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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWQCS00003_NOI_NOV2023DV0036_Response_20230125Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities water •Wastewater •solid waste Administration, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, NC 27102 t 336-727-8000 • wsfcutilities.org January 25, 2023, Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources - 450 W. Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 Winston-Salem, NC 27105 Re: Sanitary Sewer Overflow Civil Penalties Incident #202201850 Dear Mr. Snider: NC Department of Environmental Quality Received FEB 0 2 2023 Winston-Salem Regional Office This letter serves as the official response from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities to the Notice of Intent to Enforce Civil Penalty for the sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) Incident #202201850. An internal investigation determined that a heavy rain event caused debris (trees) to travel down a creek and hit a pipe, causing it to be dislodged from its anchors, which resulted in a sanitary sewer overflow. On December 24, 2022, at 3:00 pm, an SSO occurred behind 638 Balfour Rd in Winston-Salem. The section of sewer main crossing the creek was displaced by debris (trees) coming down the creek. The incident was reported to WSFC Utilities staff on December 24 at 3:00 pm. Utilities first responders quickly identified the problem and immediately installed a bypass pumping system to redirect flow to a downstream manhole and effectively stop the spill. A report was sent to Emergency Management in place of DEQ at 10:55 pm. While this incident was unprecedented and unfortunate, there was no action that could have prevented the debris (trees) from removing the pipe from its anchors. The USCG National Water Dashboard recorded that 1.75 inches fell between December 22 and December 25. WSFC Utilities has consistently reduced SSOs since launching our Collection System Improvement Program in 2016 and has strategies designed to increase our high level of performance. Our 2021-2022 fiscal year had the lowest number of SSOs since reporting began in 1999 with a total of 55 reportable and non -reportable spills. We are currently on -track to match and hopefully improve that record this fiscal year. City Council: MayorAllen loins; Denise D. Adams, Mayor Pro Tempore, North Ward; Barbara Hanes Burke, Northeast Ward; Robert C. Clark, Westward; John C. Larson, South Ward; Jeff Macintosh, Northwest Ward; Kevin Mundy, Southwestward; Annette Sopplo, East Ward; James Taylor, Jr., southeast Ward; City Manager: Lee D. Garrity County Co nred.loners: David R. Plyler, Chair; Don Martin, Vice Chai , Fleming EI-Amin; Ted Kaplan; Richard V. Linville; Tanya McDaniel; Gloria D. Whisenhun, Call311 or336-727-8000 County Manager. Dudley Watts, Jr. h�link//��Crn�OtWS.n Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Liblity Commission: L Wesley Curtis, Jr.,Chair, Chris Parke, Vice Chair, Simpson0.Brown, Jr.; Harold Suspects, Tom Griffin; Cl `T, l.� m rg Yvonne H.Hines; Hugh W.Jernigan; Duane Long; Charles Wilson; Allan Younger I hope this information is helpful in your investigation of Incident #202201850. If you require additional information, please contact me at 336-747-7315. Utilities Director --- cc: Michael Stover, P.E., Deputy Utilities Director -Operations Kenny Atkins, Utilities Field Operations Manager Antonio Martinez, ORC