Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
35 <br />Question #1: <br />How long will it take to fix the currently inoperable wastewater system or design a new wastewater <br />system? How will that impact the proposed timeline for the construction of the facilities funded by 1 <br />C06 RR029912 -01— PI: Roper? <br />Response: <br />The University does not plan to repair the currently inoperable wastewater treatment systems at the <br />Bingham Facility because it would not be a responsible use of our limited time and resources. The design <br />and construction of those systems — which include large, synthetically lined holding ponds — also are not <br />in keeping with the new, fully integrated approach to water use, treatment and reuse that will guide <br />future expansion at the Bingham Facility. <br />The University hired McKim & Creed, a nationally recognized engineering and design firm that <br />specializes in sustainable design, to develop a reliable, total water management strategy for the site <br />that is both sustainable and environmentally sound. This system will be designed to treat wastewater to <br />the level of reclaimed water, thus alleviating any concerns about possible contamination of the site, <br />groundwater and nearby creek. We will also be able to reuse this reclaimed water in cooling towers and <br />to flush toilets, wash down swine facilities and irrigate the landscape, thus conserving drinking water. <br />Based on their extensive experience in designing and implementing similar systems, McKim & Creed has <br />set a schedule that has this new system starting up by August 30, 2012, which will not impact the <br />timeline for the construction of the NIH- funded facilities. <br />Question #2: <br />What is the status of the permits for the wastewater treatment facilities? Has the Department of <br />Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) revoked any permits or required new permits to be filed <br />for the current wastewater facilities? Will these permits delay the construction proposed in this grant? <br />Response: <br />Even though we are no longer using the current wastewater treatment systems at the Bingham Facility, <br />the University still has an active permit from DENR for the wastewater treatment system that served the <br />original building on the site, Bingham Building #1. The second wastewater treatment system, which <br />served Bingham Building #2, operated under "deemed permitted" status from DENR, a status that was <br />revoked in February 2010 because of the problems with leaks in pipes and in the large holding pond. <br />DENR offered the University the opportunity to repair the deemed permitted system and bring it into <br />compliance as part of the existing permit. However, as explained in the previous response, the <br />University opted to shut down both systems voluntarily and obtain a pump and haul permit to handle <br />the wastewater at the site in the short term while we develop a long -term, integrated water approach. <br />