Pennsylvania water utility in US fined for Clean Water Act violations

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have penalised Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA) in Pennsylvania for alleged violations to the Clean Water Act, and instructed it to reduce sewage discharges in local water bodies.

The utility, which is responsible for treating sewage from systems serving 500,000 residents in the area, has agreed to pay nearly $1.4m in order to settle a claim that it had allowed pollutants to seep into the Delaware River and its tributaries.

According to the proposed consent decree, DELCORA has agreed to implement a plan for controlling and reducing its sewage overflows, which is expected to improve water quality of the Delaware River, Chester Creek and Ridley Creek near the city of Philadelphia in the US state.

EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance assistant administrator Cynthia Giles said: "This settlement means cleaner water for communities in the greater Philadelphia area, including many that have historically been overburdened by water pollution.

"These communities have demonstrated how effective long-term planning and public participation can protect clean water in a way that’s achievable and cost effective."

DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division assistant attorney general John C. Cruden said: "This important agreement will protect residents from sewers that discharge raw sewage and other contaminants into local waterways.

"It is the latest in a series of settlements with municipalities across the country to address aging and inadequate sewer infrastructure, particularly in older communities where residents have had to deal with sewer overflows for generations. Agreements like this one are a victory for environmental justice."

The Pennsylvania utility had longstanding problems with the federal authorities since its combined sewer system, which when affected with stormwater, discharges raw sewage, industrial wastes, nitrogen, phosphorus, and polluted stormwater into Chester Creek, Ridley Creek, and the Delaware River.

DELCORA estimates the annual combined sewer overflows (CSOs) from its systems to be 739 million gallons.