WQCSD0253_NOV and Intent to Assess_20231120

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR.
Director
Certified Mail # 7019 1120 0001 5504 9500
Return Receipt Reauested
Stewart Easter, Director Public Works
Stokes County
PO Box 20
Danbury, NC 27016
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
November 20, 2023
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION & INTENT TO ISSUE CIVIL PENALTY
Tracking No.: NOV-2023-DV-0406
Sanitary Sewer Overflows - October 2023
Collection System Permit No. WQCSD0253
Stokes County Collection System
Stokes County
Dear Mr. Easter:
A review has been conducted of the self -reported Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO's) 5-Day Report/s submitted by
Stokes County. The Division's Winston-Salem Regional Office concludes that the Stokes County violated Permit
Condition I (2) of Permit No. WQCSD0253 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 Stokes County an opportunity to provide evidence and
justification as to why the Stokes County 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 (Mins) Location Cause (Gals) (Gals) DWR Action
202301429 10/6/2023 660 101 DAN RIVER ROAD, Pipe Failure (Break) 30,000 10,000 Notice of Violation
DANBURY, , 27016
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North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality i Division of Water Resources
Winston-5alem Regional Office 1 450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 1 Winston-Salem. North Carolina 27105
336.776.9500

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 10 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 closures. 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 Gary Hudson with the Water Quality Section in the
Winston-Salem Regional Office at 336-776-9800 or via email at [e-mail].
Sincerely,
EDocuS�igT<
ned by:
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Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Winston-Salem Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
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�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
Winston-Salem Regional Office 1450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 3001 Winston-Salem. North Carolina 27105