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: December 23, 2025, to January 22, 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: City of Staunton and August County Service Authority; P.O. Box 859, Verona, VA 24482; VA0064793 FACILITY NAME AND LOCATION: Middle River Regional WWTP; 848 Laurel Hill Road, Verona, VA 24482 This facility is an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise E3 participant in Virginia’s Environmental Excellence Program. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: City of Staunton and August County Service Authority has applied for reissuance of a permit for the Middle River Regional WWTP. The applicant proposes to release treated sewage wastewaters at a rate of 6.8 million gallons per day into Middle River in Augusta County in the Middle River – Falling Spring 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, and bacteria. Sludge from the treatment process will be dried and hauled to the Augusta County Landfill for disposal. Biosolids from the treatment process will be land applied by Houff Corporation’s 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 Potomac-Shenandoah watershed. Augusta County Service Authority 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 Potomac-Shenandoah 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: Austin Galbraith; Address: Valley Regional Office, 4411 Early Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 22801; Phone: (540) 575-6347; E-mail: austin.galbraith@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.