.. 

3.0 

4 

Name, Location, and Phone of Facility Inspected 

181ves DNo 

Section 8: Facilit 

Southwest Suburban Sewer District- Salmon Creek WWTP 

12550 Shorewood Drive SW 

Burien, WA 98146 King County 

Name(s)!Title(s) of On-Site Representative(s) 

Terry Hoefle- Operations Supervisor 

Name, Address, Title, Phone, and Fax Number of Responsible Official 

Mr. Steve Sandelius, General Manager 

431 SW Ambaum Blvd 

Burien, WA 98166 

Phone Number 206-244-9575 Fax 

Section C: Areas Evaluated Durin 

DYes 181No 

Entry Time 

10:30 AM 

Exit Time 

12:35 AM 

Other Facility Data 

Alison Evans, Carl Jones 

Permit Effective Date 

06/30/08 

Permit Expiration Date 

6/30/13 

181 Permit 181 Flow Measurement 181 Operations & Maintenance D CSO/SSO (Sewer Overflow) 

D Records/Reports 

181 Facility Site Review 

181 EffluenUReceivin Water 

I. Introduction 

. 181 Self-Monitoring Program 

D Compliance Schedules 

D Laborato 

181 Sludge Handling/Disposal D Pollution Prevention 

D Pretreatment D Multimedia 

D Storm Water D Other 

Section 0 : Summary of Find in s/Comments 

A regional Class I inspection was conducted at the Southwest Suburban Sewer District - Salmon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant 

(WWTP) on January 26, 2009. Alison Evans (NWRO WQ Municipal Unit) and Carl Jones (SWRO WQ Outreach Operator Trainer) 

conducted the inspection with assistance from Terry Hoefle and Tim Berge. Prior notification of the inspection was given. 

The Salmon Creek WWTP is located in Burien in King County and it receives residential and a small amount of commercial sewage from 

White Center, Shorewood, Fauntleroy, Arbor Heights, Delridge, Highland Park, Seahurst, and Burien. There are no major industrial 

contributors to this plant and this plant does not accept hauled septage. The current wet weather average monthly flow to the facility is 

approximately 3.6 MGD; the max month design for the facility is 8.1 MGD. 1/1 is not a significant problem. Flows have not increased in 

recent years; in fact they have decreased slightly due to water conservation and Ill improvements. No significant future growth is expected. 

The original plant was constructed in 1955 and was upgraded to secondary treatment in 1988. Virtually all parts of the plant are covered. 

Treatment consists of screening, grit removal, primary clarification, biological treatment with rotating biological contactors (RBCs), 

secondary clarification, and chlorine disinfection. Treated effluent discharges to the Puget Sound via a deep marine outfall with a diffuser. 

Alison arranged this visit to meet the staff and to become acquainted with the facility. While onsite, Alison and Carl also fulfilled the Class I 

inspection requirements by conducting a site inspection and assessing the permittee's self-monitoring procedures. 

II. Results and Discussion 

The Salmon Creek WWTP collection system includes several pump stations, three siphon lines and one main influent line to the treatment 

plant which all discharge to the main influent box where influent samples are taken. Plant piping was recently modified in the vicinity of the 

headworks to allow sampling upstream of the recirculated flows within the plant. 

The plant headworks includes two fine mesh Parkson MEVA (Hycor) 1/4-inch dual step Rotoscreens. These units each have a peak flow 

capacity of 10 MGD. Screenings are washed , bagged and transported to a landfill for disposal. Wastewater then passes through four grit 

channels; grit is transferred to a hopper then to a truck for disposal. 

After the headworks, water enters three paralle11 million gallon rectangular primary clarifiers. All three units were online during our visit; 

typically only two are used in the summer. These units are cleaned annually. The discharge wier of the primary clarifiers includes an 

overflow weir that diverts flows in excess of 8.2 mgd around the RBCs and secondary clarifiers. These bypassed flows co-mingle with 

secondaril treated water rior to disinfection. 
_. RBC RBC RBC RBC RBC RBC Secondary Cl Contact 1 c'""" lr( T'"k 

L-__,,..-___. c1 

,. 

solids: • land applied near WatetVille, WA 

to Puget f-. Sound 

Outfall 

After the RBC trains, wastewater enters two large, 70' diameter, secondary clarifiers. The circular effluent launders are located in the outer 

parts of the tanks with double-sided v-notch weirs. The clarifiers are taken down for servicing approximately every six months during 

periods of low flow. 

