NC0021369_LV20170254_20170831

DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES - CIVIL PENALTY ASSESSMENT (File)
Violator: Town of Columbus
Facility Name: Columbus WWTP
Permit Number: NCO021369
County: Polk
Case Number: LV-2017-0254
ASSESSMENT FACTORS
1) The degree and extent of harm to the natural resources of the State, to the public health, or to private property
resulting from the violation;
All effluent violations may be detrimental to the receiving stream but may not be immediately quantified.
2) The duration and gravity of the violation;
One Weekly Average Fecal exceeded the permit limit by 50 %.
3) The effect on ground or surface water quantity or quality or on air quality;
All effluent violations may be detrimental to the receiving stream but may not be immediately quantified.
4) The cost of rectifying the damage;
The cost is unknown.
5) The amount of money saved by noncompliance;
The amount of money saved is unknown.
The amount of money saved would include the cost of excess solids removal and additional aeration. It
would also include more operating and maintenance time on site and the cost of additional chemical
treatment.
The amount of money saved would include the cost of collection of the additional samples and the cost of
analyzing them at a certified lab.
6) Whether the violation was committed willfully or intentionally;
It does not appear to be either.
7) The prior record of the violator in complying or failing to comply with programs over which the Environmental
Management Commission has regulatory authority; and
There has been one civil penalty enforcement in the twelve months prior to this violation.
8) The cost to the State of the enforcement procedures.
$118.68
V�fi3►1►-4-
Date G. Landon Davidson, P.G., Regions ervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Asheville Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ

Certified Mail # 7016 1370 0001 6571 7389
Return Receipt Requested
August 31, 2017
Tim Barth, Town Manager
Town of Columbus
PO Box 146
Columbus, NC 28722
SUBJECT: Notice of Violation and Assessment of Civil Penalty
for Violations of North Carolina General Statute (G.S.) 143-215.1(a)(6)
and NPDES WW Permit No. NCO021369
Town of Columbus
Columbus WWTP
Case No. LV-2017-0254
Polk County
Dear Permittee:
This letter transmits a Notice of Violation and assessment of civil penalty in the amount of $368.68 ($250.00 civil penalty +
$118.68 enforcement costs) against Town of Columbus.
This assessment is based upon the following facts: a review has been conducted of the Discharge Monitoring Report
(DMR) submitted by Town of Columbus for the month of April 2017. This review has shown the subject facility to be in
violation of the discharge limitations and/or monitoring requirements found in NPDES WW Permit No. NC0021369. The
violations, which occurred in April 2017, are summarized in Attachment A to this letter.
Based upon the above facts, I conclude as a matter of law that Town of Columbus violated the terms, conditions or
requirements of NPDES WW Permit No. NCO021369 and G.S. 143-215.1(a)(6) in the manner and extent shown in
Attachment A. In accordance with the maximums established by G.S. 143-215.6A(a)(2), a civil penalty may be assessed
against any person who violates the terms, conditions or requirements of a.permit required by G.S. 143-215.1(a).
Based upon the above findings of fact and conclusions of law, and in accordance with authority provided by the Secretary
of the Department of Environmental Quality and the Director of the Division of Water Resources, I, G. Landon Davidson,
P.G., Regional Supervisor, Asheville Regional Office hereby make the following civil penalty assessment against Town of
Columbus:
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources
2090 U.S. 70 Highway, Swannanoa, NC 28778
828-296-4500

