NCG590044_Annual Performance_20240903

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
4ir
LJti I ities
Water•Wastewater•Solid Waste
Administration,P.O.Box 2511,Winston-Salem,NC 27102
336-727-8000• wsfcutilities.org
RECEIVED
August 29, 2024
SEP 0 3 2024
Andrew Girgis
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality NCDEQ/DWR/NPDES
PERCS Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
Re: FY 2023-2024 System Performance Report
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities 1
Dear Mr. Girgis,
Enclosed you will find our annual performance report for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities
wastewater collection and treatment system as mandated by the North Carolina Clean Water Act of
1999.This report covers the period from July 1, 2023,to June 30, 2024.
Copies of this report can be obtained by our customers at the front desk of Stuart Municipal Building,
100 E. First St., at the Forsyth County Central Library, by calling CityLink 336-727-8000, and online at
citvofws.org/wwreports. We will publish a Notice of Availability in the Sept.4, 2024,Winston-Salem
Journal. A copy of that legal ad is enclosed and the Affidavit of Publication will be emailed upon receipt.
Please call me at 336-747-7315 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Courtney L. Driver, P.E.
Utilities Director
Cc: Michael Stover, P.E., Deputy Director-Operations
Bill Brewer, Deputy Director-Water&Wastewater Treatment
Keith Jones, Wastewater Treatment Superintendent
Kenny Atkins, Utilities Field Operations Manager
Antonio Martinez, Assistant Field Operations Manager-Wastewater System ORC
File
YOUR LINK TO CITY SERVICES
CALL 311[336-727-8000]
TEXT:855-481-LINK[5465]
[e-mail]

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
Utilities
Water•Wastewater•Solid Waste
Wastewater Collection & Treatment System
Performance Report for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
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•
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4111
Archie Elledge Wastewater Treatment Plant Muddy Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
NPDES Permit NC0037834 NPDES Permit NC0050342
This report is published annually and released to our customers in accordance with the requirements of the North
Carolina Clean Water Act of 1999 and provides information on the Publicly Operated Treatment Works (POTW) and
Collection System operated by Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities (WSFC Utilities). It covers the period of July 1,
2023, through June 30, 2024 (FY24).
WSFC Utilities operates two wastewater treatment plants with a combined treatment capacity of 51 million gallons per
day. The wastewater collection system includes 1,825 miles of sewer lines and 45 lift stations. During the period covered
by this report, a total of 14,255,480,000 (14.2 billion) gallons of wastewater was collected and treated at these facilities.
Following the removal of solids and pollutants, 12,616,180,000 (12.6 billion)gallons of water was discharged into Salem
Creek and the Yadkin River. It is important to note that the treated water returned to these waterways is of a higher
quality by most parameters than the water in the river itself.
WSFC Utilities staff works hard to meet and surpass the mandates of the North Carolina Clean Water Act and the
requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.These permits regulate the
operation of the treatment plants, the disposal of biosolids, and the operation and maintenance of our collection
system. Staff attend Collection and Wastewater Treatment Plant(WWTP) Operator schools to improve their skills and
obtain appropriate certification and training in order to uphold these standards.
The two wastewater plants operate under the permits listed in the photo captions above, and the wastewater collection
system operates under NPDES Permit WQCS00003.The treatment and disposal of residual biosolids produced by the
plants is accomplished by anaerobic digestion, followed by processing in a biosolids drying facility at the Archie Elledge
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County WWTP under Permit WQ0029804.The biosolids dryer facility roduced 1,135 dry tons of pelletized biosolids during
til sties FY24, which were beneficially applied to farmland. Following a Nov. 9, 2023, incident at the dryer, operations were
halted and 4,445 dry tons of"cake" residuals were hauled to the city-owned and operated Hanes Mill Road Landfill.
- Water•Wastewater•Solid Waste
The water system has three additional NPDES permits: Swann Water Treatment Plant (WTP) operates under General
wsfcutilities.org Permit NCG590003,Thomas WTP under General Permit NCG590044, and Neilson WTP under Permit NC0086011. All
three water plants operated within compliance of their permit conditions during this performance period.The
treatment process at the water treatment plants generates a Class-A residual that is land-applied under Permit
8 1

the public is necessary to completely solve this problem. Over the past year, WSFU Utilities personnel have conducted • November-December 2023: Water-sewer Did you know?bill message: Grease and so-called flushable wipes cause
outreach following sewer backups to educate customers in those areas on the proper disposal of cooking grease,fats costly raw sewage backups in your home. Avoid the mess and expense:CAN the GREASE and NO WIPES in PIPES. Only
and other oils. In addition, maintenance personnel have been cleaning the publicly maintained portions of sewer flush the four Ps:Pee, Poop, Puke and(toilet)Paper! Visit cityofws.org/grease and cityofws.org/nowipes for details.
connections to keep sewer main lines clean and free of grease, as well as tree roots and debris.
