NC0025321_NOV-2019-PC-0647 Response_20191009

Gavin Brown, Mayor
Gary Caldwell, Mayor Pro Tern
Jon Feichter, Alderman
Julia Freeman, Alderman
LeRoy Roberson, Alderman
10/9/19
Robert W. Hites, Jr. Town Manager
William Cannon, Town Attorney
Mr. Landon Davidson, P.G., Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Asheville Regional Office Asheville Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
2090 US Highway 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778
Re: Response to Notice of Violation & Intent to issue Civil Penalty
NOV-2019-PC-0647
Dear Mr. Davidson:
The Plant experienced a blocked line at the head of the plant in the vicinity of the flowmeter.
The blockage occurs during a storm event. The flow meter indicated the plant was receiving 4.6
mgd of its 6 mgd capacity at the time of the overflow. After attempting to locate the blockage the
staff called the Water and Sewer Maintenance staff to bring the jet truck to assist. After jetting
out the line they found several blockages of trash in the line. The jetter caused the gate valve to
partially shut but they were able to reopen the valve.
The event lasted from approximately 1:00 am to 3:40 am. Approximately 115,000 gallons of
untreated waste escaped the system. Some of the overflow crossed the parking lot and into a
field. Much of the overflow was captured by a berm built at the secondary pump building. The
berm directed the waste back into the plant.
From 7:20-10:30 am the staff raked the debris off the grass areas and parking lot. The entire
area was treated with lime.
At 10:07 Mark Jones, Plant Superintendent notified Mikal Wilmer of the spill via a voice mail
message. Mikal responded at 11:15 and took down the information on the spill. At 11:25 the
Town issued the requisite public notice.
Given the age and condition of the plant we do not believe that this incident was avoidable. As
you know we are working diligently with DEQ to negotiate a SOC, while we fund, design and
renovate the plant so that the Town will avoid as many overflows as possible. In this case the
staff responded quickly, diagnosed the problem, resolved the issue while directing much of the
overflow back to the plant. We recognize that the overflow constitutes a violation however we
ask that you consider our efforts to mitigate the overflow and our immediate notification of DEQ
when the overflow occurred.
16 South Main Street • P.O. Box 100 • Waynesville, NC 28786 Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
Web Address: www.waynesvillenc.gov

Page 2.
Response to Noticed of Violation- NOV2019 PC-0647
We appreciate the professional advice that Mikal Wilmer provided our staff and we look forward
to resolving the funding and design issues that we are working through so we can begin to
rehabilitate the plant.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at 828-550-5238 should you have any questions:
Sincerely,
Robert W. Hites Jr.
Town Manager
Attachments: Overflow Timeline provided by waste treatment staff
Public Notice of Overflow
15 South Main Street • P.O. Box 100 • Waynesville, NC 28786 Phone [phone] Fox [phone]
Web Address: www.waynesvillenc.sov

Town of Waynesville WWTP
Overflow Timeline for July 22 & 23, 2019
7/22/19
6:50 PM Punched out on time clock. Had spent most of the evening working on Air valve for diaphragm
pump in press building. Had to rebuild the air valve. Adjusting air on the aeration basins. Also, getting
information to WC Equipment for purchase of Vaughan Chopper Pump.
7:00 PM Heavy rain started. It lasted until 9:00 PM
9:15 PM went to bed. Had been up until midnight the night before because of equipment failures at the
plant.
9:00 PM to 11:00 PM light showers were reported by graveyard shift.
11:00 PM to 12:00 AM Heavy rains were reported by graveyard shift.
7/23/19
1:00 AM Graveyard shift noticed overflow at head of plant, They went to investigate what was going on.
They tried to figure out the cause with no success.
1:15 AM Graveyard shift called Eric Messer. He came in.
1:26 AM Graveyard shift called me. I told them some things to try.
1:39 AM Eric Messer called me back and said he needed help, He was not sure what was going on.
1:39 AM until 2:22 AM I got dressed and drove from Balsam.
2:22 AM I arrived on site and punched in. I began accessing the situation. Flow through the plant was
4.6MGD at the time. The plant was overflowing at the head of the plant. Flow was going into the field
across the road from the head of the plant. Also, a lot of the flow was going through the parking lot to
the secondary pump building. That flow was being returned into the plant. This is due to the lay of the
land & contour of the road. Thank goodness we had left the sand berm up at the door of the secondary
pump building from a previous heavy rain flooding the building.
We decided the line was stopped up from the flowmeter and head of plant.
2:25 AM Called Jeff Stines with the water and sewer maintenance department for the Town of
Waynesville. I asked for him to send a letter truck to the plant.
3:00 AM Willie rolled on site with the letter truck. We spent some time removing grating and setting up
truck at the flowmeter.

