WQ0003090_NOV and Intent to Assess_20200309

ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
S. DANIEL SMITH
Director
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
March 9, 2020
CERTIFIED MAIL # 7018 1130 0000 1612 7338
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Mr. William Doerfer, Town Manager
Town of Liberty
P.O. Box 1006
Liberty, North Carolina 27298
Subject: Notice of Violation and Intent to Enforce (NOV-2020-PC-0130)
Town of Liberty — Wastewater Surface Irrigation
Permit No. WQ0003090
Randolph County
Dear Mr. Doerfer:
Mr. Tremaine Fike, ORC, self -reported the following incidents to staff of the North Carolina
Division of Water Resources, Winston-Salem Regional office NCDEQ-DWR-WSRO during the
month of February 2020:
Incident# Incident Tvne Start Time End Time Volume
202000572
Bypass at Chlorine
2/6/2020
2/17/2020
4,752,000
Contact Tank
2:00pm
2:00pm
gallons
202000576
Bypass at Influent Pump
2/6/2020
2/6/2020
400 gallons
Station
10:30am
10:33am
202000582
Bypass at Influent Pump
2/6/2020
2/6/2020
400 gallons
Station
12:54am
12:56am
202000583
Bypass at Influent Pump
2/6/2020
2/6/2020
200 gallons
Station
2:00pm
2:20pm
202000585
Bypass at Influent Pump
2/7/2020
2/7/2020
6,400 gallons
Station
7:00am
7:16am
202000736
Bypass at Chlorine
2/21/2020
2/28/2020
996,000 gallons
Contact Tank
9:00am
7:00am
No�rHC�.Apl
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North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
Winston-Salem Regional Office [ 450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 I Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105
336.776.9800

Mr. Fike reported that the bypasses from the chlorine contact chamber discharged to the Rocky
River. Mr. Fike also reported that the bypasses from the influent pump station did not result
discharge to surface waters.
Please be aware that bypass events are a violation of Permit Condition III. (12.) which states
that diversion or bypassing of untreated or partially treated wastewater from the treatment
facilities is prohibited. Inflow and infiltration have been identified as the cause of at least fifteen
other bypass events occurring at the subject facility that have been previously reported to this
office since July 10, 2013.
Additionally, the Division of Water Resources issued the subject facility a Notice of Violation for
the exceedance of the minimum required freeboard level in the lagoon. This has been an ongoing
violation since it was first reported to our office on January 6, 2020. The freeboard has continued
to rise to above the "0" line on the freeboard marker on February 6, 2020. At that point, the
chlorine contact chamber overflowed as described above. This exceedance is a violation of
Permit Condition III. (13.) which states that freeboard in the lagoon shall not be less than one
and one half (1.5) feet at any time.
The Division of Water Resources may pursue enforcement action for this and any additional
violations of State law. If you wish to present an explanation for the violations cited, provide
additional information related to those items, or if you believe there are other factors which
should be considered, please send such information to me in writing within ten (10) days
following receipt of this Notice. Any additional information received will be reviewed, and if
an enforcement action is deemed appropriate, that information will be forwarded to the
Director with the enforcement package for their consideration. You written response should
be sent to my attention at the address shown on the letterhead. As a reminder, NC General
Statutes provide for penalties up to $25,000 per day per violation for violation of state
environmental laws and regulations.
An announced follow-up compliance inspection will be scheduled. If you or your staff have any
questions concerning this Notice, please contact Jim Gonsiewski or me at [phone].
Sincerely,
DocuSigned by:
OD2D3CE3F1 B7456...
for Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ-WSRO
cc: Tremaine Fike - Town of Liberty (Electronic Copy)
Randolph County Environmental Health (Electronic Copy)
WSRO Laserfiche files