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Home My WebLink AboutWQCS00013_NOV-2024-DV-0088_20240311C.".RY LIVE INS PI RED" - March 4, 2024 Mr. Michael Hall, Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Raleigh Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ 1628 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1628 CERTIFIED MAIL Dear Mr. Hall: On March 4, 2024, the Town of Cary Utilities Department received a Notice of Violation (NOV) letter dated February13, 2024, from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Resources — Raleigh Regional Office for two sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) that occurred on January 14 and January24, 2024. The letter identifies both January 14 and January 24 SSO events as an NOV, and requests written response from Cary to provide additional information within 15 business days. Cary's written submittal will be considered by NCDEQ and used to determine if a civil penalty will be assessed. Incident # Start Date Duration (min) Location Cause Total Volume Gal Total Volume Surface Water Gal DWR Action 202400279 1/14/2024 179 306 Highwood Debris 4,475 500 Notice of Pines Place, Cary, in line, Violation 27519 Grease 202400345 1/24/2024 140 Parkscene Ln, Debris 5,180 0 Notice of Adjacent to 2700 in line. Violation NC 55 Highway, Carv.27519 Cary takes pride in the operation and management of our 1,000 miles of wastewater collection system. We are an award winning and progressive wastewater utility that has very few reportable or large volume overflows. We place great emphasis on responding quickly to sewer emergencies to prevent and minimize any spills that impact our citizens, the community, and the natural environment. We appreciate the opportunity to provide supplemental information about the recent sewer overflows, our mitigation and cleanup efforts, and additional justification for why further enforcement or civil penalty are not warranted for Cary. 919.469.4000 1 carync.gov PO Box 8005 Cary, NC 27512 Sewer Overflow Cause — On January 14, 2024, at 6:09PM, Cary staff received a call from Cary communications staff stating a resident called about a manhole overflowing behind their property. Cary staff arrived on scene and observed manhole SP72515038 overflowing. Staff promptly mobilized equipment to clear the blockage by 9:08PM on January 14, 2024. The cause of the sewerspillwas identified as grease and debris (gravel/sediment) in the line. Sewer Spill Cleanup — After clearing the blockage and stopping the spill, Cary staff immediately began their sewer spill cleanup operations. While most of the sewer spilled from the manhole onto adjacent ground, an estimated 500 gallons reached an isolated portion of an unnamed tributary to Panther Creek. Cary staff dug holes throughout the affected area to pump the remaining sewer back into the collections system. Crews then raked the area and placed debris in trash bags and hauled it away. Lime was applied to the affected area. Corrective Actions —After clearing the blockage, sewer lines in the surrounding area were hydraulically cleaned, video inspected, and acoustic tested to ensure there were no additional accumulations or partial blockages. Crews cleaned and video inspected 682-ft of gravity main downstream of the spill site. Additionally, Cary staff acoustic tested 11,042- ft upstream of the blockage. Sewer Overflow Cause — On January 24, 2024, at 3:36PM, Cary's after hours staff received a report that water was flowing out of a manhole. Upon arrival, crews observed manhole SP73420091 overflowing and notified our on -call personnel and the BUORC. Staff mobilized equipment and cleared the blockage on January 24, 2024, by 5:5013M. The spill was caused by debris (gravel sediment). Following a video inspection, the pipe was found to have a hole in it. Sewer Spill Cleanup —After clearing the blockage, Cary staff immediately began cleaning up the sewer spill. Based on conductivity readings, and sewer only reaching a small portion of the detention pond, pumps were set up on the pond's edge to