3:10 AM Started jetting out the line. We hit several hard spots in the line. There was a lot of trash that
was washed out of the line. Got head of jetter stuck on bottom of gate valve. Worked and finally got it
loose from the valve. Pressure from the jetter had caused the gate valve to partially shut.
3:40 AM Finished jetting line.
3:50 AM Got valve pulled open. All flow back Into the plant. The handle was loose from the valve. Had
to use a long -handled rake to catch'underneath the gate to open.
3:55 AM Went and got Drill & Tapcons to screw the gate wide open.
4:00 AM Screwed gate wide open at head of plant. This way it could not fall shut due to handle loose
from the gate.
4:05 AM Put gratings back on at head of plant and at flowmeter.
4:10 AM Washed up and began putting a time line together and figuring out the amount of spillage.
7:15 AM I made an inspection of the plant. We were having some solids washing out.
7:20 to 10:30 AM Days shift worked on raking up trash that had flowed out on the ground. After that we
limed the areas affected. We also washed down the parking lot.
10:40 AM Cut air off to the aeration basins to try and prevent washout due to heavy rainfall.
10:50 AM Notified Arnie Owens, Rob Hites, and David Foster of the Overflow.
11:07 AM Contacted Mikal Willmer of the overflow. left voice mail.
11:15 AM Mikal W illmer called me back and took the information for the overflow.
11:25 AM Public Notice sent out.

Rob Hites
From:
Arnie Owens
Sent:
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 11:27 AM
To:
'A Richmond'; 'B Green'; 'Becky Johnson'; 'Buffy Phillips
([e-mail])'; 'C Adams'; 'Clifton Metcalf'; 'Cory Vaillancourt';
'Craig Day'; Libb Feichter; 'Linda Cox'; 'Lynn Collins'; 'Mary Ann Enloe
([e-mail])';'0 [e-mail]';'Pat Maier';'Philan Medford'; 'SE DEV';
'Smoky Mt News';'Susan Kimball';'Vicki Hyatt'; 'Wlos'; 'Monroe Miller'; 'Stephen
Swanger'; Mary Ford; Scott Ybanez ([e-mail]);
[e-mail], [e-mail];
Bryant Morehead
Cc:
Mayor & Board of Aldermen; Eddie Ward; Leadership Team; Christopher Chandler; Colt
Miller; Daryl Hannah; Dean Trader; Donald Hummel; James Robertson; Jeff Stines;
Jonathan Yates; Julie Grasty; Kyle Cook; Lisa Burnett; Louis Davis; Luke Kinsland; Malcom
Beasley; Program Specialist, Rob Hites; Sabrina Caldwell; Mark Jones; Sharon Agostini;
Steve Noland; Thomas Maguire; Timothy O'neill; Timothy Petrea; Timothy Plowman;
Tyler Trantham; Willie Smith;'Wilimer, Mikal'; Keith Webb
Subject:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wastewater Spill at Treatment Facility
Importance: High
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Info Contact:
Amie Owens, Assistant Town Manager
Town of Waynesville —Administrative Services
Phone:[phone]
Email: aowens(&waynesvillenc.aov
WASTEWATER SPILL ON WAYNESVILLE SEWER LINE
The Town of Waynesville had a discharge of untreated wastewater from a single sanitary sewer line in one
location on the premises of the Wastewater Treatment Facility from a blocked inflow line. The sanitary sewer overflow
(SSO) began on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 1:00 a.m. during periods of intense precipitation and ended at approximately
3:50 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23. The total spill amount is estimated at 115,000 gallons. The discharges ended when the
blockage from the line was removed. All spill areas have been contained and affected areas cleaned and limed. No boil
water advisory was or is required as the discharge did not impact any water lines and no flow is known to have impacted
any natural water sources.
Maintenance activities and sewer system rehabilitation are continually being performed to identify and correct
infiltration and inflow sources connected to the sewer system to prevent overflows in the event of future severe natural
conditions. This notice was required by North Carolina General Statutes 143-215. For more information contact Mark
Jones, Wastewater Treatment Superintendent at [phone].
-END-

