City authorities to upgrade sewage systems for eliminating overflows in Waterloo, US

City of Waterloo in the US state of Iowa has reached a proposed settlement of alleged Clean Water Act violations with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Justice and State of Iowa.

Under the terms of the settlement, the city will need to check its sanitary sewer system thoroughly and draw a master plan to stop unlawful sewer overflows and bypasses.

A proposed consent decree has been lodged for the purpose in the US District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in Cedar Rapids.

Assessment of the city’s wastewater treatment facility and sewer systems will also include 400 miles of sanitary sewer lines and 300 miles of storm sewer lines.

Waterloo will then need to submit the detailed assessment reports to the EPA and the state authority along with a plan including remedial measures to address the existing problems regarding the system’s capacity, inflow and infiltration.

The city will then be required to work according to the plan, once it is reviewed and approved by the authorities.

The upgrade works for the sewer system are expected to be completed by 31 December 2032.

The consent decree also requires the city to pay $272,000 in settlement and complete a footing drain removal program, works for which are already underway.

Waterloo is also responsible for implementation of a sanitary sewer overflow response plan and a comprehensive management, operations and maintenance program in the city.

The proposed decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and federal court approval for it to be considered final.

US EPA and Department of Justice has also formed a separate settlement with the Municipality of San Juan to make upgrades amounting to around $180m for cleaning storm sewer systems in the Puerto Rican city.

US EPA has also joined state and local dignitaries to grant $5m as federal funding for the Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration.