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Cottages of Boone Wastewater Tank Overflows Due to Mechanical Error

The Cottages of Boone, located at 615 Fallview Lane in Boone, North Carolina, experienced a discharge of untreated domestic wastewater. The housing development operates an on-site wastewater treatment system that is permitted through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources and serves 894 bedrooms and ancillary facilities. 

The Cottage of Boone WWTP facility’s equalization tank overflowed as the result of an emergent mechanical error that occurred at the treatment facility. The discharge is believed to have started late Monday, September 13, and ended at approximately 8:00 p.m. It is estimated that approximately 4,725 gallons of untreated wastewater were discharged to Laurel Fork stream within the Watauga River Basin during the event. A local sludge hauling company arrived on-site and pumped 12,000 gallons of raw wastewater from the equalization tank, stopping the overflow.

The Cottages of Boone notified the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources was notified about the discharge on Tuesday evening, September 14, and the Cottages are cooperating with regulators in their review of the matter. The Cottages are giving this matter its full attention and is reviewing maintenance processes and procedures at the wastewater treatment system with the aim of preventing future incidents. There is no action required by the public at this time. Additional information will be provided if action is necessary. For further information, please contact Lon Snider, Environmental Regional Supervisor with NCDEQ’s Water Quality Regional Operations Section at (336) 776-9700.