Effluent from the secondary clarifiers is then disinfected using liquid chlorine. Chlorine is injected into a flash mixer using a flow-paced 

Nalco pump. The chlorine contact chamber consists of two rectangular basins, each 80 x 20 feet in size, with additional solids removed with 

flight skimmers. The final effluent discharges to a deep marine outfall with diffuser. 

Solids: Secondary sludge from the secondary clarifiers is returned to the primary clarifier distribution box. Primary sludge is concentrated in 

a covered thickener, then pumped to a heated primary anaerobic digester with floating cover, then pumped to a secondary (unheated) 

anaerobic digester. Gas from the anaerobic digestion is used to heat and mix the digester. Odors are controlled using an air scrubber tower 

with hypochlorite generated onsite. This facility creates sodium hypochlorite by subjecting a salt solution to an electric current. In addition to 

odor control, this hypochlorite is used for effluent disinfection. A belt filter press is operated approximatey three times per week to 

concentrate the digested sludge, and the final product is then distributed to several final destinations (one of which is the Miller Creek 

treatment plant for composting). 

Odor Control System: The facility has two odor control systems; one for the headworks and solids thickener, and another for the rest of the 

plant. The tw<:>-phase odor scrubbers use sulfuric acid, sodium hypochlorite, and caustic soda to eliminate malodorous gases. 

Flow Measurement: Flow is measured after the chlorine contact chamber using a Miltronics Ultrasonic meter over a Parshall Flume. 

Sampling: The time-paced influent sample is pulled immediately before the headworks (upstream of any return flows) using a Manning 

Sampler. The time-paced effluent sample is pulled after the chlorine contact chamber. 

Backup Power and Alarms: Backup power is available from a Kohler emergency diesel standby generator which is tested under load 

monthly and runs all necessary equipment in the treatment plant. Spare parts are kept onsite. The 1000 gallon fuel storage tank provides 

72 hours of emergency operation. 

An auto-dialer alarm system notifies the on-call workers of any of the following events: power outage, back-up power failure, wet-well high 

level, equipment failure, screw press shut down, and intrusion. All lift stations except one have automatically-activated back-up power 

generators that are tested monthly. Each lift station also has an auto-alarm that calls out for power outages and high sump levels. 

There is no alarm for disinfection failure. 

Staffing: Plant staff includes four certified operators: Terry Hoefle (Group 4), Darren Hill (Group 3), Micah Steinbauer (Group 4), and 

Steven Abegglen (Group 1). The plant is fully staffed 5 days a week and for about 2.5 hours on Saturday and Sunday. 

Bypass Scenario: For peak hour flows >8.2 MGD, wastewater bypasses RBCs and secondary clarifiers. Bypasses occur approximately 1-

2 times each year. The facility does not currently report bypasses to Ecology; they report average daily flows on their DMRs. Ecology needs 

peak hour flows to assess the occurrences of bypasses. 

Ill: Ill is not a big problem for this facility. 

Records and Laboratory Review. We did not review copies of the permit or records during this visit. The WWTP has completed the 

De artment of Ecolo 's Laborato Accreditation Pro ram. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 2 of 11 Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
- DOH Shellfish: 1-360-236-3330 (business hours) or 1-360-786-4183 (24 hours). 

Include information about the treatment processes bypassed, and bypass duration and volume. 

Upcoming Permit Requirements: The permit requires temperature reporting starting January 2010, a sediment sampling and analysis plant 

by March 2010, a sediment report by April 2011 ,and an 1/1 Evaluation by October 2011. 

Please contact Alison Evans (425-649-7160) with permit related questions, Carl Jones (360-407-6431) with operation-related questions, 

and Amy Jankowiak (425-649-7195) with any compliance-related questions. 

