Please join Gunpowder Riverkeeper in attending the Virtual Hearing for MDE’s Hampstead Wastewater Treatment Plant Discharge Permit. Listed Below are links to the hearing and the original document.
From MDE:
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WATER AND SCIENCE ADMINISTRATION
NOTICE OF TENTATIVE DETERMINATION AND PUBLIC HEARING
Carroll County
Application for State Discharge Permit 22DP0594, NDPES Permit MD0022446:
Carroll County Government—Bureau of Utilities, 225 North Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157, applied for renewal of the permit to discharge an average of 0.90 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated municipal wastewater from the Hampstead Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), located at 4455 North Woods Trail, Hampstead, MD 21074, into the Piney Run. The Piney Run is designated as Use III-P, non-tidal cold water, and it is protected for the growth and propagation of trout, other cold-water aquatic life, and water supply. Additionally, according to the agreement between the Carroll County Government – Bureau of Utilities and BTR Hampstead, LLC, BTR Hampstead (Permit No 22DP0022) discharges up to 0.010 MGD of domestic sanitary wastewater to the Hampstead WWTP for treatment and receives up to 0.6 MGD of treated wastewater back from Hampstead WWTP. The permitted quantity of effluent discharge, up to 0.90 MGD, is monitored at Monitoring Point (MP) 101A before the treated wastewater is split, with up to 0.55 MGD discharged via Outfall 001A into Piney Run and up to 0.60 MGD via Outfall 002A (Pump Station directing effluent to BTR Hampstead) to mix with remediated groundwater treated by BTR Hampstead, which is subsequently conveyed through BTR Hampstead’s Outfall into the unnamed tributary of Deep Run.
The Department is proposing a Tentative Determination (TD) to reissue the discharge permit with the following effluent limitations: At Outfall 001A for discharge up to 0.55 MGD: BOD5, 20 mg/l maximum monthly arithmetic mean, 30 mg/l maximum weekly arithmetic mean for summer (5/1-9/30) period and 30 mg/l maximum monthly arithmetic mean, 45 mg/l maximum weekly arithmetic mean for winter (10/1-11/30) period ; Total Suspended Solid (TSS), 30 mg/l maximum monthly arithmetic mean, 45 mg/l maximum weekly arithmetic mean; BOD5 and TSS percent removal efficiency, 85% minimum monthly average; Total ammonia nitrogen as N (Interim Limits), 1.0 mg/l monthly arithmetic mean and 2.0 mg/l daily maximum for summer period (5/1- 9/30), and 1.6 mg/l monthly arithmetic mean and 3.4 mg/l daily maximum for winter period (10/1- 4/30); Total ammonia nitrogen as N (Final Limits), 0.5 mg/l monthly arithmetic mean and 1.9 mg/l daily maximum for summer period (5/1- 9/30), and 0.6 mg/l monthly arithmetic mean and 2.5 mg/l daily maximum for winter period (10/1- 4/30); Total Phosphorus as P (TP), 0.30 mg/l maximum monthly arithmetic mean, 0.45 mg/l maximum weekly arithmetic mean; Dissolved Oxygen (DO), 6.0 mg/l minimum at any time; E. coli, 126 MPN/100 ml maximum monthly geometric mean value; pH maintained between 6.5 and 8.5; total residual chlorine, chlorine or any chlorine containing compound in the treatment of wastewater at the Hampstead WWTP is prohibited. Total ammonia nitrogen as N interim limits shall be applicable upon the discharge permit issuance and will remain in effect until the final effluent ammonia limits become effective. Total ammonia nitrogen as N final limits shall be applicable twelve (12) months after the effective date of this discharge permit, and they will remain in effect for the rest of the permit cycle.
At MP 101A for discharge up to 0.90 MGD: TSS, 82,000 lbs/yr maximum annual loading rate; TP, 822 lbs/yr maximum annual loading rate; and TN, 10,964 lbs/yr maximum annual loading rate. This permit is in conformance with the “Chesapeake Bay TMDL for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sediment” approved by USEPA on December 29, 2010. The bacteria TMDL for Loch Raven Reservoir (LRR) sub-watershed, approved by the EPA on 12/3/2009, has allocated 1,567 billion MPN E. coli per year to this facility. The E. coli limit of 126/100ml is in conformance with this TMDL. The nutrient and sediment TMDLs for the LRR sub-watershed, approved by EPA on 3/27/2007, have allocated 823 pounds/year for TP and 41 tons/year (82,000 pounds/year) for TSS to this facility. The permit limits for TSS and TP are in conformance with the TMDL.
The public hearing documents, including the permit application, draft permit, and Summary Report & Fact Sheets (SRFS), are available on MDE’s website at https://mdewwp.page.link/WWPPortal. Search for “22DP0594” under “State Num” and click on the “More Info” button for the permit entry of your interest to generate a list of available documents for download.
The Department has scheduled a virtual public hearing on the tentative determination for the above permit for Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. using an online platform, Google Meet. To participate online, you must register by following the instructions on the MDE webpage at the following link: https://mdewwp.page.link/PublicMeetings. Alternatively, those who want to monitor the virtual hearing via telephone (via listen-only mode) can call 1-573-621-2478 and enter this PIN: 705-491-431#. The hearing will be recorded and transcribed.
Persons who wish to present information regarding the tentative determination may speak at the public hearing, submit written comments at the public hearing, or submit a written statement to the Department no later than 5 p.m. on April 2, 2025. All comments will be considered in making a final determination. Comments received via any submission mechanism will all be given equal weight.
Written comments should be addressed to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water and Science Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708, Attn.: Mr. Yen-Der Cheng, Chief, Municipal Permits Division. The supporting information for the tentative determination, including the draft permit and fact sheet, may be reviewed by contacting Mr. Cheng at the above address or by telephone at (410) 537-3363 or 1-800-633-6101 to schedule an appointment. Copies of documents may be procured at a cost of $0.36 per page. Any hearing-impaired person may request an interpreter to be present at the public hearing by giving ten working days notice to Mr. Cheng at the address or telephone number listed above.
To Be Published on: February 19 and 26, 2025
Link to the Hampstead Wastewater Treatment Plant Hearing: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSePi5MIcli_T_v9s02Tsn1hxT72tkdLRn-8fm9riDYoUrjowA/viewform?usp=dialog.
Link to MDE public meeting page (other hearings can be attended here): Public Meetings for select Discharge/NPDES Permits
Link for the letter in question: https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/permits/WaterManagementPermits/Documents/WWPP-IDP-Notices/22DP0594-PHNotice.pdf