Municipal testing for permits and operations

(a) The provisions of this Section are minimum requirements. (b) Results of all control tests must be made available to plant operators in a timely fashion for use in operational control of the facility. (c) All plants must determine the daily flow and enter it in the operating records at the frequency specified in the permit. Flow measurements are also necessary when composite samples are collected. For plants not equipped with continuous flow recorders, occasional determinations of the flow over a 24-hour period will be necessary to establish a flow pattern so that occasional flow measurements will provide an indication of the total flow. (d) Minimum control tests are tabulated in Appendix A of this Chapter, entitled, "Minimum Control Tests for Wastewater Treatment Facilities" and Appendix G of this Chapter, entitled, "Monitoring Frequencies for Backwash Discharge from Potable Water Treatment Facilities." In addition to these tests, routine observations, tests or measurements as to the quantity and quality of screenings, grit, sludge pumped from clarifiers, sludge/residuals drawn to drying beds or other means of disposal, the weather conditions must be entered in the operating records. The Executive Director may require that all effluent samples be collected from the outfall pipe at the point of discharge where conditions are such that the effluent quality will likely be different at this point than it is in the final treatment or storage unit. (e) When required in a municipal facility's discharge permit, stream monitoring samples shall be collected instream above and below the point of wastewater discharge with consideration to the following factors: ease of access, mixing of plant effluent and the receiving stream, and the oxygen "sag" point of the receiving stream. (1) Determine dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and stream appearance twice per month at least two weeks apart, but not more often than required in the permit for effluent sampling for BOD5. (2) Test for indicator bacteria twice per month at least 2two weeks apart, but not more often than required in the permit for effluent sampling for bacteria, if the permit for discharge contains bacteria limits. (3) The DEQ may require additional tests when problems develop in plant operation, or as necessary to determine compliance with the purposes and objectives of this Chapter. (f) The Executive Director may grant variances from the requirements in this Section upon a written request and a showing by the permittee that the requested variance will: (1) Not adversely affect the quality of the discharge or the environment; (2) Avoid an excessive requirement; and (3) Not hinder the proper operations of the treatment facility.