The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutWQCS00054_NOV-2021-DV-0327 Response_20210802 (2)Union County Water 500 North Main Street Suite # 600 Monroe, NC 28112 T. 704-296-4210 August 2, 2021 Mr. W. Corey Basinger Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Mooresville Regional Office 610 East Center Ave., Suite 301 Mooresville, NC 28115 Subject: Notice of Violation- Severe Natural Condition Tracking #: NOV-2021-DV-0327 Sanitary Sewer Overflows — June 2021 Collection System Permit — WQCS00054 Union County Water RECEIVED/NCDEQ/DWR 5 2021 WOROS MOORESVILLE REGIONAL OFFICE Dear Mr. Byi g r: Union County Water has received the NOV referenced above for collection system overflows. Explanations of the overflows were on the BIMS Overflow Reporting Forms submitted by Union County Water to the NCDEQ. However, we have added a few additional facts in the explanations below. Incident # Date Location 202101428 6/20/2021 4004 Sardis Church Road The SSO listed in this section was due to an extreme rain event causing flooding that overwhelmed our system. Heavy rain fell across much of North Carolina on Sunday June 20, 2021.The rainfall measured at this location was 3.3 inches within 12 hours. Incident # Date Location 202101437 6/21/2021 7809 Stonehaven Drive The SSO listed in this section was due to debris causing a backup. The issue that caused the spill/blockage was sticks and debris wedged inside the gravity sewer. We took immediate action by jetting the main to clear the blockage. Incident # Date Location 202101454 6/23/2021 2844 Gray Fox Rd Response: The SSO listed in this section was due to a horizontal split in the main. We took immediate action by shutting pump station down and put a pumper truck on standby. We then excavated and replaced the pipe section and the system was restored to normal operations. Union County Water also has an aggressive Capital Improvement Program throughout the next 5 years. The projects include: Crooked Creek Basin Improvements - $23,900,000 ➢ Suburban Estates PS and FM - $1,000,000.00 ➢ Waxhaw Interceptor —$5,400,000 ➢ WW PS Improvements - $3,500,000 Union County Water's current CIP projects are also ongoing with projects including: ➢ Blythe Creek Sewer Improvements - $6,200,000 ➢ Forest Park PS Replacement & Interceptor Improvements $3,345,000 ➢ Crooked Creek I&I Study & Remediation - $476,000 Union County Water continues to invest funds into SSES work, capital improvements, maintenance, FOG, and operations to improve the wastewater collection system. If further information or details regarding the CCWRF Improvements, as well as, the CIP projects listed above are required, please feel free to contact Greg Morgan, Superintendent/ORC, at 704-289- 3288 or myself at 704-296-4215. Thank you for your consideration on this issue. Sincerely, 110 Andrew Neff, PE Water/Wastewater Division Director cc: Hyong Yi, Public Works Administrator Josh Brooks, Assistant Director, Water/Wastewater Operations Greg Morgan, Utility Field Services Superintendent/OR ROY COOPER Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER Secretary S. DANIEL SMITH Director Certified Mail # 7018 3090 0001 2319 0529 Return Receipt Requested Mark Watson, County Manager Union County 500 N Main St Ste 918 Monroe, NC 28112 NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality July 28, 2021 EIVED/NCDEQ/DWR 2021 MaoR(^:SVIL,LE REGIONAL OFFICE SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION & INTENT TO ISSUE CIVIL PENALTY Tracking No.: NOV-2021-DV-0327 Sanitary Sewer Overflows - June 2021 Collection System Permit No. WQCS00054 Union County Collection System Union County Dear Mr. Watson: A review has been conducted of the self -reported Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO's) 5-Day Report/s submitted by Union County. The Division's Mooresville Regional Office concludes that the Union County violated Permit Condition I (2) of Permit No. WQCS00054 by failing to effectively manage, maintain, and operate their collection system so that there is no SSO (Sanitary Sewer Overflow) to the land or surface waters and the SSO constituted making an outlet to waters of the State for purposes of G.S. 143-215.1(a)(1), for which a permit is required by G.S. 143-215.1. The Mooresville Regional Office is providing the Union County an opportunity to provide evidence and justification as to why the Union County should not be assessed a civil penalty for the violation(s) that are summarized below: Total Vol Total Surface Incident Start Duration Vol Water Number Date (Mins) Location Cause (Gals) (Gals) DWR Action 202101428 6/20/2021 555 4004 Sardis Church Rd Inflow and Infiltration, Severe Natural Condition 12,280 12,280 Notice of Violation Intent to Enforce 202101437 6/21/2021 75 7809 Stonehaven Drive Debris in line, Roots 375 300 Notice of Violation 202101454 6/23/2021 16 2844 Gray Fox Rd Pipe Failure (Break) 160 40 Deficiency, No Further Action North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources Mooresville Regional Office l 610 East Center Avenue, Suite301 I Mooresville. North Carolina 281t5 704.663.1699 This Notice of Violation / Notice of Intent to Enforce (NOV/NOI) is being issued for the noted violation. Pursuant to G.S. 143-215.6A, a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) may be assessed against any person who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms, conditions, or requirements of any permit issued pursuant to G.S. 143-215.1. This office requests that you respond to this Notice, in writing, within 10 business days of its receipt. In your response, you should address the causes of non-compliance, remedial actions, and all other actions taken to prevent the recurrence of similar situations. The response to this correspondence will be considered in this process. Enforcement decisions will also be based on volume spilled, volume reaching surface waters, duration and gravity, impacts to public health, fish kills or recreational area closures. Other factors considered in determining the amount of the civil penalty are the violator's history of non-compliance, the cost of rectifying the damage, whether the spill was intentional and whether money was saved by non-compliance. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Michael Meilinger or me with the Water Quality Section in the Mooresville Regional Office at 704-663-1699 or via email at michael.meilinger@ncdenr.gov or corey.basinger@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, ,--DocuSigned by: 11s.w N P `— F161 FB69A2D84A3... for W. Corey Basinger, Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Mooresville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ Cc: Mooresville Regional Office - WQS File Central Files, Water Quality Section Greg.Morgan@unioncountync.gov North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 1 Division of Water Resources Mooresville Regional Office 1 610 East Center Avenue, Suite 3011 Mooresville, North Carolina 28115 704.663.1696