WQ0016966_Annual Performance_20240109

Town of Denton
2023 Annual Report
for
Wastewater Treatment and Collection System
House Bill 1160, the Clean Water Act of 1999, was ratified by the North Carolina General
Assembly on July 20th, 1999 and signed into law by the Governor on July 21, 1999. This
legislation requires that the owner or operator of any wastewater treatment works or
wastewater collection system, that treats or collects primarily domestic or municipal wastes,
provide an annual report to its users or customers and to North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality that summarizes the treatment works' or collection system's
performance over a 12 month period. The law states the report shall summarize the
performance of the treatment works or collection system and state the extent to which any
terms of its permit, federal laws, or any State laws, regulations or rules related to the
protection of water quality have been violated.
The following personnel are recognized by the State of North Carolina as The Town of Denton
Operators in Responsible Charge (ORC) and Back-up Operators in Responsible Charge (Back-
up ORC) of their Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW).
Wastewater Treatment Plant, NPDES #0026689
ORC: Troy B. Branch/ Office 336-859-4460
Back-up ORC: Michael High/ Office 336-859-4460
Wastewater Collection System Water Quality Permit # WOCS00223
ORC: Troy B. Branch /Office 336-859-4460
Back-up ORC: Michael High/ Office 336-859-5885
Land Application Program, Permit # WO0016966
ORC: Troy B. Branch/ Office 336-859-4460
Collection System
The sewage collection system of the Town of Denton has approximately 13 miles of pipe with
lines sized from 6 inch to 10 inch in diameter. There are 7 sewer lift stations located in and
around town to convey the wastewater from our customers to the Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP). The sewer collection system is subject to regular inspections by the Division of Water

Resources, a branch of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The
collection system was last inspected on November 18, 2021. All items/deficiencies were
rectified, and a response letter was mailed to the Winston-Salem Regional Office of the
Department of Environmental Quality on December 6, 2021.
Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO's)
Date
Duration
Location
Cause
Total Volume
DWR Action
1/25/2023
4 hours
Council Access Rd.
Prolonged rain
11,000 gal.
Notice of Violation
and Inflow &
with Notice of
Infiltration
Intent
1/25/2023
4.5
Council Access Rd.
Prolonged rain
11,500 gal.
Notice of Violation
hours
and Inflow 8s
with Notice of
Infiltration
Intent
1/25/2023
5 hours
Counsel Access Rd.
Prolonged rain
16,500 gal.
Notice of Violation
and Inflow
with Notice of
Infiltration
Intent
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
The wastewater treatment facility operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES), an EPA mandated requirement for all wastewater treatment facilities nation-
wide. This permit includes monitoring requirements and discharge limits, some of which vary
with seasons and have different maximums for daily, weekly, and monthly averages. All limits
are prescribed to protect the stream and down -stream users of the water. During the reporting
year, January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023, the Town of Denton treated 142 million gallons of
wastewater. The previous year, we treated 139 million gallons. We also received 53.85 inches
of rain this past year whereas 2022 saw 44.2 inches of rain.
The WWTP is inspected regularly by the Winston-Salem Regional Office of the Division of
Water Resources to ensure compliance with Federal and State regulations. The WWTP was last
inspected in October 2018. The inspection showed no violations. The pandemic has impacted
the regularity of these inspections.
The Town did not receive any Notice of Violations (NOV) for the Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP) for calendar year 2023. We did however receive an NOV in January 2023 for an
incident that occurred in the latter half of 2022. We did not receive the NOV until after the
Annual Report had been completed for 2022.
The following table shows and explains the NOV we received:
Parameter
Date
Infraction
Disciplinary
Environmental
Action
Impact
Dichlorobromo-
11/30/2022
Exceeded
NOV
None
Methane
Monthly Avg.

