Special Order by Consent (2021-2024)

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) and the City completed negotiations for the issuance of a Special Order by Consent (SOC) in 2021 that addressed issues related to the discharge of elevated levels of 1,4-Dioxane from the T.Z. Osborne Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to South Buffalo Creek. The purpose of the SOC was to reduce the concentrations of 1,4-Dioxane discharged from the WWTP.

All SOC data (2021-2024) is contained in the yearly reports below.

Development of the Special Order by Consent

The original 24-month SOC between the City of Greensboro and the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) was signed in March 2021 with an effective date of May 1, 2021. The original 2-Year SOC included: a comprehensive source study, a public awareness program, continued collaboration/oversight of indirect sources of 1,4-dioxane, TZO effluent Compliance Values (Year One: 45 µg/l, Year Two 33 µg/l), annual reports, and civil penalties for noncompliance with SOC requirement.*

June 22, 2020, SOC Public Notice issued by the NCEQ.

*In response to an SOC legal challenge filed in April 2021, and the resulting Settlement Agreement, an amended SOC was signed on November 22, 2021, with an effective date of December 1, 2021. The amended 36-month SOC between the City and NCDEQ included: lower Compliance Values (Year One 35 µg/l, Year Two 31.5 µg/l, Year Three 23 µg/l), higher stipulated penalties for Compliance Value exceedances, direct sampling of all SIUs, and increased monitoring/reporting for certain sites.

µg/l: Micrograms per liter; equivalent to parts per billion (ppb). An example of one ppb is one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

NC DEQ Study (2019-2021)

From October 11, 2019, to April 29, 2021, NCDEQ collected grab samples every week from treated water leaving Osborne as part of its 1,4-dioxane study. The samples were split three ways: one sample was analyzed by the NCDEQ laboratory and the other samples were sent to two different state-certified commercial laboratories for analysis.

NCDEQ Study Sample Results

All Osborne effluent grab sample data sent to the two different state-certified commercial laboratories for analysis are included in Greensboro’s monthly electronic discharge monitoring report submitted to NCDEQ.

The City of Greensboro, in its efforts to significantly reduce its contributions of 1,4-Dioxane to the Cape Fear River Basin, agreed to the following in accordance with a SOC:

Meet with the NC DEQ's Winston-Salem Regional Office on a quarterly basis to present progress updates and provide a written meeting summary. Below are meeting notes from the quarterly meetings and additional information.

SOC Year Three Additional Info: 2023-2024

SOC Year Two Additional Info: 2022-2023

Year Two Sampling Plan

Eighth Quarterly Meeting

TZO 1,4-Dioxane Data

Seventh Quarterly Meeting

Sixth Quarterly Meeting

Fifth Quarterly Meeting

Presentation

SOC Exceedances (2021-2024)

The City is also required to report by telephone within 24 hours to the NCDEQ Winston-Salem Regional Office (WSRO) after receiving any data (including any individual result from a grab, composite, or split sample, if taken) indicating Osborne’s effluent 1,4-dioxane concentration is greater than 45 µg/1. A written report must also be submitted to WSRO with any finalized data about the exceedance and its cause, effects, and duration within five business days of receiving results.

April 5, 2022 Exceedance Report

November 3, 2021 Exceedance Report and Exceedance Sample Results

June 30, 2021 Exceedance Report

Greensboro, NC

Additional Resources

Special Order by Consent (2021-2024)