WQ0041136_Correspondence_20240520

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Nourse Farms
May 20, 2024
Mr. Daniel Boss, Assistant Regional Supervisor
NCDENR-Water Quality Section
2090 U.S. Hwy 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778
Re: NOV-2024-LV-0414/WQ0041136
NOV-2024-LV-0415/W Q0041136
Dear Mr. Boss
We are in receipt of your letter dated 5-30-24. We were surprised to receive the Notice of Violation and
want you to know we are taking it very seriously. Nourse Farms NC(www.noursefarms.com) purchased
the former Lakeside Produce/ Cervini Farms facility at 648 Ladson Road in Mills River, NC in September
of 2023. We have had a retrofit of the 15 acre greenhouse underway and have only just planted the
greenhouse with strawberry plants.
Prior to the closing date, we'd been advised of some modifications that needed to be made to past use
practices of the W WT System on site which was then and is currently managed by Bob Barr of RPB
Systems. Nourse Farms was advised to avoid flushing the system with solids by utilizing a grease trap in
the onsite housing facility. We were also cautioned to avoid misuse of the system and refrain from
flushing high volumes of sanitizing chemicals down the drain. Following this advice, we believed that
under the watchful eye of RPB Systems, we would not anticipate any such issues as plagued the prior
owner.
We have since learned that despite our best efforts at compliant operation, we are indeed experiencing
levels outside the permitted values assigned to the transferred permit. We immediately reached out to
RPB Systems and engineer, Mark Brooks to see if any immediate action could be taken. RPB Systems
informed us that partially due to Cervini s water reuse on a consumable crop, these were the lowest
level limits they have ever managed. We confirmed with Mark Brooks that it would be appropriate to file
a permit amendment under the basis of the nature of business on site changing as we are not producing
a consumable crop and thus may be eligible for higher allowances. Not only are we not in the business of
growing fruit in NC, but we also have a team of workers in the greenhouse ensuring flowers are picked
off the mother plants so they may put their energy into creating daughter plants with a strong root
system and not expel their energy growing berries.
We have enlisted Mark Brooks' services to file this permit and hope to do so as soon as his schedule
permits, but within the next 45 days. Should this generate any questions, please do not hesitate to reach
out to me at 413-665-2658 x211 or [e-mail].