$250.00 1 of the 1 violations of 143-215.1(a)(6) and Permit No.NC0021369, by discharging wastewater into
the waters of the State in violation of the Permit Weekly Geometric Mean for FCOLI BR.
$250.00 TOTAL CIVIL PENALTY
118.68 Enforcement Costs
$368.68 TOTAL AMOUNT DUE
Pursuant to G.S. 143-215.6A(c), in determining the amount of the penalty I have taken into account the Findings of Fact and
Conclusions of Law and the factors set forth at G.S. 143B-282.1(b), which are:
(1) The degree and extent of harm to the natural resources of the State, to the public health, or to private property
resulting from the violation;
(2) The duration and gravity of the violation;
(3) The effect on ground or surface water quantity or quality or on air quality;
(4) The cost of rectifying the damage;
(5) The amount of money saved by noncompliance;
(6) Whether the violation was committed willfully or intentionally;
(7) The prior record of the violator in complying or failing to comply with programs over which the Environmental
Management Commission has regulatory authority; and
(8) The cost to the State of the enforcement procedures.
Within thirty (30) days of receipt of this notice, you must do one of the following:
(1) Submit payment of the penalty, OR
(2) Submit a written request for remission, OR
(3) Submit a written request for an administrative hearing
Option 1: Submit payment of the penalty:
Payment should be made directly to the order of the Department of Environmental Quality (do not include waiver
form). Payment of the penalty will not foreclose further enforcement action for any continuing or new violation(s).
Please submit payment to the attention of:
Wastewater Branch
Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617

Option 2: Submit a written request for remission or mitigation including a detailed justification for such
request:
Please be aware that a request for remission is limited to consideration of the five factors listed below as they may
relate to the reasonableness of the amount of the civil penalty assessed. Requesting remission is not the proper
procedure for contesting whether the violation(s) occurred or the accuracy of any of the factual statements contained in
the civil penalty assessment document. Because a remission request forecloses the option of an administrative hearing,
such a request must be accompanied by a waiver of your right to an administrative hearing and a stipulation and
agreement that no factual or legal. issues are in dispute. Please prepare a detailed statement that establishes why you
believe the civil penalty should be remitted, and submit it to the Division of Water Resources at the address listed below.
In determining whether a remission request will be approved, the following factors shall be considered:
(1) whether one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors in NCGS 14313-282.1(b) was wrongfully
applied to the detriment of the petitioner;
(2) whether the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation;
(3) whether the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident;
(4) whether the violator had been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations; or
(5) whether payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions.
Please note that all evidence presented in support of your request for remission must be submitted in writing. The
Director of the Division of Water Resources will review your evidence and inform you of his decision in the matter of
your remission request. The response will provide details regarding the case status, directions for payment, and
provision for further appeal of the penalty to the Environmental Management Commission's Committee on Civil Penalty
Remissions (Committee). Please be advised that the Committee cannot consider information that was not part of the
original remission request considered by the Director. Therefore, it is very important that you prepare a complete and
thorough statement in support of your request for remission.
In order to request remission, you must complete and submit the enclosed "Request for Remission of Civil Penalties
Waiver of Right to an Administrative Hearing, and Stipulation of Facts" form within thirty (30) dys of receipt of this
notice. The Division of Water Resources also requests that you complete and submit the enclosed "Justification for
Remission Request."
Both forms should be submitted to the following address:
Wastewater Branch
Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617

Option 3: File a petition for an administrative hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings:
If you wish to contest any statement in the attached assessment document you must file a petition for an administrative
hearing. 'You may obtain the petition form from the Office of Administrative Hearings. You must file the petition with
the Office of Administrative Hearings within thirty (30) days of receipt of this notice. A petition is considered filed
when it is received in the Office of Administrative Hearings during normal office hours. The Office of Administrative
Hearings accepts filings Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except for official state
holidays. The petition may be filed by facsimile (fax) or electronic mail by an attached file (with restrictions) - provided
the signed original, one (1) copy and a filing fee (if a filing fee is required by NCGS § 15013-23.2) is received in the
Office of Administrative Hearings within seven (7) business days following the faxed or electronic transmission. You
should contact the Office of Administrative Hearings with all questions regarding the filing fee and/or the details of the
filing process.
The mailing address and telephone and fax numbers for the Office of Administrative Hearings are as follows:
6714 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699 6714
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
One (1) copy of the petition must also be served on DEQ as follows:
Mr. William F. Lane, General Counsel
Department of Environmental Quality
1601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1601
Please indicate the case number (as found on page one of this letter) on the petition.
Failure to exercise one of the options above within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter, as evidenced by an internal
date/time received stamp (not a postmark), will result in this matter being referred to the Attorney General's Office for
collection of the penalty through a civil action. Please be advised that additional penalties may be assessed for violations
that occur after the review period of this assessment.
If you have any questions, please contact Janet Cantwell with the Division of Water Resources staff of the Asheville
Regional Office at [phone] or via email [e-mail].
Sincerely,
G. Landon Davidson, P.G., Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Asheville Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
ATTACHMENTS
Ec: WQS Asheville Regional Office - Enforcement File
NPDES Compliance/Enforcement Unit - Enforcement File
G:\WR\WQ\Polk\Wastewater\Municipal\Columbus WWTP 21369\LV-2017-0254.rtf

