WQCS00003_NOI_NOV2021DV0248_Response#1_20210611

Winston-Salem / Forsyth County
Uti I ities
Water • Wastewater • Solid Waste
Administration, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, NC 27102
0: 336-727-8000, F: 336-727-8432, cityofws.org/utilities
June 11, 2021
Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105
Re: Sanitary Sewer Overflow Civil Penalties Incident #202100441
Dear Mr. Snider:
This letter serves as the official response from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities (WSFC
Utilities) to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water
Resources Notice of Intent to Enforce Civil Penalty for the February 8, 2021 sanitary sewer
overflow (SSO), Incident #202100441, located at 959 Sequoia Drive in Lewisville. The incident
was a direct result of grease deposits in the line.
On February 8, 2021 at 7:26pm, an SSO occurred in the outfall at 959 Sequoia Drive. First
responders arrived with a combination jet/vacuum truck and discovered a large amount of
heavy grease in the line. There was other debris in the line, but grease was the main substance
in the blockage. The crew cleared the line of cold and extremely heavy grease blocks. Normal
flow resumed in three hours.
The crew then ran a diffuser for four hours and cleaned the area with the combination
jet/vacuum truck. They also washed two upstream and two downstream mains to ensure all
grease and other debris was removed. After cleaning, staff CCTVed the lines and confirmed
there was no further damage or remaining deposits.
As is our standard proactive practice, Can the Grease and No Wipes in Pipes literature and
promotional items were distributed to homes near the spill site.
WMIMCity Council: Mayor Allen Joines; Denise D. Adams, Mayor Pro Tern pore, North Ward; Barbara Hanes Burke, Northeast Ward; Robert C. Clark, West Ward;
John C. Larson, South Ward; Jeff Maclntosh, 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 Qfi1V$,or Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission: Randall S. Tuttle, Chair; L. Wesley Curtis, Jr., Vice Chair; Harold E. Day; Tom Griffin; Yvonne H. Hines;
CI
`T it g Duane Long; Hugh W. Jernigan; Chris Parker; Donald R. Stewart; Charles Wilson; Allan Younger

WSFC Utilities continues to make progress minimizing SSOs and has the proper programs in
place to continue our high level of performance. The FY2019-2020 budget included an increase
in preventative cleaning of the collection system and last year was our lowest year on record
for SSOs since the baseline year, 1999. While we are required to clean 10% of the system each
year, in FY2019-2020 a total of 393 miles were cleaned, which is 22% of the 1,780-mile gravity
wastewater collection system. Of those 393 miles, 303 miles (77%) in the system were
proactively cleaned by in-house and contracted crews. Our team has a system to schedule more
frequent cleaning for areas with higher incident levels.
In addition to this successful strategy, our No Wipes in Pipes campaign is gaining awareness
with coverage through local media and other outreach efforts. We have confidence in the
positive impact on public education and recently learned that our industrial customers have
been requesting flyers to post in their restrooms.
I hope this information is helpful with your investigation of Incident #202100441. If you require
additional information, please contact me at 336-747-7315.
Sincerely,
Courtney Driver, P.E.
Utilities Director
cc: Michael Stover, P.E., Assistant Utilities Director -Operations
Kenny Atkins, Utilities Field Operations Manager
Antonio Martinez, ORC
File
2