To: kailanfacilities@donleecenter.

org
From: jon@donleecenter.org
Subject: Lagoon Overflows

I know we are all very busy dealing with the aftermath of Florence. The destruction of cabins
and damage to our dining hall are very obviously big issues that need to be fixed before we can
continue having camps here. But we have a more pressing issue – the overflow of our
wastewater treatment lagoons. During the storm these lagoons sustained damage and leaked
wastewater into the Neuse river. This is an environmental disaster and causes substantial
damage to our local ecosystem. These lagoons have proven to no longer be adequate to handle
the wastewater concerns for our camp. As the camp prepares to be more resilient to storms,
we also need to remember our responsibility to our community to be good stewards of our
environment. We need to divert some of our attention and our funds towards this pressing
issue to ensure that no more damage is done. Since we can’t get access to any sewage
infrastructure at our location, and our occupancy demands are so high, we don’t have any
choice but to attempt to renovate and improve our existing lagoon system. I suggest a two-
pronged approach to this issue.

Capacity and Structure Formatted: Heading 1

I suggest a two-pronged approach to this issue. First, we need to repair and strengthen the
structure of the lagoons. We need to build higher walls and strengthen the walls. This will
require heavy machinery and substantial time. We will have to have these lagoons pumped out
before we can operate on them, and we won’t be able to have anybody using running water on
site while this work is being done. Now is the prime time to make this renovation, since the
damage to our facilities means that we don’t have any occupancy at this time. We can do this
using heavy aggregate and staking to build stability. Raising the walls is another way to increase
the capacity of our system while also making it more resilient to flooding. This will allow us to
both expand our occupancy and decrease our environmental risk at the same time.

Treatment Formatted: Heading 1

We also need to install more thorough intermediate water treatment systems. We need to
expand the size of our septic tank, and install a macerator, to further accelerate the treatment
of our waste and to limit the toxicity of the wastewater that sits in our lagoons. This can also
serve to reduce the odor on this part of our camp, and may allow us to expand our operations
in the direction of our water treatment.

This is an issue which we have been ignoring for too long and has now caused damage to our
coastal ecosystem. It is important to invest now and prevent this from happening again. You
have been doing a great job repairing our facilities in the aftermath of this disaster, and I really
appreciate your attention on this issue.
Thanks,
Jon Woodlief