JUSTIFICATION FOR REMISSION REQUEST
Case Number: LV-2017-0254
Assessed Party: Town of Columbus
Permit No.: NC0021369
County: Polk
Amount Assessed: $368.68
Please use this form when requesting remission of this civil penalty. You must also complete the "Request For Remission,
Waiver of Right to an Administrative Hearing, and Stipulation of Facts" form to request remission of this civil penalty.
You should attach any documents that you believe support your request and are necessary for the Director to consider in .
evaluating your request for remission. Please be aware that a request for remission is limited to consideration of the five
factors listed below as they may relate to the reasonableness of the amount of the civil penalty assessed. Requesting
remission is not the proper procedure for contesting whether the violation(s) occurred or the accuracy of any of the factual
statements contained in the civil penalty assessment document. Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143B-282.1(c), remission of a civil
penalty may be granted only when one or more of the following five factors apply. Please check each factor that you
believe applies to your case and provide a detailed explanation, including copies of supporting documents, as to why the
factor applies (attach additional pages as needed).
(a) one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors in N.C.G.S. 14313-282.1(b) were wrongfully applied to the
detriment of the petitioner (the assessment factors are listed in the civil penalty assessment document);
(b) the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation (i.e., explain the
steps that you took to correct the violation and prevent future occurrences);
(c) the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident (i.e., explain why the violation was unavoidable or
something you could not prevent or prepare for);
(d) the violator had not been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations;
(e) payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions (i.e., explain
how payment of the civil penalty will prevent you from performing the activities necessary to achieve
compliance).
EXPLANATION:

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
COUNTY OF POLK
IN THE MATTER OF ASSESSMENT ) WAIVER OF RIGHT TO AN
OF CIVIL PENALTIES AGAINST ) ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING AND
STIPULATION OF FACTS
Town of Columbus )
Columbus WWTP )
PERMITNO. NCO021369 ) CASE NO. LV-2017-0254
Having been assessed civil penalties totaling $368.68 for violation(s) as set forth in the assessment document of the Division
of Water Resources dated August 31, 2017, the undersigned, desiring to seek remission of the civil penalty, does hereby
waive the right to an administrative hearing in the above -stated matter and does stipulate that the facts are as alleged in the
assessment document. The undersigned further understands that all evidence presented in support of remission of this civil
penalty must be submitted to the Director of the Division of Water Resources within thirty (30) days of receipt of the notice
of assessment. No new evidence in support of a remission request will be allowed after (30) days from the receipt of the
notice of assessment.
This the
day of
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
SIGNATURE
20

ATTACHMENT A
Town of Columbus
CASE NUMBER: LV-2017-0254
PERMIT: NCO021369
FACILITY: Columbus WWTP
REGION: Asheville
COUNTY: Polk
LIMIT VIOLATION(S)
SAMPLE LOCATION: Outfall 001 - Effluent
Violation Report Unit of Limit Calculated % Over Violation Penalty
Date MonthNr Parameter Frequency Measure Value Value Limit Type Amount
4/29/2017 4-2017 Coliform, Fecal MF, Weekly #/100ml 400 600 50.0 Weekly $250.00
MFC Broth, 44.5 C Geometric
Mean
Exceeded

