Public Notice – Environmental Permit PURPOSE OF NOTICE: To seek public comment on a draft permit from the Department of Environmental Quality that will allow the release of treated wastewater into a waterbody in Augusta County, Virginia. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: March 10, 2026, to April 9, 2026. PERMIT NAME: Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit – Wastewater issued by DEQ pursuant to applicable water laws and regulations. APPLICANT NAME, ADDRESS AND PERMIT NUMBER: Augusta County Service Authority dba Augusta Water; PO Box 859, Verona, VA 24482; VA0066877 FACILITY NAME AND LOCATION: Stuarts Draft WWTP; 391 Wayne Avenue, Stuarts Draft, VA 24477 This facility is an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise E3 participant in Virginia’s Environmental Excellence Program. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Augusta County Service Authority dba Augusta Water has applied for reissuance of a permit for the Stuarts Draft WWTP. The applicant proposes to release treated sewage wastewater at a rate of 4.0 million gallons per day into the South River in Augusta County in the South River-Canada Run watershed. A watershed is the land area drained by a river and its incoming streams. The permit will limit the following pollutants to amounts that protect water quality: physical and chemical properties, nutrients, organic matter, solids, bacteria, and toxicity. Sludge from the treatment process will be dried and hauled to the Augusta Regional Landfill for disposal or pumped and hauled to Middle River Regional WWTP or Fishersville WWTP where it will undergo further treatment. Biosolids from the treatment process will be land applied by the Houff Corporation under the authorization of a VPA Permit.   This facility is subject to the requirements of 9VAC25-820 and has registered for coverage under the General VPDES Watershed Permit Regulation for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Discharges and Nutrient Trading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Virginia (Nutrient GP). This facility is registered for coverage under the Nutrient GP with other facilities under common ownership or operation in the Shenandoah River watershed. Augusta County Service Authority dba Augusta Water will address load increases associated with new or expanded discharges from this facility by managing the aggregate delivered load discharged from all of the facilities under common ownership or operation in the Shenandoah River watershed. HOW TO COMMENT AND/OR REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING: DEQ accepts comments and requests for public hearing on the draft permit by hand-delivery, e-mail, fax or postal mail. All comments and requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. DEQ must receive hand-delivery and postal mail by close of business and email and fax comments by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses or email addresses of the commenter/requester and of all persons represented by the commenter/requester. A request for public hearing must also include: 1) The reason why a public hearing is requested. 2) A brief, informal statement regarding the nature and extent of the interest of the requester or of those represented by the requestor, including how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the permit. 3) Specific references, where possible, to terms and conditions of the permit with suggested revisions. A public hearing may be held, including another comment period, if public response is significant, based on individual requests for a public hearing, and there are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the permit. CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, DOCUMENT REQUESTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Name: Abbie Roadcap; Address: Valley Regional Office, 4411 Early Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 22801; Phone: (540) 217-7478; E-mail: abbie.roadcap@deq.virginia.gov. The public may review the draft permit and application at the DEQ office named above by appointment or may request copies of the documents from the contact person listed above.