• Nov. 9, 2023: Can the Grease was featured at a turkey fry ,�s �" % .,k ". ' ' ' }
demonstration by the Winston-Salem Fire Department with ' " °I.� �* a `
During FY24, WSFC Utilities continued efforts to reduce SSOs by spending more than $6.6 million on the rehabilitation of
31,545 feet of gravity sewer mains, 90 manholes,and 175 service laterals. The rehabilitated sewer mains primarily coverage from all television news outlets in the market. �49 . T,�„„,.,,e�shis�tead
It ce
ranged in size from 6"to 15".The mains were rehabilitated by means of pipe bursting, cured-in-place lining of pipes, • Nov. 7, 2023, and December 19, 2023:TWO holiday-cooking !- i �
total replacement, or a combination of these methods.The enhanced condition of rehabilitated sewer mains and 1
Can the Grease and No Wipes in Pipes news releases,social _. r ,,
manholes not only contributed to the reduction of SSOs, but also aided in the reduction of inflow and infiltration (I&I) by +
media and web NEWS. Received coverage in Ask SAM (WS � ",I � -_ =
decreasing and/or eliminating access points for storm water runoff and groundwater to enter the wastewater collection !' ° "•"' "
Journal) and interviews on ABC45 and WXII. ,
system.These I&I trouble spots were further identified by 34 miles of smoke testing. In addition, WSFC Utilities - }ram"'"`
performed CCTV inspection of 321,024 linear feet of sewer mains. Staff and contractors also improved access to the • March 14, 2024: Booth at Real World Forsyth high school -
collection system through inspection and mowing/clearing of approximately 71 miles of easements. event at Salem College with grease/wipes info and literature.
m • March 2024: Forsyth Creek Week sponsorship,water plant tour,State of Our Water panel discussion (FOG,wipes,
'-. r - nutrient management), and Jamboree events promoted FOG/wipes campaigns and spin-to-win prizes.
s•c
r 41..- r:
ara+d . Throw them inthetcashinstead , •April-June 2024: Colorful Can the Grease two-sided English/Spanish bill insert included in water-sewer bill.
.
- —_ -J •Apil 17, 2024 & May 23, 2024: Proper disposal of
/'i I„M,,,,:;. att.:-."11, i— " , cooking oil (at 3RC EnviroStation) in Ask SAM. •�wysf�cutilities org `
'_'� IP' �� I i •April 20, 2024: Our high-traffic corner booth at the ,
Customer involvement continues to play an important role in the reduction of SSOs. Our Can the Grease and No Wipes Earth Day Fair provided nonstop engagement for ,, ..., E , .�-�
approx. 9,000 attendees with the debut of our eye- t
in Pipes campaigns educate the public on the hazards of dumping fats, oils or grease (FOG) in drains and flushing wipes r,,;,�
popping Can the Grease and No Wipes in Pipes �„_- ,,. , ,
and other non biodegradable products down the toilet. No Wipes in Pipes helps customers of all ages realize the wrapped vanplus enthusiastic staff sharingFOG/wipes " i •
t u
W
"bottom" line is you should only flush the Four Ps: Pee, Poop, Puke & (toilet) Paper. See more at cityofws.org/nowipes pp. p r �-, �
campaign literature, activity sheets and spin-to-win
and cityofws.org/grease. r F
prizes. rt '
Community Outreach & Education •April 24, 2024: FOG &wipes info and promo items shared at RJ Reynolds "Environmental,Social & Governance"staff
event.
' • • May 3, 2024: Wastewater plant supervisor explained plant process &
•
•July 12 & 16, 2023: Wake Forest University's #0. 74,,,,,,44,,:l
9•ei d I �°� .. PIO shared FOG/wipes info and activity sheets for Career Day at Smith Farm
Bioscience Institute summer immersion ' -' d Fe ' -
f : V .a f* I `; .b, Elementary.
program toured Elledge WWTP with 60 high * i �at-it- 6 I P. i f_ ' . 1 i
school students from across the country. 7' , _ I s ,__
t` , ., ;�-/ 16, gA— Our English-Spanish Plumber Responsibilities
1 k --L. . S ( t sheet Good Neighbor Policy brochure and s ' ..