pump the sewer back into the wastewater collection system. Impacted surfaces areas were also flushed and pumped back into the system. Corrective Actions — After clearing the blockage, the sewer lines in the area were hydraulically cleaned, video inspected, and acoustic tested to ensure there were no additional accumulation or partial line blockages. Crews cleaned 18,910-ft, video inspected 2,093-ft and acoustic tested 18,910-ft up and downstream of the spill site. We are monitoring the area closely where the SSO occurred to ensure we do not have another blockage while we are in talks with a consulting firm on the best action for a permanent repair given the sensitive location next to a detention pond. CARY We appreciate the opportunity to provide supplemental information on both unfortunate sewer spills. We also appreciate NC DEQ's consideration in evaluating these sewer spills, the cause, and Cary's exceptional record and response to remediate and help ensure that a SSO reoccurrence does not happen at these locations. If we can answer any questions or provide any additional information, please feelfree to contact Mr. Chad Lemke, Wastewater Collection System Operator and ORC at (919) 319-4571. Sincerely, 1 e Revels, P.E. Utilities Director Cc: Chad Lemke, Wastewater Collection System Operator Attachments: • NCDEQ Notice of Violation to issue Civil Penalty— NOV-2024-DV-0088 • Collection System Sanitary Sewer Overflow 5-Day Report— Incident # 202400279 • Collection System Sanitary Sewer Overflow 5-Day Report— Incident # 202400345 CARY 3 DocuSign Envelope ID: EBAB573C-37B6-4778-8346-FFEEEFFDIFEC ROY COOPER G.Vr no! ELIZABETH S. BISER Secmmn RICHARD E. ROGERS. JR. IN, erto, Certified Mail # 7016 3560 0000 4428 6192 Return Receipt Requested Jamie Revels, Director of Utilities Town of Cary 400 James Jackson Ave Cary, NC 27513 NORTH CAROLINA Emironmenta(Quatity February 13, 2024 SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION Tracking Number: NOV-2024-DV-0088 Sanitary Sewer Overflows - January 2024 Collection System Permit No. WQCS00013 Cary Collection System Wake County Dear Permittee: 4C61 1 Z, The self -reported Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) 5-Day Report submitted by Town of Cary indicates violations of permit conditions stipulated in the subject permit and North Carolina G.S. 143-215.1. Violations include failing to effectively manage, maintain, and operate the subject collection system so that there is no SSO to the land or surface waters and making an outlet to waters of the State for purposes of G.S. 143-215.1(a)(1), for which a permit is required. Specific incident(s) cited in the subject report include the following: Total Vol Total Surface Incident Start Duration Vol Water Number Date (Mies) Location Cause (Gals) (Gals) DWRAction 202400279 1/14/2024 179 306 HIGHWOOD Debris in line, Grease 4,475 Soo Notice of Violation PINES PLACE, CARY, 27519 202400345 1/24/2024 140 Parkscene Ln., Debris in line 5,180 0 Notice of Violation adjacent to 2700 NC 55 Highway, Cary, 27519 �� wa• yi r„ rnx uu - rn . cn' an.lwn DocuSfgn Envelope ID: E6AB573C-37B6-4778-8346-FFEEEFFD1 FEC Remedial actions, if not already implemented, should be taken to correct the above noncompliance. Please submit a written response to this Notice of Violation. Your response is to be received by the regional office within 15 business days following receipt of this violation. Please include any additional documentation about this incident(s) in the response. The submittal will be considered in determining whether the Division will assess a civil penalty for the cited violations. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Kevin Fowler with the Water Quality Section in the Raleigh Regional Office at 919-791-4200 or via email at kevin.fowler@deq.nc.gov. Cc: Laserfiche Sincerely, [Vtb Sil.E by: awussx t. Maiueel, FDI BN16EUB361/4E Michael Hall, Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Raleigh Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ D_EQ~� �rbLuu4erlYwrnwmufLn:rnimrnrd(qubplU. narNlvyr 0.ee aan �, 0.Jey66r. awl Vltce l3BfYJ Hann UmrrP.tlelg0. N.n,r rvwuz]Hw DWR Division of Water Resources PART I: State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Resources Collection System Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reporting Form Form CS-SSO This form shall be submitted to the appropriate DWQ Regional Office within five business days of the first knowledge of the sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). Permit Number: WQCS00013 (WQCS# if active, otherwise use WQCSD#) Facility: Cary Collection System Incident #: 202400279 Owner: Town of Cary City: Cary County: Wake Region: Raleigh Source of SSO (check applicable): 0 Sanitary Sewer ❑ Pump Station / Lift Station SPECIFIC location of the SSO (be consistent in description from past reports or documentation - i.e. Pump Station 6, Manhole at Westall & Bragg Street, etc): 306 HIGHWOOD PINES PLACE, CARY, , 27519 Manhole #: SP72515038 Latitude (Decimal Degrees): Longitude (Decimal Degrees): Incident Started Dt: 01/14/2024 Time: 6:09 pm Incident End Dt: 01/14/2024 Time: 09:08 pm (mm-dd-yyyy) (hh:mm AM/PM) (mm-dd-yyyy) (hh:mm AM/PM) Estimated Volume of the SSO: 4,475 gallons Estimated Duration (Round to nearest hour): 2:59 hours Describe how the volume was determined: NCDEQ provided sewer spill estimation guide Weather conditions during the SSO event: Clear Did SSO reach surface waters? 0 Yes ❑ No ❑ Unknown Volume reaching surface waters (gals): 500 Surface water name: Panther Creek Did the SSO result in a fish kill? ❑ Yes E] No ❑ Unknown If Yes, what is the estimated number of fish killed? 0 SPECIFIC cause(s) of the SSO: Q Grease 0 Debris in line 24 hour verbal notification (name of person contacted ): George Bernard ❑ DWR 0 Emergency Mgmt Date (mm-dd-yyy): 01/15/2024 Time (hh:mm AM/PM): 01:05:00 pm If an SSO is ongoing, please notify the appropriate Regional Office on a daily basis until SSO can be stopped. Per G.S. 143-215.1 C(b), the responsible party of a discharge of 1,000 or more of untreated wastewater to surface waters shall issue a press release within 24-hours of first knowledge to all print and electronic news media providing general coverage in the county where the discharge occurred. When 15,000 gallons or more of untreated wastewater enters surface waters, a public notice shall be published within 10 days and proof of publication shall be provided to the Division within 30 days. Refer to the reference statute for further detail. The Director. Division of Water Resources, may take enforcement action for SSOs that are required to be reported to Division unless it is demonstrated that: 1) the discharge was cause by sever natural conditions and there were no feasible alternative to the discharge; or 2) the discharge was exceptional, unintentional, temporary and caused by factors beyond the reasonable control of the Permittee and/or owner, and the discharge could not have been prevented by the exercise of reasonable control. Part ll must be completed to provide a justification claim for either of the above situations. This information will be the basis WHETHER OR NOT PART III IS COMPLETED, A SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED AT THE END OF THIS FORM CS-SSO Form Page: 1 PART H: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FOR EACH RELATED CAUSE CHECKED IN PART I OF THIS FORM AND INCLUDE THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION AS REQUIRED OR DESIRED COMPLETE ONLY THOSE SECTONS PERTAINING TO THE CAUSE OF THE SSO AS CHECKED IN PART I (In the check boxes below, NA = Not Applicable and NE = Not Evaluated) A HARDCOPY OF THIS FORM SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE APPROPRIATE DWR REGIONAL OFFICE UNLESS IS Grease When was the last time this specific line (or wet well) was cleaned? Never Do you have an enforceable grease ordinance that requires new or retrofit of grease 0 Yes ❑ No ❑ NA NE traps/interceptors? Have there been recent inspections and/or enforcement actions taken on nearby restaurants or other nonresidential grease contributors? Explain. Residential