WQCS00003_NOI_NOV2022DV0282_20221024

Winston-Salem / Forsyth County
Uti I ities
Water • Wastewater • Solid Waste
Administration, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, NC 27102
336-727-8000 • wsfcutilities.org
October 24, 2022
Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
450 W. Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Re: Sanitary Sewer Overflow Civil Penalties Incident #202201354
Dear Mr. Snider:
This letter serves as the official response from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities to the Notice of
Intent to Enforce Civil Penalty for the sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) Incident #202201354 due to
inadvertently bypass pumping into an abandoned sewer main.
On August 23, 2022, at 10am, an SSO occurred behind 415 Northwest Boulevard in Winston-Salem. A
contractor redirected flow into an abandoned line. The section used for bypass had been scheduled for
removal from GIS. As soon as the contractor discovered the problem, they ceased pumping into this line
and moved the bypass to another nearby main. They reported the incident to our department staff on
August 25. Our first responders were immediately dispatched and a report was sent to DEQ at 4pm. The
creek was flushed with fresh water for eight hours. Our staff also immediately followed cleaning
protocol and updated GIS to reflect current system conditions. While this incident was unprecedented
and unfortunate, it has served as a reminder to our contractors that they must notify us immediately if
there is an SSO.
WSFC Utilities has consistently reduced SSOs since launching our Collection System Improvement
Program in 2016 and has strategies designed to increase our high level of performance. Our 2021-2022
fiscal year had the lowest number of SSOs since reporting began in 1999 with a total of 55 reportable
and non -reportable spills. We are currently on -track to match and hopefully improve that record this
fiscal year.
WMIMCity Council: Mayor Allen Joines; Denise D. Adams, Mayor Pro Tem pore, North Ward; Barbara Hanes Burke, Northeast Ward; Robert C. Clark, West Ward;
John C. Larson, South Ward; Jeff Macintosh, Northwest Ward; Kevin Mundy, Southwest Ward; Annette Scippio, East Ward; James Taylor, Jr., Southeast Ward;
City Manager: Lee D. Garrity
County Commissioners: David R. Plyler, Chair; Don Martin, Vice Chair; Fleming El -Amin; Ted Kaplan; Richard V. Linville; Tonya McDaniel; Gloria D. Whisenhunt;
Call 311 or 336-727-8000 County Manager: Dudley Watts, Jr.
link Clt of1N$.orfN Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission: L. Wesley Curtis, Jr., Chair; Chris Parker, Vice Chair; Simpson 0. Brown, Jr.; Harold Eustache; Tom Griffin;
CI
`1 y YJ Yvonne H. Hines; Hugh W. Jernigan; Duane Long; Charles Wilson; Allan Younger

I hope this information is helpful with your investigation of Incident #202201354. If you require
additional information, please contact me at 336-747-7315.
Sincerely,
covk)dA'-��
Courtney Driver, P.E.
Utilities Director
cc: Michael Stover, P.E., Deputy Utilities Director -Operations
Kenny Atkins, Utilities Field Operations Manager
Antonio Martinez, ORC
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