Attachments: photos 

Copies to: Alison Evans, Facility Manager, NWRO 

Tricia Miller, Permit Coordinator, NWRO Tim Berge, District Operations Supervisor 

Name(s) and Signatures of lnspector(s) 

AlisonEvans 

Name and Signature of Management QA Reviewer 

Amy Jankowiak, Municipal Compliance, NWRO 

Carl Jones, Outreach Operator Trainer, SWRO, e-copy only Central Files, Salmon Creek WQ 6.1 

Agency/Office/Telephone 

WA Dept. of Ecology, NWRO, (425)649-7160 

3190 160th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98008-5452 

Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers 

WA Dept. of Ecology, NWRO, (425)649-7207 

3190 160th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98008-5452 

Date 

Z/tctl oq 

Date 

ANNOUNCED Inspection 

9.00 

- Flow 

8.00 

--- 65% ofDeslgn limit 

7.00 •··· •·•·· Desl gn limit 

Q 6.00 

(.!) 

::& 

Q 

5.00 

u: 

... 

c 4.00 

41 

e 

w 3.00 

2.00 

1.00 

0.00 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 3 of 11 

--

·- · --;;;;- -- ,-

-Inspected by Errorl Reference source not found. · 
C Enforcement Case Support I Reconnaissance 

D Multimedia J Site Visit E Pretreatment Compliance Inspection K Other 

F Compliance Evaluation (non sampling) Follow-up 

Inspector Code: Use one of the codes listed below to describe the lead agency in the inspection: 

E - Ecology Inspector L - Joint Ecology/Laboratory Accreditation Inspectors- Ecology Lead H - Joint Ecology/Health- Ecology Lead T - Joint EPNEcology Inspectors- EPA Lead 

J - Joint Ecology/EPA Inspectors- Ecology Lead C - Contractor or Other Inspectors (Specify in Remarks Columns) 

Facility Type: Use of one of the choices below to describe the facility. 

Public- Municipal Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) 

Private - Municipal Privately Owned Treatment Works 

Remarks: These columns are reserved for remarks. 

Inspection Work Days.: Estimate the total work effort (to the nearest 0.1 work day}, up to 99.9 days, that were used to complete the inspection. This 

estimate includes the accumulative effort of all participating inspectors; any effort for laboratory analyses, testing, travel time and preparation time. This 

estimate does not require detailed documentation. 

Facility Evaluation Rating: Use information gathered during the inspection (regardless of inspection type) to evaluate the quality of the facility selfmonitoring program. Grade the program using a scale of 1 to 5 with a score of 5 being used for very reliable self-monitoring programs, 3 being satisfactory, 

and 1 being used for very unreliable programs. 

Photos Taken: Yes or No 

Samples Taken: Yes or No 

Lead Ecology Inspector: Enter lead inspector's name 

Section 8 : Facility Data 

This section is self-explanatory except for: "Other Facility Data," which may include new information not in the p'ermit or PCS (e.g., new outfalls, names of 

receiving waters, new ownership, and other updates to the record), e-mail addresses ... ; and "Ecology Staff On-Site", which may include staff names, titles, 

phone numbers, or e-mail addresses. 

Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection 

Check only those areas evaluated by marking the appropriate box. Use Section D and additional sheets as necessary. 

Section D: Summary of Findings/Comments 

Support the findings, as necessary, in a narrative report. Use the headings given on the report form (staffing, back-up power) as appropriate. 

Reference a list of attachments, such as completed checklists, photos, lab reports, etc. Use extra sheets as necessary. 

LINKS AND INFORMATION 

"Informational Manual for Treatment Plant Operators"; February 2004; by the Department of Ecology Publication Number 04-10-020: 

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0410020.pdf The manual was prepared to help wastewater treatment plant operators complete and submit 

their Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and other annual reports to the Department of Ecology. To request a hard copy, contact the 

Department of Ecology, Publications Distribution Center at P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600 or at (360) 407-7472. Updates to the 

manual are included on the website version. 

