NC0069311_NOV-2022-LV-0437_20220715

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July 15, 2022
Mr. Scott Vinson
North Carolina DEQ
Division of Water Resources
3800 Barrett Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609
RE: NOV-2022-LV-0437
Dear Mr. Vinson
Public Utilities
1630 US 1 N
Youngsville, NC 27596
Phone: [phone]
www.fcpu.us
We are in receipt of the Notice of Violation for the exceedance of our weekly and parameters for Nitrogen,
Ammonia Total (as N) — Concentration. Below is the explanation that led to the exceedances.
As stated in the response to NOV-2022-LV-0268, which NOV-2022-LV-0437 replaced, the weekly
exceedance resulted from making some operational changes recommended by Dennis Wicker in an
operational group of classes sponsored by the EPA to encourage enhanced denitrification and biological
phosphorous removal, in the trial period the dissolved oxygen levels got too low and nitrification was
inhibited, resulting in the Ammonia not being removed. We had Dwight Lancaster of NCRWA come out
February 8th, 2022, to assist Franklin County WWTP staff, even before the bad Ammonia results came in.
Staff had already reversed the changes, and he agreed it was the operational decision he would have
recommended. Staff reported this exceedance as soon as the test results came in from the lab on March
17, 2022, to Mitch Hayes. Staff also referenced both the weekly exceedance and the resulting monthly
exceedance on the February EDMR. It is clear this exceedance was an isolated incidence resulting from
an effort to make a positive change for the environment of North Carolina, total nitrogen is down and there
has been no further Ammonia exceedances since the first week of February 2022.
Please consider this letter as Franklin County Public Utilities request to rescind NOV-2022-LV-0437. If
you require any further information, please contact Paul Langfield at 919-5566177.
Regar•
Chris opher ■ ohert
Public Utilities Director
CC: Paul Langfield, WWTP Superintendent
Mitchell Hayes, NCDEQ, Division of Water Resources