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Home My WebLink AboutNC0026441_Statutory Moratorium_20220506DocuSign Envelope ID: 3A452871-D3B9-410E-B05A-282AC9CCFAF5 ROY COOPER Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER Secretary RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR. Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality 5/6/2022 CERTIFIED MAIL 7018 1830 0001 8037 1240 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Roy Lynch, Town Manager Town of Siler City PO Box 769 Siler City, NC 27344 Subject: Dear Mr. Lynch: Imposition of Statutory Moratorium Siler City WWTP NPDES Permit NC0026441 Grade IV Biological WPCS Chatham County The Division of Water Resources (hereby known as the Division) has determined that the Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is unable to adequately treat the volume of wastewater flow it receives on a daily basis. This determination has been reached based upon an analysis of data provided by the facility on its monthly self -monitoring reports and the results of on -site inspections of the WWTP. A review of self -monitoring data submitted to the Division since November 2019 has indicated the occurrence of seventy-five (75) individual violations of NPDES permit effluent limits for BOD, Ammonia, Fecal Coliform, Flow, Cadmium, and TSS, resulting in 13 enforcement cases as of this letter. An inspection of the WWTP conducted on June 3, 2020 found the facility to be noncompliant with the terms of the NPDES permit. During this inspection, DWR staff observed the dual aerobic digesters and sludge storage basins near full capacity, as well as a high volume of sludge in the sludge tanks which prevented the Town of Silver City from properly wasting sludge and resulted in high MLSS in the oxidation ditches and a high sludge blanket in both clarifiers. The findings of this inspection resulted in the assessment of an enforcement case for failure to properly operate and maintain the WWTP. North Carolina General Statute §145-215.67(a) states, in part, that no person subject to the provision of NCGS 143-215.1, 143-215.108, or 143-214.109 shall cause or allow the discharge of any wastes to a waste -disposal system in excess of the capacity of the disposal system or of any wastes which the waste - disposal system cannot adequately treat. Should these terms be violated, NCGS 143-215.67 states a moratorium can be imposed "on the addition of waste to a treatment works" if the treatment works is not capable of adequately treating additional waste. r:tE NORTH CAROLINA OepeNnent of Environmental Quality North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617 919.707.9000 DocuSign Envelope ID: 3A452871-D3B9-410E-B05A-282AC9CCFAF5 Imposition of Statutory Moratorium Siler City WWTP Page 2 of 2 Based upon the facts and determination noted above, the Siler City WWTP is hereby placed on a moratorium prohibiting the introduction of any additional waste to the collection system tributary to the WWTP. This is to be interpreted as to prohibit the issuance of permits for new sewer lines to be connected to the WWTP, any new tap-ons to the existing collection system, and/or the introduction of significant volumes of new wastewater flow via existing taps (subject to the provisions of the statute). This moratorium shall become effective 45 days from your receipt of this letter. This moratorium will remain in effect until the Town of Siler City has sufficiently demonstrated it can adequately treat wastewater flowing to the Siler City WWTP and has obtained written notification from the Division of the lifting of this moratorium. As required by NCGS 143-215.67(d), the Town of Siler City shall give public notice that a moratorium will be placed on the discharge of additional waste to the Siler City WWTP within 45 days of the receipt of this letter. The Town of Siler City shall give public notice of the moratorium by publication of the notice one time in a newspaper having general circulation in Chatham County. The notice shall be as provided in the attached, sample public notice. The Town of Siler City shall provide an affidavit of publication and a copy of the public notice to the Division within 30 days of publication of the public notice. Placement of the public notice in no way absolves the Town of Siler City from past or present violations of North Carolina General Statutes. Failure to place the public notice may subject the Town of Siler City to additional enforcement action by this office. Correspondence pertaining to this moratorium should be sent to the Division at the address listed at the bottom of the first page of this letter. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Water Quality Regional Operations staff of our Raleigh Regional Office at 919-791-4200. You can also contact Sydney Carpenter of the Compliance & Expedited Permitting Unit via e-mail at sydney.carpenter@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, DocuSigned by: 8328B44CE9EB4A1... Richard E. Rogers Jr., Director Division of Water Resources Attachment: Sample Public Notice of Moratorium ec: NPDES Permit File [Laserfiche] Raleigh Regional Office Municipal Permitting Unit DocuSign Envelope ID: 3A452871-D3B9-410E-B05A-282AC9CCFAF5 PUBLIC NOTICE SEWER MORATORIUM Siler City WWTP Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Chatham County cannot accept the discharge of additional waste to the Siler City WWTP effective {Insert Date} due to noncompliance with the terms of NPDES Permit NC0026441. Therefore, Siler City WWTP is hereby placed on a sewer moratorium at its wastewater treatment plant effective {Insert Date}. On the basis of thorough staff review and application of Article 21 of Chapter 143, General Statutes of North Carolina, Public Law 92-500 and other lawful standards and regulations, the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission has determined that Siler City WWTP is unable to adequately collect and treat waste tributary to its wastewater treatment facility. North Carolina General Statute 143-215.67(a) directs that no person subject to the provision of NCGS 143-215.1, 143-215.108 or 143-214.109 shall cause or allow the discharge of any wastes to a waste -disposal system in excess of the capacity of the disposal system or of any wastes which the waste -disposal system cannot adequately treat. The moratorium on additional sewer connections will remain in effect until Siler City WWTP has rectified the current noncompliant condition of the facility and has obtained permission from the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission suspending the moratorium. Permits and other information may be inspected during normal office hours at the Division of Water Resources, Central Files, Archdale Building, 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, telephone (919) 807-6306. Copies of information on file are available via our online document repository, or upon request and payment of the costs of reproduction. Questions regarding the status of the sewer moratorium should be directed to {Owner Contact}, Siler City WWTP, at {Owner Contact Telephone Number}.