Clean Water Act discharge permit · NPDES NC0026573

CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY, Morganton, NC: NPDES NC0026573 discharge permit, effluent exceedances, inspections, penalties

Administratively continuedPermit status
MajorDischarger class
13Pollutants under a numeric limit
8Pollutants with an effluent exceedance
1Inspections on file
1Formal enforcement actions

CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY, held by City of Morganton, holds NPDES permit NC0026573. EPA’s file records it issued March 28, 2016 and expiring February 29, 2020.

CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY, Morganton, North Carolina: Individual permit NC0026573, held by City of Morganton; Publicly owned treatment works; Administratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued); issued March 28, 2016, term to February 29, 2020.

Solids, total suspended: 3 limits, 119 violations of any kind, 92 effluent exceedances, latest May 31, 2026, largest 950% over the limit.
BOD, 5-day, 20 deg. C: 3 limits, 108 violations of any kind, 80 effluent exceedances, latest January 31, 2024, largest 776% over the limit.
Coliform, fecal MF, MFC broth, 44.5 C: 2 limits, 12 violations of any kind, 10 effluent exceedances, latest January 31, 2019, largest 5,112% over the limit.
Chlorine, total residual: 1 limit, 6 violations of any kind, 5 effluent exceedances, latest October 31, 2018, largest 3,875% over the limit.
pH: 2 limits, 7 violations of any kind, 4 effluent exceedances, latest February 28, 2019.
Flow, in conduit or thru treatment plant: 1 limit, 5 violations of any kind, 3 effluent exceedances, latest February 28, 2019, largest 26% over the limit.
Selenium, total [as Se]: 0 limits, 3 violations of any kind, 3 effluent exceedances, latest May 31, 2007, largest 109% over the limit.
Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N]: 2 limits, 17 violations of any kind, 2 effluent exceedances, latest January 31, 2024, largest 20% over the limit.
Chv Statre 7Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia: 1 limit, 150 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Cadmium, total [as Cd]: 0 limits, 24 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Copper, total [as Cu]: 0 limits, 24 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Lead, total [as Pb]: 0 limits, 24 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Zinc, total [as Zn]: 0 limits, 24 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Pass/Fail Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia: 0 limits, 12 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Temperature, water deg. centigrade: 5 limits, 5 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Conductivity: 5 limits, 5 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Oxygen, dissolved [DO]: 5 limits, 5 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Nitrogen, total [as N]: 1 limit, 1 violation of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Phosphorus, total [as P]: 1 limit, 1 violation of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Cyanide, total [as CN]: 0 limits, 1 violation of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.

August 27, 2026: State CWA Penalty AO (State), $1,638 state or local penalty.
May 18, 2026: Audit (S).

North Carolina holds 95 Publicly owned treatment works coverages of this permit type in EPA’s file; 9 were issued before NC0026573. City of Morganton holds 6 permits in North Carolina.

Other permits held by City of Morganton

EB-5807 GREENWAY, Morganton: NCC210183, issued April 1, 2024
BOST ROAD SEWER IMPROVEMENTS, Morganton: NCC240324, issued April 1, 2024
MORGANTON CITY-WAREHOUSE AND GARAGE, Morganton: NCG080724, issued July 1, 2021
CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY, Morganton: NCG110083, issued June 1, 2023
CITY OF MORGANTON, Morganton: NCL026573, issued January 1, 2021

Coverages issued nearest NC0026573

December 27, 2013: BERMUDA RUN WWTP, Advance, NC0055158, held by Town of Bermuda Run
June 6, 2014: MEBANE WWTP, Mebane, NC0021474, held by City of Mebane
October 24, 2014: CLIFFSIDE SANITARY DISTRICT WWTP, Mooresboro, NC0004405, held by Cliffside Sanitary District
December 30, 2014: BOONVILLE WWTP, Boonville, NC0020931, held by Town of Boonville
February 2, 2016: MARS HILL WWTP, Mars Hill, NC0057151, held by Town of Mars Hill
March 28, 2016: CORPENING CREEK WWTP, Marion, NC0031879, held by City of Marion
August 1, 2016: WESTERN JUSTICE ACADEMY WWTP, Edneyville, NC0086070, held by Henderson County Utilities
October 18, 2016: NORTHEAST WWTP, Conover, NC0024252, held by City of Conover
March 10, 2017: BELVILLE WWTP, Belville, NC0075540, held by Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2go
June 30, 2017: RANDLEMAN WWTP, Randleman, NC0025445, held by City of Randleman

CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY among its neighbors

EPA’s permit file holds 46 discharge permits in the Lower Indian Creek subwatershed (HUC 030501020502), NC0026573 among them.

