EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Arizona
31 formal actions at 21 of 56 plants · $927,000 in penalties · 9 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 31 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Arizona, 4 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 21 of the state's 56 plants, with $927,000 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (10 cases). EPA has inspected 3 plants in the state, 9 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Arizona
- Arizona NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Arizona
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteriver Sewage Lagoon Whiteriver | Sep 2024 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2024-1511 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent between US EPA and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Utility Authority (TUA) and White Mountain Apache Tribe (the Tribe) for alleged violations of the Clean…” | ||||||
| Six Mile Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Facility Peridot | Aug 2024 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2024-1524 |
EPA's description: “Administrative order on consent regarding unpermitted discharges of an estimated one million gallons of raw sewage.” | ||||||
| Chinle WWTF Chinle | Aug 2024 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2016-1507 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and the U.S. EPA to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Facility's National…” | ||||||
| Kayenta WWTF Kayenta | Aug 2024 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2016-1509 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and the U.S. EPA to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Facility's National…” | ||||||
| Tuba City WWTP Tuba City | Aug 2024 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2016-1512 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and the U.S. EPA to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Facility's National…” | ||||||
| Tuba City WWTP Tuba City and 2 other plants named in the case | Aug 2024 FY2021 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Entered | — | ECHO 09-2021-2003 |
EPA's description: “Consent Decree was entered 8/2/24” | ||||||
| Window Rock Wastewater Treatment Facility Fort Defiance | Sep 2023 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2023-1515 |
EPA's description: “Administrative order on consent requiring steps required to return to compliance with NPDES permit NN0021555.” | ||||||
| Ganado WWTP Ganado | Sep 2016 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2016-1508 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and the U.S. EPA to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Facility's National…” | ||||||
| Window Rock Wastewater Treatment Facility Fort Defiance | Jul 2015 FY2015 | Administrative order | Violation of Existing AO | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 09-2015-1510 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) between US EPA and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) for violations of the Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System…” | ||||||
| Joint Venture WWTF Parker | Mar 2015 FY2015 | Administrative order | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 09-2015-1508 |
EPA's description: “This is an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) between US EPA and Colorado River Sewage System Joint Venture (Respondent) for alleged violation of the Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge…” | ||||||
Full case histories, milestones, violation types and EPA's complete case summaries for every plant are shown with a free Klarifi account. Create one
Largest penalties in Arizona
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91st Avenue WWTP Tolleson and 1 other plant named in the case | Feb 1992 FY1989 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $450,000 | — | ECHO 09-1989-0021 |
| 2 | City Of Phoenix - Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Phoenix | Mar 2003 FY1997 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $350,000 | $100,000 | ECHO 09-1997-0017 |
| 3 | Pima County - Ina Road WWTP Tucson | Feb 1987 FY1983 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $100,000 | — | ECHO 09-1983-0002 |
| 4 | Buckeye WWTP Buckeye | Oct 1995 FY1988 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $25,000 | — | ECHO 09-1988-0027 |
| 5 | Tolleson WWTP Tolleson | Aug 2010 FY2010 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $2,000 | — | ECHO 09-2010-3538 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 0 | — |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 1 | — |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 1 | — |
| FY2024 | 2 | — |
| FY2025 | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Arizona: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Arizona?
EPA's enforcement records list 31 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Arizona, 4 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 21 of the state's 56 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Arizona wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
91st Avenue WWTP in Tolleson: $450,000 assessed in fiscal year 1989 (PHOENIX, CITY OF, Final Order With Penalty). Penalties are the amounts EPA records as assessed or agreed, not necessarily what was collected.
What does an EPA administrative order mean for a wastewater plant?
Most cases here are administrative orders under section 309 of the Clean Water Act: EPA finds permit violations, usually effluent limits or discharge without a permit, and orders the plant to return to compliance, often with a corrective action plan, a schedule and sometimes a penalty. Judicial cases go through the Department of Justice and typically end in a consent decree with a capital programme behind it. The latest case in Arizona is from Sep 2024.
Enforcement data: EPA ICIS-FE&C civil enforcement cases and ICIS compliance inspections, via ECHO. Penalties are the amounts assessed or agreed in each case as EPA records them. Latest case status in this data: Sep 2024.
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