WQCS00003_NOI_NOV2023DV0036_Response_20230125

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
Utilities
water •Wastewater •solid waste
Administration, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, NC 27102 t
336-727-8000 • wsfcutilities.org
January 25, 2023,
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 #202201850
Dear Mr. Snider:
NC Department of
Environmental Quality
Received
FEB 0 2 2023
Winston-Salem
Regional Office
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 #202201850. An internal
investigation determined that a heavy rain event caused debris (trees) to travel down a creek and hit a
pipe, causing it to be dislodged from its anchors, which resulted in a sanitary sewer overflow.
On December 24, 2022, at 3:00 pm, an SSO occurred behind 638 Balfour Rd in Winston-Salem. The
section of sewer main crossing the creek was displaced by debris (trees) coming down the creek. The
incident was reported to WSFC Utilities staff on December 24 at 3:00 pm. Utilities first responders
quickly identified the problem and immediately installed a bypass pumping system to redirect flow to a
downstream manhole and effectively stop the spill. A report was sent to Emergency Management in
place of DEQ at 10:55 pm. While this incident was unprecedented and unfortunate, there was no action
that could have prevented the debris (trees) from removing the pipe from its anchors. The USCG
National Water Dashboard recorded that 1.75 inches fell between December 22 and December 25.
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.
City Council: MayorAllen loins; Denise D. Adams, Mayor Pro Tempore, North Ward; Barbara Hanes Burke, Northeast Ward; Robert C. Clark, Westward;
John C. Larson, South Ward; Jeff Macintosh, Northwest Ward; Kevin Mundy, Southwestward; Annette Sopplo, East Ward; James Taylor, Jr., southeast Ward;
City Manager: Lee D. Garrity
County Co nred.loners: David R. Plyler, Chair; Don Martin, Vice Chai , Fleming EI-Amin; Ted Kaplan; Richard V. Linville; Tanya McDaniel; Gloria D. Whisenhun,
Call311 or336-727-8000 County Manager. Dudley Watts, Jr.
h�link//��Crn�OtWS.n Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Liblity Commission: L Wesley Curtis, Jr.,Chair, Chris Parke, Vice Chair, Simpson0.Brown, Jr.; Harold Suspects, Tom Griffin;
Cl
`T, l.� m rg Yvonne H.Hines; Hugh W.Jernigan; Duane Long; Charles Wilson; Allan Younger

I hope this information is helpful in your investigation of Incident #202201850. If you require additional
information, please contact me at 336-747-7315.
Utilities Director
--- cc: Michael Stover, P.E., Deputy Utilities Director -Operations
Kenny Atkins, Utilities Field Operations Manager
Antonio Martinez, ORC