Other permits in the Lower Indian Creek subwatershed (HUC 030501020502)

2472 BROOK HOLLOW STREET, Morganton: NCG550207, minor permit, permit term to October 31, 2025
3077 STONEY CREEK DRIVE, Valdese: NCG550551, minor permit, permit term to October 31, 2025
3886 MILLER BRIDGE ROAD, Connellys Springs: NCG551760, minor permit, permit term to October 31, 2025
4226 A/B MILLER BRIDGE ROAD, Connelly Spg: NCG550654, minor permit, permit term to October 31, 2025
AMERICAN CONCRETE INC, Morganton: NCG140435, minor permit, permit term to June 30, 2022
AQUAFIL O'MARA INC, Rutherford College: NCG170393, minor permit, permit term to May 31, 2024
BAKER INTERIORS FURNITURE COMPANY, Connellys Springs: NCG180242, minor permit, permit term to May 31, 2024
BURKE COUNTY PIT, Morganton: NCG520105, minor permit, permit term to July 31, 2025
CASE FARMS MORGANTON DIVISION, Morganton: NCG060392, minor permit, permit term to June 30, 2026
CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY, Morganton: NCG110083, minor permit, permit term to May 31, 2028

Identity

Facility as filed	CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY
Permittee as filed	City of Morganton
NPDES ID	NC0026573
Permit status	Administratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued)
Permit type	Individual permit
Discharger class	Major discharger
Facility type	Publicly owned treatment works
Program	Publicly owned treatment works
Issued	March 28, 2016
Expiration date	February 29, 2020
Address	Morganton, NC 28680
Subwatershed	Lower Indian Creek (HUC 030501020502)

Effluent limits and exceedances

20Pollutants on file
13Under a numeric limit
20With a violation of any kind
8With an effluent exceedance

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 measure	Limits	Violations, any kind	Effluent exceedances	Latest exceedance	Largest exceedance, as filed
Solids, total suspended	3	119	92	May 31, 2026	950% over the limit
BOD, 5-day, 20 deg. C	3	108	80	January 31, 2024	776% over the limit
Coliform, fecal MF, MFC broth, 44.5 C	2	12	10	January 31, 2019	5,112% over the limit
Chlorine, total residual	1	6	5	October 31, 2018	3,875% over the limit
pH	2	7	4	February 28, 2019
Flow, in conduit or thru treatment plant	1	5	3	February 28, 2019	26% over the limit
Selenium, total [as Se]	0	3	3	May 31, 2007	109% over the limit
Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N]	2	17	2	January 31, 2024	20% over the limit
Chv Statre 7Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia	1	150	0
Cadmium, total [as Cd]	0	24	0
Copper, total [as Cu]	0	24	0
Lead, total [as Pb]	0	24	0
Zinc, total [as Zn]	0	24	0
Pass/Fail Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia	0	12	0
Temperature, water deg. centigrade	5	5	0
Conductivity	5	5	0
Oxygen, dissolved [DO]	5	5	0
Nitrogen, total [as N]	1	1	0
Phosphorus, total [as P]	1	1	0
Cyanide, total [as CN]	0	1	0

Inspections, violations and enforcement

0Single-event violations

EPA’s single-event violation file, as loaded, holds no violation for NPDES NC0026573.

Inspections

Date	What EPA recorded	Agency
May 18, 2026	Audit	S

Formal enforcement and penalties

1 formal actions, 1 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.

Date	What EPA recorded	Agency	Federal penalty	State or local penalty
August 27, 2026	State CWA Penalty AO	State		$1,638

Informal enforcement

EPA’s informal enforcement file holds no action for NPDES NC0026573.

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Figures from EPA’s ICIS-NPDES download, loaded September 15, 2026.

This public-records page covers the NPDES discharge permit NC0026573 for the CATAWBA RIVER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY in Morganton, NC, held by City of Morganton and listed as administratively continued. The page lists 20 pollutants on file, of which 13 are under a numeric limit and 8 have an effluent exceedance.