Complaint ID 95484 — Public Copy

Report generated on April 19, 2024, 7:46 PM.

Status: Approved/Closed

Date Received	January 22, 2021, 12:30 PM
Assigned Office	Coastal District
Date Complaint Closed	June 17, 2021, 2:30 PM
Review Comments	[Not entered]

Complaint

Mr. Harvey and Mr. Senadi met with David Lyle and Bruce Foisy at 10:00 in the Brunswick office. Both gentlemen presented us with an itemized list of nine major wastewater spills and one alleged instance of falsification of drinking water sampling locations on paperwork. Accompanying the listing of nine alleged wastewater spills were corresponding photographs documenting to various degrees the major wastewater spills. The allegation with the wastewater spills is that the spills were not properly reported to the state nor were associated notification provided to the public, health departments, newspaper, etc. The falsification of drinking water reports involved taking six drinking water samples from the building housing Clearwater Solutions behind or on Cantyre St and Jimmy Ford Road. The Clearwater solutions operator had allowed six samples to become too old in the refrigerator and Chris Lee, Project Manager, retook the samples from one spigot behind the building. Reportedly, another operator "sealed" the samples. The person alleging that drinking water sample sheets were falsified and witnessed the falsification is no longer at the City operations. The photos provided Mr. Harvey and Mr. Senadi were taken by an unnamed individual and provided to Mr. Harvey and Mr. Senadi at which time the photos were downloaded off a camera and printed out. Further information includes: -The photographer is unknown -The severed force main pictured was cut by a lawnmower.

Primary Concern	Water Quality Control
Secondary Concern	Safe Drinking Water

Location of Complaint	City of Port Wentworth. See the attachments for specific locations.
City of Complaint	Port Wentworth
County of Complaint	Chatham

Source

Facility ID Number	NPDES GA0038814 & WSID 0510002
Source Name	City of Port Wentworth
Source Contact	City Manager Mr. Edward Booth
Source Address	7224 Georgia Highway 21 Port Wentworth, Georgia 31407

Actions

January 26, 2021 — Initial Investigation

Initial Investigation with Dea Pasya. Tried to find sites where original pictures were taken for all different spills. Went to the January 9, 2021 lift station overflow at the Wafflehouse liftstation. We were able to confirm the picture where lime covered the ground all around the liftstation. Picture attached.

February 11, 2021 — Other

Compliant Investigation Letter sent to the city manager Edwin Booth to respond to the following allegations of 9 reported spills as well as to report all spills that occur.

February 11, 2021 — Other

Mr. Harvey called to provide additional information regarding the complaint. He advised that a Clear Water Solutions employee told him that the duration of the Waffle House liftstation spill was 4 days. This information is not consistent with the previous report of a spill of 200 gallons. This call was an additional allegation that the company is not properly reporting spills.

March 3, 2021 — Other

Brian Harvey called David Lyle to report a possible spill at 2am in the morning of 3/3/2021 at the Waffle House lift station in Port Wentworth. He suspects the spill has entered the Little Hearst Branch Canal behind the lift station. EPD will investigate.

March 3, 2021 — Initial Investigation

David Lyle heard from Port Wentworth city employees that there was a spill at the Waffle House lift station occurring with possible spill into canal behind lift station. The spill started at 2am on 3/3/2021.

March 4, 2021 — Initial Investigation

Michelle and Dea Pasya investigated Waffle House lift station spill around 8am on 3/4/2021, two employees of Clearwater Solutions were on site. They said both pumps were not working, they were trying to by-pass. There was evidence of a spill with smell and puddles. The employees said the spill went into the creek which leads straight to Little Hearst Branch Canal.

March 4, 2021 — Other

Chris Lee, project manager for Clearwater Solutions for City of Port Wentworth, emailed Dea Pasya to report a spill at the Waffle House Lift Station on 3/4/2021 at 8:37am. Email below: Good Morning Dea, Yesterday, about 9:30 a.m., I received a call from SCADA concerning high levels at Waffle House Lift Station. When I arrived, the bypass pump was running and the water levels were high. I did notice where some water may have come out and back into a manhole, but I never saw any water come out myself. As a precaution, I did lime the area and take samples of the creek, up and downstream. I should have the results around 2:00 p.m., today. I'll let you know when I have those results. Thanks, Chris Lee Project Manager Port Wentworth, GA Cell: 864-xxx-xxxx [email@removed.invalid] CLEARWATER SOLUTIONS C L E A R W A T E R S O L . C O M

March 5, 2021 — Other

City of Port Wentworth employee called Michelle Dennis, to report that the spill at Waffle House lift station on 3/3/2021, "definitely reached the Little Hearst Branch Canal" but did not know amount.

March 7, 2021 — Other

Chris Lee- Project manager of Clearwater Solutions reported a spill of 90,000 gallons from the Waffle House lift station to the Little Hearst Branch Canal- spill happened on 3/7/2021- Dea Pasya recorded in spill database on GAPDES.

March 8, 2021 — Other

Tim Mitchell - regional manager of Clearwater Solutions has taken over situation in Port Wentworth- reported 3/3/2021 spill did reach waters of the state- 3,750 gallons

March 24, 2021 — Follow-Up Investigation

Meeting between EPD (Michelle Dennis, Bruce Foisy, and David Lyle) and City of Port Wentworth and Clearwater Solutions to discuss how to report spills and to move forward to resolve this issue.

May 11, 2021 — Follow-Up Investigation

Follow up meeting with City of Port Wentworth's City Manager and EPD (Michelle Dennis, David Lyle, Bruce Foisy). Discussed moving forward who was going to report spills. Clearwater Solutions locked the City out of the lift stations. Clearwater is supposed to update the City on all spills.

June 11, 2021 — Status Letter

A letter was sent to Ed Booth, City Manager explaining that the complaint is closed. The City and Clear Water Solutions have made changes to ensure that future spills will be reported and managed as required by the Rules and Permit.