neighborhood. No food establishments in the area. Have there been other SSOs or blockages in this area that were also caused by grease? When? If yes, describe them: Have cleaning and inspections ever been increased at this location? Explain. Have educational materials about grease been distributed in the past? 0FI&M M1 and to whom? Explain? If the SSO occurred at a pump station, when was the wet well and pumps last checked for grease accumulation? Were the floats clean? Yes ❑ No 0 NA ❑ NE Yes Rj No ❑ NA ❑ NE El Yes 0 No ❑ NA ❑ NE Yes 0 No ❑ NA ❑ NE ❑ Yes ❑ No 0 NA ❑ NE CS-SSO Form Page: 2 Comments. Debris in line What type of debris has been found in the line? Gravel Suspected cause or source of debris. Unknown. Are manholes in the area secure and intact? 0 Yes ❑ No ❑ NA NE When was the area last checked/cleaned? Manhole Inspected 02/22/2023 Have cleaning and inspections ever been increased at this location due to previous Yes 0 No ❑ NA NE problems with debris? Explain Are appropriate educational materials being developed and distributed to prevent futt ❑ Yes 0 No ❑ NA NE similar occurrences? Comments: System Visitation ORC 0 Yes Backup El Yes Name: Chad Lemke Cert# 1000563 Date visited: 01/14/2024 Time visited: 08:30PM How was the SSO remediated (i.e. Stopped and cleaned up)? The sewer line was ietted and hydraulically cleaned to remove the grease and debris to stop the spill. Staff took affected area. CS-SSO Form Page: 3 As a representative for the responsible party, I certify that the information contained in this report is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Person submitting claim: Chad Lemke Date: 01/18/24 01:36 pm Signature: Telephone Number: M q - 315 - y S-! f Title: C*llt,i:.oA5 5as4em OVC Any addition information desired to be submitted should be sent to the appropriate Division Regional Office within five days of t knowledge of the SSO with reference to the incident number (the incident number is only generated when electronic entry of th form is completed, if used). CS-SSO Form Page: 4 Y State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources DWR-. ` Division of Water Resources Collection System Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reporting Form Divlslon of Water Resources Form CS-SSO PART I: This form shall be submitted to the appropriate DWQ Regional Office within five business days of the first knowledge of the sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). Permit Number: WQCS00013 (WQCS# if active, otherwise use WQCSD#) Facility: Cary Collection System Incident #: 202400345 Owner: Town of Cary City: Cary Source of SSO (check applicable): County: Wake Region: Raleigh 0 Sanitary Sewer Pump Station / Lift Station SPECIFIC location of the SSO (be consistent in description from past reports or documentation - i.e. Pump Station 6, Manhole at Westall & Bragg Street, etc): Parkscene Ln., adjacent to 2700 NC 55 Highway Cary27519 Manhole #: SP73420091 Latitude (Decimal Degrees): 35.78434 Longitude (Decimal Degrees):-78.86942 Incident Started Dt: 01/24/2024 Time: 3:30 pm Incident End Dt: 01/24/2024 Time: 05:50 pm (mm-dd-yyyy) (hh:mmAM/PM) (mm-dd-yyyy) (hh:mmAM/PM) Estimated Volume of the SSO: 5,180 gallons Estimated Duration (Round to nearest hour): 2:20 hours Describe how the volume was determined: NCDEQ provided sewer spill estimation guide Weather conditions during the SSO event: Cloudy misty rain Did SSO reach surface waters? Surface water name: ❑ Yes 0 No ❑ Unknown Volume reaching surface waters (gals): 0 Did the SSO result in a fish kill? ❑ Yes El No F1 Unknown If Yes, what is the estimated number of fish killed? 