•Sept. 9, 2023: FIESTA sponsorship booth r :- ' .- ' < -' �� '
promoted FOG/wipes campaigns "L.+ " , iiii , - LL webpages at cityofws.or�/gnp are an ongoing
01 effort to educate the public about the benefits of 1 ft
English/Spanish coloring books and spin-to-win T '`' �- a backwater valve device. ' l
prizes like Can the Grease branded spatulas,
can lids, magnet clips, potholders,towels, etc. ,. .,,� .a..
Lastly, staff continued to identify and plan for projects to reduce SSOs, as well as infiltration
and inflow into the wastewater collection system. In addition to the benefits of reducing
•Sept. 14& 15, 2023: Industrial customers toured Elledge WWTP. SSO volume and the reduction of water getting into the system,these projects have the ., '=�I, '
•Sept. 21, 2023: City of Winston-Salem University presentation included our FOG and wipes information, plus outdoor added benefit of decreasing the amount of wastewater treated,thereby reducing overall . ' `b' `` _
demos of the CCTV system and jet-vac truck. operating costs. w.
•Oct. 2, 2023: Booth at Carolina Classic Fair with literature,wipes& FOG info and prize wheel. To report a wastewater spill, please contact the CityLink 24-hour customer service line: 336-727-8000. For questions
regarding our programs or this report, contact Gale Ketteler, Utilities Public Information Officer at 336-747-7414 or
•Oct, 21, 2023: International Village sponsorship booth promoted FOG/wipes campaigns and spin-to-win prizes. [e-mail] report is available at the front desk of Stuart Municipal Building, 100 E. First St., the Forsyth
County Central Library, by request at CityLink, and at cityofws.org/wwreports.
4 5

Performance Summary of Wastewater Collection System-FY24
Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) There were two sanitary sewer overflows at the wastewater treatment plants in FY24. On Jan. 24, a pipe failure caused
27,000 gallons of non-potable water (NPW)to spill on the ground near Archie Elledge WWTP. Staff quickly pumped the
SSO w/ SSO w/ NPW back into the vault, fixed the line and only 5,400 gallons reached Salem Creek. On Jan. 28, heavy flooding from a
Fiscal Year No. of Notice of >1,000 gal in >15,000 gal in SSO Volume(gal) rain event caused a valve to fail at Muddy Creek WWTP and 13,360 gallons spilled into South Muddy Creek. Within five
SSOs Violations minutes, staff decreasedplant flow, resolved the issue and reopened the valve.
Surface waters Surface waters P
Total 63 17 19 6 315,968
- A summary for the WSFC Utilities Mercury Minimization Plan can be viewed at cityofws.org/2723/Dental-Amalgam-
Discharges.
SSO occurrence attributable to: No. of SSOs Percentage by Cause SSO Gallons Percentage by Volume The remainder of this document includes details about
-•r• system discharges and overflows from our wastewater
•
Grease 9 14% 21,665 6% • - collection system and preventative maintenance
Roots 14 23% 23,830 7% '` - t� programs established to prevent potential problems.
•
Debris 11 17% 42,955 13% 4 #` �� ' f ' ' i WSFC Utilities' goal is to have zero sanitary sewer
` - -. E„ V i'1 overflows (SSO)from the wastewater collection
Inflow& Infiltration 0 0% 0%_ 0 �;' �'`_ � system. However, during the last fiscal year, 63 events
Vandalism 4 6% 30,280 9% -- `' t -,---F
r I+ totaling 0.0025% of the wastewater collected, resulted
Pipe Failure 8 12% 21,545 6% �:; A�-'a . � Q73 in spills or overflows from the collection system.Tables
Lift Station Equipment Failure 0 0% ��'
0 0% u.. .,„ in this report provide a summary of collection system
9% 58% -- <_�.- -A- overflows re orted in FY24.
Severe Natural Causes 6 186,360 . #Yy P
Other 11 19% 13,413 4% ti
�— r!+�orlrr�olf• —-.-. Since the passage of the North Carolina Clean Water
Bypass Pump Failure 0 0% 0 0%
,'J� '41:3. Act in 1999 the total annual SSOs have been tracked
ANNUAL TOTAL 63 100% 315,968 100% against the baseline of fiscal year 1998-99. Diligent
preventative maintenance continues to reduce SSOs since the baseline year. In fact, FY24 had a significantly lower
number of SSOs(63) since reporting began in 1999 (189). Our success reducing SSOs incorporates Geographic
Information Systems (GIS)with our computer maintenance management system, Cityworks.Together, these two
Details of Wastewater Collection System-FY24 systems display historical work-order information that directs our crews to areas with recurring issues. Management
uses this same data on capital projects designed to alleviate the causes of repeat SSOs.
