NC0020389_Correspondence_19980724

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Wayne McDevitt, Secretary
A. Preston Howard, Jr., P.E., Director
Donald Johnson
Town of Benson
P.o. Box 69
Benson, NC 27504
Dear Permittee:
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NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL. RESOURCES
July 24, 1998
Subject: Data Verification for NPDES Permit NC0020389
Benson WWTP
Johnston County
The Division of Water Quality is conducting a critical short-term review of Total Nitrogen discharge data in the Neuse
River Basin. By this letter, we are requiring that you submit certain 1995 monitoring data to the Division no later than
August 7, 1998, as explained below.
In December 1997, the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) adopted the Neuse River Basin
Nutrient -Sensitive Waters Management Strategy rules (15A NCAC 2B.0200). The Division used 1995 Total Nitrogen (TN)
data from the permitted dischargers in the basin to estimate the annual nitrogen loading from all point sources. The
estimated TN load was used to establish the individual and group TN allocations found in the rules (15A NCAC
2B.0234).
Recent review of the data has raised questions about the validity of the estimated TN load. The Laboratory Certification
Unit has also reported that calculation errors are still common when determining values for TN concentration in effluent
samples. The Division is taking a fresh look at the 1995 TN data to determine whether they contain significant errors
which could affect the estimated TN load and allocations. The Division is scheduled to present findings from this review
at the September EMC meeting. It is essential that the data be gathered quickly and reviewed.
By this letter, the Division requires the subject facility to collect all laboratory data sheets and/or bench sheets for all
nitrogen species analyses (NO2, NO3, NH3 and/or TKN) of the subject facility's effluent discharges monitored in calendar
year 1995. Submit the data to the Division no later than August 7, 1998. Send data packages to:
Charles Weaver
NC DENR - DWQ - NPDES Unit
P.O. Box 29535 or 512 North Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27626 Raleigh, NC 27604
(mailing address) (physical address)
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact
Mark McIntire at [phone] (extension 553), Charles Weaver (extension 511) or Mike Templeton (extension 541).
cc: Central Files
Raleigh Regional Office, Water Quality Section
NPDES Unit Files
Sincerely,
Aerl,
tik/
. Preston Howard, Jr., P.E.
P.O. Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone] FAX [phone]
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