The Town of Denton WWTP is located on Council Access Road. It is an extended aeration
biological process treatment plant with a permitted flow of 800,000 gallons per day. The
treatment plant, at its current location, was completed in 1984 with an expansion in 2000.
After solids removal and the biological treatment process has occurred, the water is disinfected
with chlorine gas and subsequently de -chlorinated with Sulfur Dioxide. The outgoing water
(effluent) is monitored and analyzed for some 17 permitted characteristics weekly and
monthly. Annually, the wastewater is tested for an additional -100 parameters. 6 of these
analytes are tested in-house at the WWTP field parameter laboratory. The parameters include;
Flow, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, pH, Conductivity and Ultra Low Range Chlorine
Residual. Because aquatic life is more sensitive than humans to these materials, some of these
parameter limits are lower than drinking water standards. The permits are complex and can
be viewed upon request.
Environmental Programs and Services
As part of our commitment to support environmental awareness and promote a better
understanding of our community's environmental role, Denton offers tours of the WWTP and
educational materials in the form of brochures and pamphlets for FOG education, Water
Conservation, and Annual Reports for water and sewer treatment. Bi-annually we post an ad
in the newspaper in an attempt to educate the public on the dangers of Fat's, Oil's, and
Grease (FOG) and the importance of keeping it out of the sewer system. The same ad that
runs in the newspaper will also be seen on the Town's website http: / /www.townofdenton.com.
Prohibited pollutants or liquids include:
• Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard
• Petroleum based products
• Any wastewater having a pH of less than 5.0 or greater than
9.5.
• Storm water, surface water, ground water, roof run-off, or
swimming pool drainage.
• Fats, Oils and Greases (FOG)
• Medical wastes (i.e. needles, glass fragments, razors and
expired and/or unused prescriptions/medications)
• Any wastes containing detergents or other substances which may cause excessive
foaming in the POTW.
• Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause
obstruction in the flow in the POTW resulting in the sewer line inundated with grease
interference but in no case solids larger than one half
inch(1/2") in any dimension.
• Any wastewater containing pollutants, including oxygen -demanding pollutants, (BOD
etc.) in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to cause
interference with the POTW.
• Any wastewater having a temperature greater than 150' F (66°C) or which will inhibit
biological activity in the POTW, but in no case wastewater which causes the
temperature at the introduction into the WWTP to exceed 104° F (40"C)
Fats. Oils. and Grease (FOG)
Grease is a real "pain in the drain" because it's a major cause of
problems we find in sewer lines.
Blockages occur when grease (things like oil, butter, margarine,

shortening, pan drippings, and sauces) is poured down the drain. Grease can clog sewer lines.
Clogged sewer lines lead to sewer spills, which are messy, bad for the environment, and can be
expensive. Town of Denton does everything it can to prevent sewer spills, but we can't do it
alone. We need your helpl
The best way you can prevent sewer spills is to never pour grease down the drain. Instead,
pour it into a used soup can, place in freezer to harden, and throw it away in the trash.
Don't believe the old saying (1) it's okay to pour grease down the drain as long as you run
water at the same time, or (2) it's perfectly fine to dump grease if you use your garbage
disposal to break it up. These are myths! It's never okay to pour any type of grease down the
drain. Here are some more ways to "Cease the Grease" -
Wipe or scrape your dishes before washing them.
Remove excess oil from pots and pans with a paper towel and throw it the trash can.
Use strainers in sink drains to collect food scraps and throw away the scraps in the
trash.
Thank you for your help, and please spread the word about how important it is to "Cease the
Grease". Together, we can protect our sewer system and the environment.
If you have questions or comments about this report, the sewer system, prohibited pollutants
or for further information about the sewer collection and treatment system, please contact
Town Hall at 336-859-4231 or the Operator in Responsible Charge of the sewer system at 336-
859-4460.
Check your Sewer Clean -outs!
A sewer clean out is a pipe or pipe(s) with a cap that provides access to the sewer line so that
blockages can be removed.
We ask that our residential customers check their sewer cleanouts to ensure they have not
been broken. Cleanouts can be broken by lawn mowers or traffic.
Sewer Cleanouts should be above ground level so in the event it should be broken, water or
other debris cannot flow into the sewer line. Mud/dirt, mulch and gravel are a few things that
can fall into the sewer and cause sewer backups into your home.
If you notice your cleanout is broken or is below ground level, contact Town Hall and report it,
a work order will be generated, and we will be out soon to repair or replace your broken
cleanout.
Are you concerned that a cleanout above ground level is unsightly? There are several ways to
disguise or hide the cleanout. White gravel around the cleanout, a bird bath or in a garden can
camouflage the pipe. Just remember the cleanout is there for the benefit of your property so
should always be accessible.

TOWN OF DENTON
January 9, 2024
NCDEQ-DWR
System Performance Annual Report
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1636
Subj: Annual Wastewater Treatment and Collection System Report
To Whom It May Concern,
I
JAN S 12024
CENTRAL FILES
As per letter dated October 19, 1999 and Clean Water Act of 1999, 1 am submitting 3 copies of our Annual
Wastewater Report. We have opted for electronic delivery to customers by posting on the Town's website;
https://www.townofdenton.com/images/2023_Annual_ Wastewater_Report.pdf. We have also posted a
Notice of Availability in the local Newspaper, the Denton Orator, which reads;
NOTICE TO PUBLIC
The Town of Denton hereby announces the availability of its 2023 Annual Wastewater Performance Report. If
you would like to receive a copy of this year's report contact Town Hall at 336-859-4231 or the Wastewater
Treatment Plant at 335-859-4460. The report is also available online at http://www.townofdenton.com. For
further information, feel free to attend the Board of Commissio sawmeeting held the first Monday of each month
at 6:OOPM at Town Hall
Lastly, we have posted copies of the report in public areas such as the Post Office and Town Hall Bulletin Board
and Information kiosk downtown.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Troy Branch, Town of Denton Collection System and
W WTP ORC at 336-859-4460.
Sincerely,
kB�—Bra�
h
Town of Denton
WWTP and Collection System ORC
201 W. Salisbury Street
P.O. Box 306 Phone: [phone]
Denton, NC 27239 Fax: [phone]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer