EPA Fines East Bay Cities and Municipal Utility Districts for Sewage Discharge Violations

Summary:

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board have issued a fine of $372,876 to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and six East Bay cities for violating settlement terms related to sewage discharge violations. The parties were previously fined $1.5 million in 2014 for past sewage discharges and agreed to upgrade their 1,600-mile-long sewer system infrastructure over 21 years. Despite progress made, including the rehabilitation of over 114 miles of sewer main pipes and certification of over 650 miles of private sewer laterals as leak-free, the EPA has identified violations between July 2021 and June 2023, including failures to prevent sanitary sewer overflows and maintain effluent limitations.