NC0021881_NOV-2019-LV-0046 Response_20190205

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ON THE SHORES OF NORTH CAROLINA'S LARGEST NATURAL LAKE 1� 1.1
P.O. Box 145 �
Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina 28450
[phone] NDENID Q'
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[phone] Fax
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email:[e-mail]
`Hater Quality Regional
February 5, 2019 pperations section
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Wilmington Regional office i
NCDENR
Wilmington Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405
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Subject: NOTICE OF VIOLATION & INTENT TO ISSUE CIVIL PENALTY
NOV Tracking No. NOV-2019-LV-0046
NPDES Permit No. vkc<Do'�3LA Pyt
Lake Waccamaw Collection System
Columbus County i
Dear Ms. Sanchez-King:
Please accept this letter as acknowledgement of and reply to your Notice of Violation & Intent
to Issue Civil Penalty labeled NOV-2019-LV-0046.
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In reference to the above Notice of Violation, during the second week of December we
experienced very heavy rainfall. Flows at the treatment lant's effluent ranged from 170 000 d on
p g , gp
12/8/18 to 657,000 gpd on 12/16/18. Flows that high reduce the chlorine detention time to a point
where it is too short for proper disinfection. The. p p result is high fecal coliform discharge. The flows for �
the third week were closer to normal, and the fecal coliform readings, although elevated, were in
compliance with limits set forth in our NPDES Permit.
Also, upon arrival at the treatment plant on 12/17/18, we discovered that our clarifier had
stopped working. We bypassed the clarifier
g yp and sent the flow from the aeration basin directly to the
first polishing pond, allowing the clarifier to be drained for inspection. We also contacted the
Regional Office and advised them of our situation. The inspection of the clarifier was performed b
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Charles Underwood, Inc. from Sanford, NC; it was found that the upper and lower bearings, as well as
the gear box, needed to be replaced. Because of the age of the clarifier arts were hard to fin g , p d. �
However, the bearings have been replaced and parts to rebuild the gear box have been found and
ordered. The clarifier is back online and the aeration basin is being reseeded. The first polishing
. p g
pond is also being pumped out and the sludge will be used by a composting company. While every
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effort will be made to meet our permit limits, we anticipate that we will be out of compliance in
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several areas during the month of January and possibly into February.

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NCDENR Page 2
February 5, 2019
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The Town of Lake Waccamaw takes its responsibilityto protect the
p environment very
seriously. We have expended many man hours and a large amount of mone y to cor rect the problems
stated above and a civil penalty would deplete our very ti ht bud et made so Y g g by the cost of the
maintenance required to correct the above mentioned problems. For this reason, r
we respectfully
request.that no civil penalty be levied against the Town of Lake Wacc amaw. I
Sincerely,
TOWN OF LAKE WACCAMAW
Gordon Hargrove
Town Manager
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