NC0020478_Other Correspondence (LV-2022-0315)_20221215

ADVENTURE
I IS A-
Wastewater Branch
Division of Water Resources RECEVED
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 DEC 115 2022
December 7, 2022 1CDEQIDINTM S
Subject: Request for Remission of Civil Penalty for Violations of
North Carolina General Statute (G.S.) 143-215.1(a)(6)
and NPDES WW Permit No. NC0020478
USDA U S Forest Service
Lake Powhatan Recreation Area
Case No. LV-2022-0315
Buncombe County
To whom it may concern:
Adventure Pisgah, the authorized USFS concession operator of Lake Powhatan Recreation
Area, is requesting a remission for a violation at Lake Powhatan Recreation Area (permit#:
NC0020478) from May 2022. Please consider the following explanation, and additional
information (included separately) provided by the wastewater operator, Environmental Inc., as
you evaluate this request.
Lake Powhatan Recreation Area is open year-round but has a very significant seasonal
visitation component to it. The entire campground is fully operational from March 25 through
November 15 and the busiest part of the year is May through August. At the time of the
violation the campground was getting busy and had a significant and sudden increase in
visitation. We believe that the large increase in visitation at this time may have impacted the
use of the waste treatment plant.
Additionally, we provide an on-site "dump station" or waste disposal station for campers (travel
trailers and RV's). It is very difficult to monitor how visitors use the dump station. We suspect
that use of the dump station increased at the time of the violation. Plumbing repairs were
occurring at approximately the same time and may have significantly increased the water flow
through the waste treatment plant.
It is also important to point out that Environmental Inc. had been just recently retained as the
new operator of this system on May 1, 2022. With the change in operators, we identified and
corrected many issues left unresolved by the previous operator. At the time of the violation
PO Box 1270, 1 Davidson River Circle, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768

Adventure Pisgah and Environmental, Inc. took action to identify any known issues, determine
the cause for the violation, and make immediate corrective actions to bring the system into
compliance. We have included Environmental Inc. original response to the violation. It explains
the issues and solutions at the time of the violation. As a response to the violation and to keep
the system in good working order Adventure Pisgah and the USFS have spent significant funds
to replace parts and improve the overall functionality of the system. As Environmental Inc.
references there have been no issues since the repairs have been made.
Thank you for your consideration,
Brian Johnson
Director of Operations
Forest & Park, LLC
Adventure Pisgah
Brian.JohnsonForestandPark.com
910-200-5780
PO Box 1270, 1 Davidson River Circle, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768

Lake Powhatan NOV's
Lake Powhatan received several different violations in the month of May. The Fecal
violations came from the tubes containing the chlorine tablets. The tablets were not able to
contact the effluent water in low flow situations because of the small holes PVC cap holding
the tablets at the bottom of the tubes would not allow for water contact in low flow times. I
would check the tubes and chlorine tablets not realizing the tablets were not making
contact with the water. Eventually I cut the bottom of the bottom of the cap on the pvc pipe
larger pipe to allow the chlorine tablets to contact the effluent water. Results have been
good since that time. The BOD and TSS also reached violation levels from the blower being
set on a low run time for the winter months. The run time on the blowers was raised to
allow for better treatment of the waste water. No violations have been received since. Also
during the early part of May influent pump issues occurred causing a disruption of flow and
an overload to the treatment plant. One pump was replaced and the other was unclogged.
Since the month May no violations have incurred and the waste water treatment at Lake
Powhatan has been well within limits.
Thank you,
JoeDavid Hall