Ecology's Wastewater and Reuse website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/wastewater/index.html 

Ecology's Operator Certification website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wg/wastewater/op cert/index.html 

Ecology's Laboratory Accreditation website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/labs/labs main.html Ecology's Biosolids website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/biosolids/ 

Ecology's Operator Outreach: Carl Jones (360) 407-6431; cjon461 @ecy.wa.gov 

Ecology's Municipal Compliance Specialist (Northwest Regional Office): Amy Jankowiak (425) 649-7195; ajan461 @ecy.wa.gov Ecology's Wastewater Operator Certification Coordinator: Poppy Carre (360) 407-6449; 1-800-633-6193 (within the state) 

poca461 @ecy.wa.gov 

Ecology's Biosolids Coordinator (Northwest Regional Office)" Marietta Sharp (425) 649-7258 mars461@ecy.wa.gov 

Reporting Spills/Overflows/Upsets/Bypasses/Loss of Disinfection IMMEDIATELY: 

Ecology's 24-hour number: (425) 649-7000 to report a spill 

Department of Health- Shellfish Program 24-hour number: (360) 236-3330 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 4 of 11 Inspected 01/26/09 by Errorl Reference source not found. 
PHOTO # :01 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: OPERATOR CERTIFICATIONS. 

PHOTO #:03 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: STEP SCREENS. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 5 of 11 

PHOT0#:02 DATE: 1126/09 TAKEN BY: CARLJONES 

DESCRIPTION: HEADWORK$- STEP SCREENS SOLIDS HANDLING. 

PHOT0#:04 DATE:1/2S/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: SOLIDS COMPACTOR FOR STEP SCREENS. 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
PHOTO #:05 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN By: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: INFLUENT SAMPLER AND REFRIGERATOR. 

PHOTO #:07 DATE: 1/26(09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: PRIMARY CLARIFIERS. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 6 of 11 

PHOT0#:06 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARLJONES FILE 

DESCRIPTION: INFLUENT SAMPLER AND REFRIGERATOR. 

PHOTO #:08 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: GRIT CHANNELS. 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
PHOTO #:09 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: RBCs. 

PHOTO #:11 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: SOLIDS THICKENER. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 7 of 11 

PHOTO #:10 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: RBCs. 

PHOT0#:12 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: SOLIDS THICKENER WEIR. 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
PHOT0#:13 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: 

DESCRIPTION: SECONDARY CLARIFIER. 

PHOTO #:15 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: 

DESCRIPTION: EFFLUENT SAMPLER AND REFRIGERATOR. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 8 of 11 

PHOTO #:14 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: DESCRIPTION: SECONDARY CLARIFIER WEIR. WATER IS CLEAR. 

PHOTO #:16 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: EFFLUENT SAMPLER AND REFRIGERATOR. 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
,

PHOTO #:17 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: 

DESCRIPTION: EFFLUENT SAMPLE LOCATION. 

PHOT0#:19 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: SOLIDS POLYMER TANKS IN BACKGROUND. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 9 of 11 

PHOTO #:18 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: FILTER PRESS. 

PHOT0#:20 DATE: 1126/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
PHOTO #:21 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: DIGESTER PUMPS. PHOTO #:23 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN By: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: SOLIDS DEWATERING CENTRIFUGE. 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 10 of 11 

PHOTO #:22 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION : DIGESTER BOILER. 

PHOTO #:24 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: SOLIDS DEWATERING CENTRIFUGE. 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
.. 

PHOTO #:25 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN BY: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: BACKUP GENERATOR 

WA Department of Ecology 

Page 11 of 11 

PHOTO #:26 DATE: 1/26/09 TAKEN B Y: CARL JONES 

DESCRIPTION: BATTERIES FOR BACKUP GENERATOR. 

Inspected by Carl Jones, Alison Evans 
For Collection System Overflows, Plant 

Bypasses, Upsets, Loss of Disinfection 

Contact IMMEDIATELY 

1. s 1 '! ~ r l •, s r ~ r ~ 

: E ~ l q 1 'I : 'I 1 l f 

t C 0 L 0 G Y 

® King County 

(recommended) 

Dept of Ecology 24-hr: 

(425) 649-7000 to report a spill 

Dept of Health Shellfish 24-hr: 

(360) 236-3330(Main) Or (360) 786-4183(Beeper) 

King County Health Department: 

(206) 205-1151 

Written follow-up report due to Ecology within 5 days of discovery- see Permit 

for noncompliance notification and sampling details