Probable Cause of Total SSO SSO Volume in
Month/Year SSO Volume (gal) Surface Waters Location of SSO
In FY24, WSFC Utilities completed Year 8 of the Collection System Improvement Program, which helps prioritize and
7/7/2023 Pipe failure 75 75 1865 Runnymede Rd schedule preventative maintenance measures based on inspections conducted in the field. Inspections range from
7/13/2023 Other 400 400 5066 Overdale Rd routine cleaning to closed-circuit television (CCTV), and are tracked in Cityworks.To collect more uniform data and
7/17/2023 Debris 200 200 1101 West First St. increase efficiency, both of our CCTV camera systems operate on WinCan, which integrates with Cityworks. All the
7/21/2023 Roots 30 30 695 Amanda Place information collected from the field is seamlessly entered into our preventative-maintenance scheduling tool,
7/24/20023 Other 583 583 2195 South Main St. FreeFlowH20.This streamlines the decision-making process for cleaning, rehabilitation and/or replacement of our
7/26/2023 Grease 1,250 625 326 Oak Ridge Dr. collection system infrastructure.These systems allow our field personnel to identify and submit information directly to a
8/14/2023 Debris 100 20 158 McGreggor Rd % supervisor with a few keystrokes. This information also helps CityLink, our customer service call center, convey issues to
8/15/2023 Debris 20 20 340 North Main St the customer in a timely manner.
8/16/2023 Debris 780 394 4250 N. Patterson Ave. Major causes of preventable SSOs in FY24 were attributed to grease deposits, debris accumulation (including wipes) and
8/24/2023 Debris 200 0 5350 University Pkwy root intrusion. Because of this,funding has been approved for FY25 for more preventative cleaning of the collection
9/8/2023 Pipe Failure 20 0 501 South Hawthorne Rd system. Proactive cleaning has reduced SSOs by preemptively targeting areas prone to the three major triggers. In FY24,
9/25/2023 Other 25 25 600 South Cherry St. WSFC Utilities cleaned more than 480 miles.That's more than a quarter of the 1,825-mile gravity wastewater collection
10/10/2023 Grease 600 300 935 Hanes Mall Blvd system. In-house personnel cleaned nearly 120 miles of publicly owned/maintained sewer lines, and contracted crews
10/11/2023 Roots 20 0 3729 Crosland Rd cleaned 360 miles at a cost of$2,121,825. Of those miles, nearly 80%were proactively cleaned, as opposed to reactive.
10/12/2023 Debris 9,125 8,212 3801 N. Liberty St. Proactive cleaning goals will continue to increase in the next fiscal year.
10/16/2023 Roots 100 0 155 Cook St.
10/22/2023 Vandalism 21,750 21,750 696 Hanes Mall Blvd. In 2003, a Grease Interceptor Ordinance was adopted,which regulates the operation and maintenance of residential,
11/11/2023 Pipe Failure 50 0 929 Aureole St. commercial, and industrial grease trap interceptors.This ordinance alone has been effective in reducing the amount of
11/18/2023 Debris 850 0 2020 Cloverdale Ave. grease-related SSOs since its adoption. In 2003,the total number of SSOs spiked at 269.The following year it dropped to
11/24/2023 Roots 50 0 3544 Burnley Dr. 241, and the count has declined steadily since that time. While this ordinance has been effective,further assistance from
6 3

WQ0031314. During this compliance period, a total of 313.7 dry tons were hauled from Swann WTP and applied on Month/Year Probable Cause of Total SSO SSO Volume in Location of SSO
farmland in Yadkin County.Thomas WTP hauled 475.54 dry tons of residuals to the city-owned and operated Hanes Mill SSO Volume (gal) Surface Waters
Road Landfill, and a total of 792.74 dry tons of residuals were hauled from Neilson WTP and applied on farmland in 11/30/2023 Other 200 200 3800 Reynolda Rd
Davidson County. 12/7/2023 Residential Grease 50 0 1339 Glen Oks
12/12/2023 Pipe Failure 50 50 738 Graves St.
12/18/2023 Residential Grease 850 850 800 North Cameron Ave.
- 4. .. _ 12/21/2023 Residential Grease 7,200 0 4409 Bent Tree Farm Rd.
` ,; . -. �_ . lilt _ Vandalism 2,330 2,330 1040 Hanes Mall Blvd.
12 22 2023
,�
'. - � � , **114Mi' [, """ 12/23/2023Residential Grease 115 115 1717 Curraghmore Dr.
�•
-` 'i l I: ' _ 2/29/2023 Roots 300 300 175 Mercantile Dr.
