CRF Challenge TCWS Permits
Catawba Riverkeeper challenges the issuance of discharge permits to Tega Cay Water Service based on a history of non-compliance.
DHEC BOARD DELAYS PERMIT ISSUANCE DECISION FOR TEGA CAY WATER SERVICE WASTEWATER DISCHARGE PERMITS
November 11, 2010 (Tega Cay, SC) – On Wednesday, November 10, Catawba Riverkeeper asked the DHEC Board to review two discharge permits issued to Tega Cay Water Service, Inc. (TCWS), a subsidiary company of Utilities, Inc. who also operates Carolina Water Service, Inc., that would allow TCWS to discharge for the next five years. Over the past few years, Tega Cay Water Service, Inc. has violated its permits that discharge into Lake Wylie for fecal coliform bacteria concentrations, total phosphorus concentrations, discharge flow amounts and sanitary sewer overflows.
At their meeting, the DHEC Board decided to delay the issuance these new permits to TCWS. The Board also decided to give TCWS exactly four months (March 10 deadline): (1) to complete additional plant modifications and/or upgrades to Phosphorus treatment and comply with their existing permits and (2) to perform a comprehensive audit of their distribution system for causes of sanitary sewer overflows and identify and triage the causes of overflows in order to develop a mediation plan with dates of compliance that will be added as a condition to any permit, if issued at a later date.
“The Board has certainly set and stoked a fire under Tega Cay Water Service. For the sake of Lake Wylie and Tega Cay residents, I hope this action by the Board results in permit compliance and elimination of sewage overflows,” stated Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman.
The DHEC Board will review discharge reporting data from these wastewater treatment plants during their April meeting.
In the meantime, Tega Cay citizens will be conducting their first Citizens’ Advisory Committee meeting on November 29, 2010 at the Glennon Community Center to address wastewater and stormwater issues in Tega Cay.
Click here to view a presentation with timeline and graphs of Tega Cay Water Service's non-compliance with its total phosphorus discharges into Lake Wylie. This may take a few moments to download (3.9MB .pdf), but it's worth the wait.
