NC0081370_Response to Notice_20240816

HICKORY
North Carolina �^
Life. Well Crafted.
Public Utilities
August 19, 2024
Andrew H. Pitner
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Mooresville Regional Office
610 East Center Ave., Suite 301
Mooresville, NC 28115
City of Hickory
PO Box 398
Hickory, NC 28603
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
RE: Notice of Violation & Intent to Assess Civil Penalty
Tracking Number: NOV-2024-LV-0736 Claremont —McLin Creek WWTP (NPDES Permit No. N00081370)
Dear Mr. Pitner;
The purpose of this correspondence is to provide additional information to the referenced Notice of Violation (NOV-2024-LV-0736)
for your consideration.
After discussion with the Plant ORC, and assessing process controls, the following was determined:
For the week ending on June 15, 2024, the facility violated the weekly geometric mean of 400/100mL for Coliform, Fecal MF, MFC
Broth, 44.5C (31616) with a result of 590/100mL. However,the facility demonstrated compliance with the monthly geometric
mean of 200/100ml with a result of 9.4/100ml. Additionally, all fecal coliform results for July 2024 were also compliant. The cause
of the non-compliance is unknown at this time. No impact to surface water quality was observed. The chlorine regulator and PRV
have since been replaced to ensure adequate and consistent disinfection. The laboratory has also implemented measures to
ensure that any results that could Impact weekly or monthly compliance are promptly Identified so that resampling efforts can then
be initiated in an attempt to mitigate potential future weekly and monthly geometric mean exceedances.
The City of Claremont takes all violations seriously and works diligently in promoting and protecting the environment, health
and natural resources. Additionally, due to the age and capacity of this facility, the City of Claremont is currently constructing a
new outfall to convey wastewater flows to the Hickory -Catawba W WTP and subsequently take the Claremont —McLin Creek
W WTP offline. The City hopes you will consider the above factors when evaluating possible enforcement actions. Should you
have additional questions or desire additional information, please do not hesitate contacting me at [phone].
Sincerely,
David R. Cox
Environmental Manager
EC: Jason A. Brown, City Manager —City of Claremont
William Hamblin, Public Utilities Director
Andrew Foy, Assistant Public Utilities Director
Bruce Reese, W WTP Superintendent
Richard Icard, Claremont —McLin Creek WWTP