Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc. - Wateree Station  

Overview 

The Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc./Wateree Station is a coal-fired electric power generating station located at 142 Wateree Station Road, off of U.S. Highway 601 near Eastover in Richland County. Wateree Station began operation in 1970.  

Wateree Station is permitted to discharge treated wastewater to the Wateree River under NPDES permit SC0002038 issued by DHEC on August 29, 2008 and expired on December 31, 2012. The facility continues to operate under the existing administratively-continued permit which sets monitoring requirements and pollutant limits, as necessary, on the effluent from the wastewater treatment system. Flow, pH, total suspended solids (TSS), oil & grease, temperature, ammonia, phosphorous, mercury, arsenic, and whole effluent toxicity are currently monitored in the permit. 

Dominion Energy submitted an application for reissuance of their NPDES permit, and the Department has drafted a new draft NPDES permit in accordance with this request and applicable regulations. The draft permit, DHEC's rationale for the proposed permit limitations, and the permit application are available at the links below. 

In addition to setting effluent monitoring requirements and pollutant limits, the new draft NPDES permit would also require continued groundwater monitoring at the site.   Nine wells would be monitored for metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc), sulfate, nitrate, chloride, total organic carbon, total dissolved solids, turbidity, pH. and specific conductance. 

The draft permit is currently on public notice as of July 1, 2021. The public notice can be found at https://epermweb.dhec.sc.gov/ncore/#/external/publicnotice/search.

Community Engagement 

Community Engagement is an important component of the environmental permitting process that provides DHEC with valuable input from nearby communities and allows us to hear comments, concerns and questions before a final permit decision is made. The input that DHEC staff receives from community members can result in additional review, research and consideration of issues unique to a specific site or facility by DHEC staff. For communities that are impacted by a regulated facility our Community Engagement activities often continue after our formal public comment period closes.  

As part of the permitting process, DHEC engages surrounding communities and the general public prior to making a final permit decision in order to:  

  • Provide information about proposed environmental activities in their communities;  
  • Give community members and other interested parties an opportunity to submit relevant information to DHEC for consideration prior to making a final permit decision; and  
  • Provide an opportunity to bring other concerns to the attention of DHEC and the applicant.  

DHEC values all comments received during the permitting process and is committed to addressing and considering all relevant information prior to making a final permit decision. Public input is an important part of the permitting process and sometimes results in changes to permit conditions and operational practices if a permit is issued.  

Virtual Public Meeting (6:00 pm) and Virtual Public Hearing (6:30 pm) August 17, 2021  

On August 17, 2021, DHEC’s Bureau of Water held an informational virtual public meeting at 6:00 pm and a virtual public hearing at 6:30 pm to discuss the reissuance of the NPDES permit for Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc. - Wateree Station SC0002038. The presentation and a recording of the meeting/hearing are available below:

How to Submit Comments  

Written comments will be accepted through September 17, 2021, and should be submitted to:  

Randall Thompson 
DHEC | Bureau of Water 
2600 Bull Street 
Columbia, SC 29201  
Email: thompsgr@dhec.sc.gov
Phone: (803) 898-4314

What to Expect After the Public Comment Period   

Comments on the draft permit will be accepted by DHEC through close of business on September 17, 2021. All comments received by the end of the notice period, will be considered when making a decision to approve, disapprove, or modify the permit. Once a final decision is made by DHEC, this webpage will be updated and everyone on DHEC’s mailing list for Dominion Energy - Wateree Station will be notified. If you would like to be on our mailing list, please complete the registration form. 

Local DHEC Contacts  

To speak with local DHEC staff, please contact our Columbia Environmental Affairs Office at (803) 896‐0620. 

For information on current or previous sites of public interest, visit DHEC's Environmental Sites of Interest webpage.