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Home My WebLink AboutWQCS00195_NOI_NOV2020DV0485_Response_20201214COMMISSIONERS Jim Mrinlmh J.C. Parrish Tim Cranford Tanya Kenyon Tim Mmmh Mr. Lon T. Snider Assistant Regional Supervisor NCDEQDWR 450 West Hanes Mill Rd. Suite 300 Winston Salem, NC 27105 NC Department of Ramseur EnvironmentalQualit Received y TOWN OF RAMSEUR DEC 2 1 2020 724 Liberty Street, PO Box 545 Winston-Salem Ramseur, North Carolina 27316 Regional Office 336-824-8530 M YON TOWNCLERK UCKI CAUULE Carol Akers Inlenm FO Gral Akers December 14, 2020 RE: Collection System Permit No.: WQCS00195 Tracking No.: NOV-2020-DV-0485 Dear Mr. Snider, V__� 2021 om/&)) This letter serves as a reply to your correspondence dated November 3, 2020 regarding the Sanitary Sewer Overflows that occurred August 3fd at our West Ridge Pump Station located at 1341 W. Ridge Street and our Reed Creek Road pump station located at 127 Reed Creek Road. The month of August started with the Deep River already high due to the rains received in July, 2020. We received 2.3 inches of rain during this event. The Town's wastewater treatment plant has a design flow capacity of 0.480 MGD. Measured flow during this event into the pump stations exceeded the pumping capacity which resulted in the overflow. All pumps in both stations are operating properly. You may be aware that during this rain event the Town's Sewer Department was under the control of Suez. Our contract with Suez terminated on September 30, 2020 and the Town of Ramseur now operates the division of not only Wastewater, but Water and Public Works. The Town is continuing to identify and correct areas of concern, Commissioner Jim McIntosh, Water/Sewer/Public Works Commissioner has been diligently working with his staff to manage the capabilities of the pump stations and is looking for new and innovative ways to operate the stations. The overflow was not intentional and the Town did not benefit economically from this event. The Town is committed, more than ever, to operating and maintaining its sewer collection system and has allocated $240,000 for sewer projects and equipment for the 2020/2021 fiscal year to make improvements in the collection system. r. The Town of Ramseur is a small community of less than 1,500 customers. The assessment of civil penalties will be an encumbrance to our citizens and would deduct from budgeted funds for improvements. The Town respectfully requests that you forgo the assessment of civil penalties and afford the Town the opportunity to invest in upgrading the collection system. If you require additional information, please don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, &Z,4 Vicki Caudle, Mayor Serving the Town of Ramseur mayorntownoframseur. ore 336-824-4111— Office 336-736-9016 — Cell ROY COOPER Gavenar MICHAEL S. REGAN Secrtforr S. DANIEL SMITH M-Wor NORTH CRW LINA Quality CERTIFIED MAIL: 7018 1130 0000 1612 9691 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED November 03, 2020 Vicki Caudle Town of Ramseur PO Box 545 Ramseur, NC 27316 SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION & INTENT TO ISSUE CIVIL PENALTY Tracking No.: NOV-2020-DV-0485 Sanitary Sewer Overflows - August 2020 Collection System Permit No. WQCS00195 Ramseur Collection System Randolph County Dear Permittee: A review has been conducted of the self -reported Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO's) 5-Day Reports submitted by Town of Ramseur. The Division's Winston-Salem Regional Office concludes that the Town of Ramseur violated Permit Condition I (2) of Permit No. WQCS00195 by failing to effectively manage, maintain, and operate their collection system so that there is no SSO (Sanitary Sewer Overflow) to the land or surface waters and the SSO constituted making an outlet to waters of the State for purposes of G.S. 143-215.1(a)(1), for which a permit is required by G.S. 143-215.1. The Winston-Salem Regional Office is providing the Town of Ramseur an opportunity to provide evidence and justification as to why the Town of Ramseur should not be assessed a civil penalty for the violation(s) that are summarized below: Total Vol Total Surface Incident Start Duration Vol Water Number Date (Mies) Location Cause (Gals) (Gals) DWR Action 202002273 8/3/2020 315 West Ridge East Side Severe Natural 3,150 3,150 Notice of Intent Pump 1341 West Ridge Condition Street 202002274 8/3/2020 270 127 Reed Creek Road Severe Natural 1,350 0 Notice of Violation Condition Noah fimkae Department. of Environmental Qaatdy I Diumn of Watt Resources 41 AW Waseon5okm Raqlotai 0ffim 1 450 West Hanes Mir Road, Sure 300 1 WaamnEakm, Nor& CamFa 27105 336-776.9800 This Notice of Violation / Notice of Intent to Enforce (NOV/NOI) is being issued for the noted violation. Pursuant to G.S. 143-215.6A, a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) may be assessed against any person who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms, conditions, or requirements of any permit issued pursuant to G.S. 143-215.1. This office requests that you respond to this Notice, in writing, within 30 business days of its receipt. In your response, you should address the causes of non-compliance, remedial actions, and all other actions taken to prevent the recurrence of similar situations. The response to this correspondence will be considered in this process. Enforcement decisions will also be based on volume spilled, volume reaching surface waters, duration and gravity, impacts to public health, fish kills or recreational area closure$. Other factors considered in determining the amount of the civil penalty are the violator's history of non-compliance, the cost of rectifying the damage, whether the spill was intentional and whether money was saved by non-compliance. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ron Boone with the Water Quality Section in the Winston-Salem Regional Office at 336-776-9800 or via email at ron.boone@ncdenr.gov. Cc: Laserfiche Sincerely, �u5iened by: tasawEzzsceaEn... Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Winston-Salem Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ Norsk famine Dwan+ t of Enwmmanta Qeelay 1 Dive n of Water Res ao WwsWnEekm RegmnN"f 1 e50 Wen Mamw Mi Road, Sow 300 1 WmsmnSeMm. Noah CJmirr 27106 "' 336.776.8800