WQCS00202_NOV-2019-DV-0387 Response_20191028

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October 24, 2019
Mr. Tom Tharrington, Asst. Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Wilmington Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
127 Cardinal Drive Ext.
Wilmington, NC 28405
RE: Brunswick Regional Water & Sewer H2GO
NOV-2019-DV-0387
Permit No. WQCSOQ 49
Mr. Tharrington,
Brunswick Regional
Water &Sewer
RECV_ JUR/M
C 1 4 R iii9
Wate - a; x! ;r +tagional
Opt: - T,. Section
Wilmington, etegional Office
I am in receipt of NOV-2019-DV-0387 related to Permit No. WQCS00249. Please consider the
following in your potential assessment of civil penalties for the noted violation.
Our collections crews inspect each of our 52 lift stations on a weekly basis and rate each station
1 to 5 based on wetwell conditions. The crew member responsible for the North Lanvale lift
station had been rating the station over the previous few weeks indicating there was no
significant grease build-up in the wetwell and no need for wetwell cleaning. However, the
morning of 8/15/19, a grease layer in the wetwell caused level float switches to not operate
properly. Pumps were not called to run, and high-water alarms were not activated by the level
float switches as they rested upon a grease layer in the wetwell.
We have since implemented a new regime for lift station inspections. Our crews rotate
inspection routes each week such that a new "set of eyes" see each station each week. This
eliminates lackadaisical and complacent inspections as each crew member's inspection ratings
are compared to prior weeks' ratings performed by other crew members. As a result, over the
past 60 days, we have had an uptick in lift station cleanings requested of our vac -truck crews.
We believe this to be a positive and pro -active upgrade to our operating procedures and
preventative maintenance program.
The time of the 550 event occurred on 8/15/19 between 6:20 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. Scott Lewis,
our Compliance Manager, contacted Dean Hunkele via voice mail on 8/16/19 at 11:00 a.m. It is
our understanding that verbal notification of the SSO event was completed within 24 hours of
the spill event and was properly reported as required by our permit. If the procedure we
followed to report the SSO event to the Division was not satisfactory, please let me know such
that our reporting procedures can be revised to comply with Division expectations.
P. 0. Box 2230 www.H2GOonline.com 910-371-9949 (Office)
Leland, NC 28451 910-371-6441 (Fax)

October 24, 2019
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
RE: Brunswick Regional Water & Sewer H2GO
NOV-2019-DV-0387
Permit No. WQCS00249
Page 2
I trust this narrative demonstrates 1-12GO's commitment to learn from mistakes, to implement
proactive preventative maintenance and operational procedures and to comply with
requirements of our permits and Division rules.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Bob Walker, Executive Director
Brunswick Regional Water & Sewer H2GO
Office: 910-371-9949
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]