NC0020443_Comments_20220822

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O1'TH CARO\-
Town of Columbia
"A Heart's Delight" founded in 1793 RECEIVED
103 Main Street • P.O. Box 361 AUG .1 B 2022
Columbia, NC 27925
August 11, 2022 252.796.2781 (P) • 252.796.0082(F)
NCDEQIDWRINPDES
Mr.Joe R. Corporon, P.G.
NC Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
Mr. Corporon: DLIdiJ
This letter is in response to your July 12, 2022 letter,subject to NPDES permit renewal.
First, we would like to know why the reduced monitoring that was requested was not granted. We
requested reduced monitoring for BOD,TSS,Ammonia Nitrogen, and Enterocci.We requested reduced
monitoring for these parameters using the October 22, 2012 DWQ Guidance Regarding the Reduction of
Monitoring Frequencies as our justification.
The draft permit letter did not reference the reduced monitoring request but the Fact Sheet
acknowledged that the request was made. The Fact Sheet stated that BIMMS data "suggest limit
violations." Although we acknowledge that the facility has had a small number of violations for these
parameters,they are well below your guidance requirements,They also tend to coincide with severe
rain events.
The Town of Columbia Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and system is a small struggling system,
especially with the loss of more than half of our sewer revenues since 2019 when a commercial laundry
closed and the State closed the Tyrrell Prison Work Farm. Although the prison has reopened, it is still at
less than 30% inmate capacity.
Any savings that can be realized to the operation of the WWTP that does not compromise effluent
quality will significantly our system's operational effectiveness and system viability.
Please call me if you have questions or need further clarification of this request.
Yours sincerely,
Rhett B. White
Town Manager