Stanislaus River and downstream waters are municipal, industrial, and agricultural supply; recreation; esthetic enjoyment; navigation; and preservation and enhancement of fish, wildlife and other aquatic resources. 14. The beneficial uses of the ground water are municipal, industrial, and agricultural supply.