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City and county engineers, DEQ and commissioners review Baker discharge permit and golf‑course nutrient plan
Summary
State DEQ staff and county/city engineers met with commissioners to discuss Baker’s discharge permit, land‑application nutrient management, concerns about lagoon lining and coliform counts, and possible requirements including lining and UV disinfection prior to irrigation on the golf course.
State Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) staff met with Fallon County commissioners, county and city engineers and city public works representatives to review the land‑application nutrient plan required by Baker’s discharge permit and to outline steps for compliance.
DEQ staff explained the permit triggered a review because Baker applied for the ability to discharge to surface water and to irrigate effluent onto the golf course. The city, the county and DEQ reviewed existing design reports and operations and maintenance (O&M) documentation. DEQ staff said the land‑application nutrient plan must document agronomic rates — monthly pounds of nitrogen per acre — and demonstrate the irrigation plan addresses Circular 2 requirements.
Engineers and commissioners discussed three primary compliance topics DEQ flagged: pond integrity (pond lining), coliform counts that had fluctuated in recent years, and the nutrient (total nitrogen) concentrations in lagoon effluent.
Pond lining: County and city engineers have been working on a pond‑liner plan. DEQ told the group that, absent proof of long‑term containment, the agency generally expects lagoons used for land application to meet current Circular 2 standards; that may require a synthetic liner. DEQ staff said applicants can request a deviation, but they would have to provide strong evidence that groundwater or surface water will not be impacted; the agency described that as a high bar.
Coliform counts and disinfection: Variability in total coliform samples led staff to recommend additional disinfection steps. County engineers and DEQ discussed options including UV disinfection and a possible deviation to test for E. coli instead of total coliforms; DEQ staff said they have approved deviations in the past to test for E. coli rather than total coliform. Commissioners and local practitioners noted wildlife and geese on the golf course pond can raise total coliform counts.
Nutrient concentrations: Engineers agreed to compute land‑application agronomic rates — pounds of nitrogen per acre per month — using soil and crop uptake data and existing sample results. Commissioners asked that the city and county show agronomic uptake numbers that would support application rates rather than only reporting very low laboratory numbers in isolated samples.
Next steps agreed at the meeting: finalize the pond‑lining plans and O&M manual changes, provide DEQ with the agronomic nutrient application calculations and soil samples, and pursue either UV disinfection or a deviation for coliform monitoring (E. coli vs total coliforms). DEQ staff said they are available to share precedent deviations granted to other jurisdictions to help craft an application.
Ending: County and city engineers will supply updated design/O&M documents, soil and nutrient calculations and other requested technical materials; DEQ will review and advise on deviations and lining requirements.
