NC0025496_Correspondence_20210603

Strickland, Bev
From: Donald Burkey <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, June 3, 2021 4:45 PM
To: Pitner, Andrew; Basinger, Corey; Tuvia, Ori A
Cc: Robert Pearson; Ritchie Haynes
Subject: [External] NOV-2021-LV-0377 - City of Lincolnton WWTP
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This letter is in response to the:
Notice Of Violation & Intent To Assess Civil Penalty
Tracking Number: NOV-2021-LV-0377
I would like the opportunity to provide some additional information about the Weekly Average exceedance for
BOD and TSS, and the Monthly Average exceedance for TSS.
We had a significant rain event occur on the evening of 3/25/21 and morning of 3/26/21. The resulting high
influent flow caused a washout of suspended solids from our final clarifier. We had one of our two final
clarifiers out of service at this time and the hydraulic overload to the one clarifier resulted in the solids being
carried over into our effluent.
As soon as the rain event ended and our influent flow rate returned to normal, the solids washout ceased.
However, there was enough solids in our effluent sample for 3/26/21 to result in a BOD of 253 mg/1 and a TSS
of 660 mg/1. These extremely high and unusual results caused us to have a Weekly Violation for BOD and TSS.
We returned to compliance the following week.The extremely high one -day TSS result was enough to cause a
Monthly Average violation.
Had it not been for this one extreme rain event, we would have been in compliance for the month of March
2021. We believe the circumstances of an extreme rain event should be taken into consideration when
reviewing the intent to assess a civil penalty to the City of Lincolnton.
We appreciate your consideration of these events in this matter.
Sincerely,
Donald A. Burkey, Jr., Superintendent
City of Lincolnton
Waste Water Treatment Plant
P.O. Box 617
i

608 W. Hwy 150 Bypass
Lincolnton, NC 28093
Phone: [phone]
Fax : [phone]
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