NPDES PERMIT NO.: NCO021369
FACILITY NAME: Columbus WWTP
OWNER NAME: Town of Columbus
GRADE: WW-2
eDMR PERIOD: 04-2017 (April 2017)
PERMIT VERSION: 4_0
CLASS: WW-2
ORC: Jason Howard Phillips
ORC HAS CHANGED: No
VERSION: 1.0
PERMIT STATUS: Active
COUNTY: Polk
ORC CERT NUMBER: 23496
STATUS: Processed
SAMPLING LOCATION: EFFLUENT DISCHARGE NO.: 001 NO DISCHARGE*: NO
�1
ta'
ie
CY
wF
e
F
C
9
g
O
Z
Z
50050
00010
00400
50060
C0310
C0610
C0530
31616
00300
Continuous
Weekly
Weekly
2Xweek
Weekly
Weekly
Weekly
Weekly
Weekly
Recorder
Grab
Grab
Grab
Composite
Composite
Composite
Grab
Grab
FLOW
TEMP-C
pH
CHLORINE
BOD -Conc
NH3-N -Conc
TSS -Conc
FCOLI BR
DO
2400 clock
Hrs
2400 clack
Hrs
Y/B/N
mgd
deg c
su
ug/l
mg/1
mg/I
mg/1
/100m1
mg/I
1
0935
1
y
0.122
2
0950
1
y
0.105
3
0700
8
y
0.307
4
0710
124
0700
8
y
0.168
22
15.6
0.28
<5
5
0610
8
y
0.336
6
0730
8
y
0.212
15
6.5
> 240
2.96
7
0615
8
y
0.152
15
6.5
31
4.56
e
10925
11
n
0.123
9
1015
1
n
0.107
10
0700
8
y
0.142
11
0700
24
0600
8
y
0.168
14
6.5
36
5.5
0.12
<5
>600
3.4
12
0730
8
y
0.143
13
0715
18
y
1
0.142
16
6.4
26
> 1
3.38
14
-
0735
1
n
0.134
15
0739
1
n
0.128
16
0834
1
y
0.113
17
0700
24
0700
8
y
0.125
26
4.1
0.17
<5
<I
18
0720 18
y 1
0.14
19
0800
8
y
0,152
17
6.4
38
3.67
20
0715
8
y
0.259
21
0720
8
y
0.164
18
6.5
2.95
22
0930
1
y
0.154
23
0840
1
y
0.422
24
0700
24
0615
8
y
0.5
24
3.6
0.14
< 5
> 600
25
10715
18
y 1
0.219
26
0615
8
y
0.163
19
6.4
4.11
27 1
0730
8
y
0.18
18
6.2
45 -
3.32
18
0730
1
It
0.173
29
0945
1
n
0.14
30
0945 11
1
n 1
0,12
Monthly Average Limit:
0.8
30
30
200
Monthly Average:
0.183767
16.5
31
4.7
0.1775
0
38.663641
3.54375
Daffy Maximum:
0.5
19
6.5
45
13.6
5.6
0.28
0
600
4.56
Daily Minimum:
0.105
14
6.2 122
0,12 10
0
2.95
**** No Reporting Reason: ENFRUSE = No Flow-Reuse/Recycle; ENV WTHR = No Visitation - Adverse Weather; NOFLOW = No Flow; HOLIDAY = No Visitation - Holiday

NPDES PERMIT NO:: NC0021369
FACILITY NAME: Columbus WWTP
OWNER NAME: Town of Columbus
GRADE: WW-2
eDMR PERIOD: 04-2017 (April 2017)
Outfall 001 - Effluent Comments:
4/6/17 fecal>240 heavy rain pump, failure
4/11/17 fecal>600 rotameter vacum line broke
PERMIT VERSION: 4.0
CLASS: WW-2
ORC: Jason Howard Phillips
ORC HAS CHANGED: No
VERSION: 1.0
4/24/17 fecal >600 heavy rain
5/5/17 had flow proportional c12 and thio pump installed to help with fecal problems
PERMIT STATUS: Active
COUNTY: Polk
ORC CERT NUMBER: 23496
STATUS: Processed