Annie Owens, MPA I Assistant Town Manager
Town of Waynesville. NC
16 S. Main Street PO Box 100 1 Waynesville, NC 28786
(o) 828.452.2491 (f) 528.456.2000
aowensAwaynesvillenc.aov ( www.waynesvillenc.aov
Pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 132, Public Records, this electronic mail message and any attachments hereto, as well as any electronic mail
message(s) sent in response to it, maybe considered public record and as such are subject to request and review by anyone at anytime.

DocuSIgn Envelope ID: 23A17106-A598-4807-A876.38A6949D3627
ST
ROY COOPER
Cwamor
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MICHAEL S. PECAN
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eRpyy
Secretary
N,✓'
LINDA CULPEPPER
NORTH CAROLINA
Director
EfiWronmwta( Quality
CERTIFIED MAIL #: 7017 1070 0000 1776 0565
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
September 30, 2019
Gavin Brown, Mayor
Town of Waynesville
PO Box 100
Waynesville, NC 28786
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION & INTENT TO ISSUE CIVIL PENALTY
Tracking Number: NOV-2019-PC-0647
Unauthorized Bypass
Permit No, NCO025321
County: Haywood
Dear Mr. Brown:
A review has been conducted of the self -reported Bypass 5-Day Report submitted by Mark Jones on
July 23, 2019; The Division's Asheville Regional Office (ARO) concludes that the Town of Waynesville
violated Permit Condition Part II.C.4.c.1: Bypass from the treatment faciiityis proiilb/ted and the Permit
Issuing Authority may take enforcement action against a Permittee for bypass.
Specific incident cited in the violation includes the following:
A 115,000-gallon unauthorized bypass of primary effluent overflowed to the land from the
basin immediately upstream of the influent flume at the Town of Waynesville's WWTP occurred
on July 23, 2019.
This Notice of Violation/Notice of Intent to Enforce (NOV/NOI) Is being issued for the noted violation of
North Carolina General Statute (G.S.) 143-215.1 and the facility's NPDES Permit. Pursuant to G.S. 143-
215.6A, a civil penalty of not more than $25,000.00 may be assessed against any person who violates or
fails to act in accordance with terms, conditions or requirements of any permit issued pursuant to G.S. 143-
215.1.
Please submit a written response to this Notice of Violation. Your response is to be received by the regional
office within 10 business days following receipt of this violation. A detailed timeline of the immediate
response and corrective action taken to abate the bypass by facility staff was submitted along with the 5-
day report. The ARO requests the Town include any additional documentation regarding the long-term plan
to help prevent further equipment failures. The submittal will be considered in determining whether the
Division will assess a civil penalty for the cited violations,
Ai
North Carollm Departtnent of8nAr"ental Quallty l DIAMW of Water bwurcea
Asheville Regional Office 12090 U.%Highway 701 Swannanoa, North Carolina Z8778

Doo Slgn Envelope ID: 23A171D6-A698-4807-A876-38A6949D3627
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Janet Cantwell with the Water Quality Section
of the Asheville Regional Office at [phone] or via email at [e-mail].
Sincerely,
o .Sign" by:
]EB1TN8288BfBC...
G. Landon Davidson, P.G., Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Asheville Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
EC: WQS-ARO Server
LF
Mark Jones, WWTP ORC
Preston Gregg, PE
G:\WR\WQ\HayvmM1lWalb at-.AMunk:Ipat WAYnmllk WWTP 7532lkWIatbN\BY(�0\201901Z6 -Bpfnn\2019D930 NC8025321_MOVN012019PNfi97.dkx