0 SPECIFIC cause(s) of the SSO: 0 Debris in line 24 hour verbal notification (name of person contacted ): Dorothy M Robson 0 DWR ❑ Emergency Mgmt Date (mm-dd-yyy): 01/25/2024 Time (hh:mm AM/PM): 10:49:00 am If an SSO is ongoing, please notify the appropriate Regional Office on a daily basis until SSO can be stopped. Per G.S. 143-215.1C(b), the responsible party of a discharge of 1,000 or more of untreated wastewater to surface waters shall issue a press release within 24-hours of first knowledge to all print and electronic news media providing general coverage in the county where the discharge occurred. When 15,000 gallons or more of untreated wastewater enters surface waters, a public notice shall be published within 10 days and proof of publication shall be provided to the Division within 30 days. Refer to the reference statute for further detail. The Director Division of Water Resources may take enforcement action for SSOs that are required to be reported to Division unless it is demonstrated that: 1) the discharge was cause by sever natural conditions and there were no feasible alternative to the discharge; or 2) the discharge was exceptional, unintentional, temporary and caused by factors beyond the reasonable control of the Permittee and/or owner, and the discharge could not have been prevented by the exercise of reasonable control. Part II must be completed to provide a justification claim for either of the above situations. This information will be the basis WHETHER OR NOT PART III IS COMPLETED, A SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED AT THE END OF THIS FORM CS-SSO Form Page: 1 PART II: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FOR EACH RELATED CAUSE CHECKED IN PART I OF THIS FORM AND INCLUDE THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION AS REQUIRED OR DESIRED COMPLETE ONLY THOSE SECTONS PERTAINING TO THE CAUSE OF THE SSO AS CHECKED IN PART I (In the check boxes below, NA = Not Applicable and NE = Not Evaluated) A HARDCOPY OF THIS FORM SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE APPROPRIATE DWR REGIONAL OFFICE UNLESS IS Debris in line What type of debris has been found in the line? Sediment/gravel Suspected cause or source of debris. Unknown Are manholes in the area secure and intact? When was the area last checked/cleaned? Area last inspected 05/30/2023 Have cleaning and inspections ever been increased at this location due to previous problems with debris? Explain: R Yes ❑ No ❑ NA ❑ NE ❑ Yes 0 No ❑ NA ❑ NE Are appropriate educational materials being developed and distributed to prevent futt ❑ Yes ❑ No RNA ❑ NE similar occurrences? Comments: Due to the cause of the spill (sediment/gravel), no additional educational materials are being distributed at this time. System Visitation ORC ❑ Yes Backup 0 Yes Name: Tommy Floyd Cert# 1010540 Date visited: 01 /24/2024 Time visited: 04:53 PM CS-SSO Form Page: 2 How was the SSO remediated (i.e. Stopped and cleaned up)? Upon discovery of the spill. Cary Collections staff were dispatched to the scene. The sewer line was jetted and hvdraulica cleaned to remove sediment/gravel and stop the spill. Based on conductivity readings and sewer only reaching a small section of the detention pond, pumps were used to move wastewater from the pond edge back into the sewer system. Impacted surfaces were flushed and impacted natural areas were cleaned. Conductivity readings were taken and matche unaffected areas of the pond. As a representative for the responsible party, I certify that the information contained in this report is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Person submitting claim: Signature: Robert S Garner Telephone Number: t � q- ti 1 3- t2-q b Date: 01/26/24 08:15 am Title: Q (GC)QoS Any addition information desired to be submitted should be sent to the appropriate Division Regional Office within five days of i knowledge of the SSO with reference to the incident number (the incident number is only generated when electronic entry of th form is completed, if used). CS-SSO Form Page: 3 Jamie Revels, Utilities Director $6.03 US POSTAGE FIRST-CLASS a • PO BOX 8005 Mar082024 •Mailed TOWN OF CARY from ZIP 27512 �cCARY HUI NC 27512-8005 2ozFIRST-CLASSMARFLATSRATEZONE USPS CERTIFIED MAIL y 11923275 11923 11111111111111111111111111 062SO014418047 9407 1118 9876 5407 1212 30 Div of Water Resources, RRO Michael Hall, Regional Supervisor 1628 MAIL SERVICE CTR RALEIGH NC 27699-1628 I'�I'�'�IIrIrII�'�'�IIIIII'I'�IIIII'��ri�lllll'I�III��I�'�'I�IIII