P U B L I C N O T I C E

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION

1617 MAIL SERVICE CENTER

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27699-1617

NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO ISSUE A CONSENT ORDER

Public notice of intent to issue a State Consent Order to the following:

Union County Public Works (500 N Main St, Ste 918, Monroe, NC 28112) has requested Special Order by Consent EMC SOC WQ S20-001 for the Grassy Branch WWTP, a 0.05 MGD WWTP that discharges treated wastewater to Crooked Creek in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin under the authority of NPDES Permit NC0085812 but is unable to consistently comply with effluent limits for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Ammonia Nitrogen, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Fecal Coliform, and Flow. The County also holds North Carolina Collection System Permit WQCS00054 for operation of an existing wastewater collection system but is unable to consistently comply with the permit condition regarding sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) as set forth in Permit WQCS00054.

The Environmental Management Commission proposes to issue the Order per Article 21 of Chapter 143, N.C. General Statutes, and other regulations effective June 1, 2022.

Compliance with this order will require the County to begin and complete construction for a WWTP upgrade to attain compliance with final effluent limits in Permit NC0085812. The County shall comply with NPDES permit limits with the exception of the interim effluent limits identified in the Order. Compliance with this order will also require the County to continue ongoing inflow and infiltration (I&I) rehabilitation and to complete CCTV camera investigation of the sanitary sewer collection system to attain compliance with permit WQCS00054. This Order will expire on September 30, 2027.

A copy of the Order is available upon request by contacting Derek Denard of the Division of Water Resources at 919-707-3618, or by email at: derek.denard@ncdenr.gov. Comments on the proposed Order received no later than 30 days after the publish date of this notice will be considered in the final determination. A public meeting may be held if there is a significant degree of public interest.

A Public Notice ad will run in The Enquirer Journal on 4/26/22.

Comment Period Opens: 4/26/22

Comment Period Ends: 5/26/22

View SOC S20-001 Grassy Branch WWTP