Sampling shows discharges meet N.C. water quality standards

Good news for those interested in the water quality of the Yadkin River:

Recent testing of the water quality below the Narrows (Badin Lake) dam shows that discharges meet state standards for water quality. This is an important milestone in APGI's effort to receive a required water quality certificate from the State of the North Carolina.

As part of the application process, the N.C. Division of Water Quality (DWQ) asked APGI to collect discharge samples from the Narrows Reservoir. The discharge sampling was conducted on August 13, 2008 in accordance with the “Sampling Plan for Priority Pollutants in the Narrows Tailrace” that was approved by DWQ in a letter dated July 31, 2008.

Samples were analyzed for more than 100 different parameters, including metals and organics, and the results found that all parameters were below North Carolina state standards or, where standards do not exist, below the method detection limit. These results demonstrate that the operation of the Narrows development does not result in the discharge of any of these constituents in excess of state standards.

I should note that the discharge samples were collected by ENSR, a widely respected global environmental firm, at a water quality monitoring station approved by DWQ. The sampling was done in accordance with the study plan and the laboratory analysis was conducted by Columbia Analytical and Prism Laboratories, both North Carolina certified laboratories, following standard EPA methods.

We have now provided all of the information necessary for DWQ to evaluate our application for a new water quality certificate.