Pittsboro request for NPDES discharge permit into Haw River

Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:25:53 -0400
From: “Tom Glendinning”
Subject: Pittsboro request for NPDES discharge permit into Haw River

The town of Pittsboro has requested a permit to increase its discharge into the Haw River.  At present, it has permit for 750,000 gallons per day, or .75 mgd (million gallons per day.)  Allowing for development of the plot of land east of town and its future residents, the town wishes to plan for increased wastewater discharge.  Further, increased flow would allow more industry or commerce to lower the tax burden on residents.

The request demonstrates good planning.  The town will grow as pressures from the Triangle overflow into Chatham.  All populations have increased in Triangle towns.  Our growth has been limited by wastewater limitations.

Chatham hosts the cleanest section of the river below Reidsville and gets little benefit for protecting it with light development and low discharge.  Low river flow for the Haw is 1000 cubic feet per second or 646,272,000 gallons per day at Bynum (= 646 mgd in sewage treatment terms.)  Pittsboro is requesting 3.22 mgd maximum, or 0.5 % of the low river flow.  This volume should not disturb any river function.  High river flow is several times low river flow, i.e. when the dam at Bynum is hidden by water flowing over it.

Keep in mind that Western Wake Partners (WWP) have acquired a permit for 90 mgd, or 30 times what Pittsboro is requesting.  The department had no trouble permitting that flow, so there appears to be no reason that they should not permit 1/30th of that flow upstream.  River flow increases slightly at Buckhorn, where WWP will discharge its 90 mgd.  WWP will discharge 14 % of the river flow (volume) at full permitted allotment.

The math of the argument against Pittsboro’s discharge seems frivolous.  No statement of facts has been made by opponents.  Wastewater reuse is not a logical argument because there is no permanent agreement for it.  Such a plan would require time to develop and a contractual agreement.  The town must have a solid plan for discharge, not hypothetical, intermittent reuse of the wastewater.  Given time, reuse will occur.

Hugh Harrington and the Pittsboro town board will appreciate your support of this permit.

Send emails of support to Tom Belnick, Division of Water Quality, Department of Environment and Natural Resources at .

There will be a meeting held by the division Tuesday evening at 7 PM at the Pittsboro Library, CCCC campus.  Any comments in support made there should be accompanied by written statement and given to the division representative.

Tom Glendinning