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Clean Water Act discharge permit · NPDES NC0020401

NORTHEAST WWTP, Hickory, NC: NPDES NC0020401 discharge permit, effluent exceedances, inspections, penalties

NORTHEAST WWTP, held by City of Hickory, holds NPDES permit NC0020401. EPA’s file records it issued May 21, 2021 and expiring April 30, 2026.

NORTHEAST WWTP, Hickory, North Carolina: Individual permit NC0020401, held by City of Hickory; Publicly owned treatment works; Administratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued); issued May 21, 2021, term to April 30, 2026; Sewage Treatment Facilities.

  • Solids, total suspended: 3 limits, 30 violations of any kind, 11 effluent exceedances, latest April 30, 2017, largest 226% over the limit.
  • BOD, 5-day, 20 deg. C: 3 limits, 26 violations of any kind, 7 effluent exceedances, latest January 31, 2012, largest 111% over the limit.
  • Cyanide, total [as CN]: 0 limits, 4 violations of any kind, 4 effluent exceedances, latest February 28, 2007, largest 718% over the limit.
  • pH: 2 limits, 2 violations of any kind, 2 effluent exceedances, latest December 31, 2021.
  • Phenolics, total recoverable: 0 limits, 2 violations of any kind, 2 effluent exceedances, latest April 30, 2008, largest 35% over the limit.
  • Coliform, fecal MF, MFC broth, 44.5 C: 2 limits, 5 violations of any kind, 1 effluent exceedance, latest March 31, 2010, largest 247% over the limit.
  • Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N]: 2 limits, 3 violations of any kind, 1 effluent exceedance, latest April 30, 2021, largest 44% over the limit.
  • Chlorine, total residual: 1 limit, 2 violations of any kind, 1 effluent exceedance, latest October 31, 2022, largest 3,136% over the limit.
  • Temperature, water deg. centigrade: 5 limits, 2 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
  • Conductivity: 5 limits, 2 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
  • Oxygen, dissolved [DO]: 5 limits, 2 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
  • Flow, in conduit or thru treatment plant: 1 limit, 2 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
  • Nitrogen, total [as N]: 1 limit, 0 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
  • Phosphorus, total [as P]: 1 limit, 0 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
  • November 4, 2026: Evaluation (S).

North Carolina holds 95 Publicly owned treatment works coverages of this permit type in EPA’s file; 82 were issued before NC0020401. City of Hickory holds 21 permits in North Carolina.

Other permits held by City of Hickory

Coverages issued nearest NC0020401

NORTHEAST WWTP among its neighbors

EPA’s permit file holds 19 discharge permits in the Upper Leepers Creek subwatershed (HUC 030501011301), NC0020401 among them.

Other permits in the Upper Leepers Creek subwatershed (HUC 030501011301)

Identity

Facility as filedNORTHEAST WWTP
Permittee as filedCity of Hickory
NPDES IDNC0020401
Permit statusAdministratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued)
Permit typeIndividual permit
Discharger classMajor discharger
Facility typePublicly owned treatment works
ProgramPublicly owned treatment works
IssuedMay 21, 2021
Expiration dateApril 30, 2026
AddressHickory, NC 28601
SubwatershedUpper Leepers Creek (HUC 030501011301)
Program components on fileBiosolids, POTW, Pretreatment
NAICS221320 – Sewage Treatment Facilities
SIC4952 – Sewerage Systems

Effluent limits and exceedances

An effluent exceedance is a discharge monitoring report value over the permit’s numeric limit (EPA’s violation code E90). A violation of any kind also counts a report not filed. Each row is EPA’s own count for that pollutant.

Pollutant or measureLimitsViolations, any kindEffluent exceedancesLatest exceedanceLargest exceedance, as filed
Solids, total suspended33011April 30, 2017226% over the limit
BOD, 5-day, 20 deg. C3267January 31, 2012111% over the limit
Cyanide, total [as CN]044February 28, 2007718% over the limit
pH222December 31, 2021
Phenolics, total recoverable022April 30, 200835% over the limit
Coliform, fecal MF, MFC broth, 44.5 C251March 31, 2010247% over the limit
Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N]231April 30, 202144% over the limit
Chlorine, total residual121October 31, 20223,136% over the limit
Temperature, water deg. centigrade520
Conductivity520
Oxygen, dissolved [DO]520
Flow, in conduit or thru treatment plant120
Nitrogen, total [as N]100
Phosphorus, total [as P]100

Inspections, violations and enforcement

EPA’s single-event violation file, as loaded, holds no violation for NPDES NC0020401.

Inspections

DateWhat EPA recordedAgency
November 4, 2026EvaluationS

Formal enforcement and penalties

0 formal actions, 0 of them with a penalty assessed. Federal and state penalties are separate figures from separate authorities and are shown as each was filed, never added together.

Informal enforcement

EPA’s informal enforcement file holds no action for NPDES NC0020401.

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Nearby on the register

Figures from EPA’s ICIS-NPDES download, loaded October 14, 2026.

What this page shows

This public-records page covers NPDES permit NC0020401 for the NORTHEAST WWTP in Hickory, NC, held by City of Hickory, with a status of administratively continued and a Major Discharger class. The facts list 8 pollutants under a numeric limit and 8 pollutants with an effluent exceedance, out of 14 pollutants on file for the permit.