NC0086975_Annual Report_20201019

Board of Commissioners
Mark Mansfield, Chair
Robin Comer, Vice•Chair
Bob Cavanaugh
Jimmy Farrington
Jonathan Robinson
Bill Smith
Ed Wheatly
October 19, 2020
Mr. John Hennessy
DWR/SWPS/NPDES Expedited Permitting
Division of Environmental Quality
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699
SUBJECT:Annual Progress Report
NPDES Permit No. NC0086975
Carteret County, NC
Dear Mr. Hennessy:
County Manager
Tommy R. Burns
tommv.bu rns(a)carteretco untync.aoy
Clerk to the Board
Rachel B. Hammer
rachel.hammerluicarteretcou ntync.aov
Carteret County operates and maintains a central water treatment plant on Laurel Road
that supplies water to the County water system. The treatment plant utilizes greensand filters
and ion exchange filters to treat the water. Backwash from the filters is discharged to Feltons
Creek via NPDES Permit NC0086975. Monitoring data indicates Carteret County will not
be able to comply with the limit for copper (1.85 micrograms/liter) that becomes effective
November 1, 2022. Condition A.(3.) in the Permit requires the County submit annually a
written progress report to the Division describing actions the County plans to take to achieve
compliance by November 1, 2022. This letter is provided in compliance with Condition
A.(3.).
Representatives of the County (Tony Cahoon and Will Simmons), Tyndall Lewis,
McDauid Associates, and John Day, Town Manager, Town of Beaufort met on February 18,
2020 to discuss the potential of connecting the County's Water Treatment Plant discharge to
the Town of Beaufort's sewer system. Connection to Beaufort's sewer system would
eliminate the discharge from the water treatment plant to Felton's Creek and eliminate the
need for an NPDES Permit. A formal letter dated March 6, 2020 (copy attached) was sent
to John Day asking if the Town would accept the wastewater and if so what would be the
charges. A written response was not provided; however, a verbal response indicated the
Town was not interested in accepting the wastewater at this time.
The next option considered by the County involves the use of media to reduce copper
concentrations to levels below the limits in the NPDES Permit. Samples of the wastewater
were provided to Purologix for lab bench tests. Results of the lab bench tests are provided
Carteret County Courthouse • 302 Courthouse Square •Beaufort, NC 28516-1898
wwev. carteretco u ntvnc.aov

in the attached October 2, 2020 Report entitled "Evaluation of MetSorb Media for Water
Softener Regeneration Water Provided by Purologix". By email dated October 7, 2020 (copy
attached) Russ Elmore, Purologix, recommended a full scale trial as the next step to further
investigate the metals removal capability of the media. A subsequent email dated October
8, 2020 (copy attached) from Russ Elmore indicated preliminary cost information regarding
the full-scale trial. The County is currently reviewing the cost of the full scale trial along
with projected operating costs to determine whether to move forward with the full scale trial.
The County will continue its efforts to identify how compliance may be achieved with
the NPDES Permit limits on or before November 1, 2022. If you have any questions, please
to not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Eugene Fo orth
Acting County Manager
FTL:
Enclosures
cc: Dean Hunkele, Wilmington Regional Office, 127 Cardinal Drive Ext., Wilmington, NC
27889
John Simmons, Carteret County (w/attach)
Carteret County Courthouse • 302 Courthouse Square •Beaufort, NC 28516.1898
www.carteretcountvnc.gov