EPA Finds Massachusetts Town Noncompliant

The town of South Hadley, Mass., faces a proposed fine of up to $157,500 for federal Clean Water Act violations related to the oepration of its wastewater treatment facility and combined storm water and sanitary sewer system.

During heavy rain events, sewer system capacities are exceeded; excess flow is discharged from three combined sewer overflow (CSO) outfalls into Connecticut River tributaries.

Although the discharges from the CSO outfalls are not prohibited by the town's water permit, South Hadley officials are required to closely monitor and record them. The town has violated the terms of its water permit from January 2003 to July 2005, when it failed to measure and record as needed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New England office.

"These Clean Water Act violations prevented the EPA and the town from knowing the quantity of pollutants being discharged into the Connecticut River and its tributaries," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "Furthermore, all permit holders must ensure that they are complying with their annual certification requirements."

South Hadley has been under an EPA order to work towards separating its sanitary sewers from its storm water sewers since 1995. The order all calls for the town to eliminate all discharges from CSO outfalls. The town has steadily eliminated 12 of the original 15 CSO outfalls since that time, and it is on schedule to completely eliminate discharges from the three remaining outfalls by year's end.

EPA's complaint also alleged that the town of South Hadley failed to fully comply with conditions related to the control of storm water discharges from its treatment plant facility.

Source: U.S. EPA