��.__- .'7 ;; �� 4' \ - , 1/2/2024 Residential Grease 8,400 2,400 2620 Claremont Ave.
1/2/2024 Pipe Failure 1,650 1,650 110 Thomas St.
Swann,Thomas&Neilson Water Treatment Plants
1/7/2024 Roots 5,775 5,775 1755 Janita Dr.
Archie Elledge and Muddy Creek WWTPs had three violations of their permit limits during FY24.There was one violation 1/9/2024 Severe Natural Causes 37,340 37,340 1717 Buena Vista Rd.
due to bioassay sample results at Archie Elledge WWTP,which was retaken. Muddy Creek WWTP experienced one 1/9/2024 Severe Natural Causes 39,640 39,640 3656 Reynolda Rd.
violation for exceeding weekly total suspended solids(TSS) limits and one for exceeding the monthly TSS limits.The • 1/18/2024 Other 150 150 4474 Carrie Ave.
corrective action was chemical treatment changes to help reduce effluent TSS.The Biosolids Dryer Facility reported no 1/18/2024 Pipe Failure 1,500 750 1646 Thompson Dr.
violations of permit limits during the reporting period. 1/29/2024 Severe natural Causes 54,000 54,000 4561 Cooper Rd.
1/30/2024 Residential Grease 50 50 1600 Mansfield
As in past years,the two wastewater treatment plants have over-performed at removing contaminants before releasing 1/30/2024 Other 4,700 1,175 4497 Ogburn Ave.
treated water back to Salem Creek and the Yadkin River. Our permits state that effluent allowed shall not exceed 15%of 1/30/2024 Other 600 600 2300 N. Patterson Ave.
the influent value.That means with 24,741 tons of pollutants collected (influent), up to 15%(3,711 tons)would be 1/31/2024 Roots 450 450 117 Lakeview Dr.
allowed in our discharge (effluent).That's more than five times what was actually released.Thanks to our excellent 2/5/2024 Other 25 25 2300 N. Patterson Ave.
infrastructure and processes, plus the dedication and diligence of our staff,only 660 tons of pollutants were discharged 2/12/2024 Roots 25 0 2290 Sallies Lane
this past fiscal year. That is less than 3%of the pollutants originally present in our influent. We are very proud our 2/18/2024 Roots 1,650 0 219 Stanaford Rd.
wastewater treatment staff consistently surpasses requirements imposed by the State of North Carolina's Division of 2/19/2024 Debris 100 100 1717 Buena Vista Rd.
Water Resources. See the chart below.
2/20/2024 Debris 7,500 7,500 145 Highland Ave,
2/22/2024 Severe Natural Causes 42,750 42,750 463 Harper St.
Wastewater Treatment Efficiency FY 2023-24 2/26/2024 Severe Natural Causes 12,600 12,600 166 Winfield Ridge Rd.
Tons of Regulated Pollutants 3/3/2024 Roots 150 150 3796 Guinevere Lane
3/8/2024 Roots 9,800 500 3989 Peters Creek Pkwy
30,000 24,741 3/14/2024 Vandalism 900 0 1374 Glen Center Dr.
3/25/2024 Residential Grease 3,150 3,150 1307 Waybridge Lane
20 000 •
4/4/2024 Pipe Failure 18,000 18,000 4300 Old Greensboro Rd.
cn 4/4/2024 Other 630 630 5428 Esher Dr.
C 4/14/2024 Roots 250 250 1340 Beaverton Trail
O
I- 10,000 r 4/22/2024 Roots 30 0 1700 Calvary View Lane
3,711 4/27/2024 Roots 900 0 5220 Little Brook lane
660 5/3/2024 Roots 4,300 2,150 800 Whispering Brook Dr.
0 5/13/2024 Other 125 0 7751 Topsider Dr.
5/20/2024 Severe Natural Causes 30 0 2070 Bowen Blvd.
• Received at Treatment Plants 6/2/2024 Vandalism 5,300 4,240 4243 Tise Ave.
6/7/2024 Pipe Failure 200 0 3376 Middlebrook Dr.
ill Allowed in Discharge by Division of Water Quality 6/10/2024 Other 3,400 1,200 800 Whispering Brook Dr.
6/21/2024 Other 2,575 2,575 800 Whispering Brook Dr.
® Actually Discharged by Treatment Plants Winston-Salem/
FY 2023-2024 63 315,968 276,279
Forsyth County
• Effluent (pollutants) measured include biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and
nitrogen (NH3).
• Permit states effluent allowed shall not exceed 15%of the influent value.
2 7