EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Arkansas
35 formal actions at 22 of 323 plants · $483,649 in penalties · 11 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 35 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Arkansas, 5 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 22 of the state's 323 plants, with $483,649 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is sewage sludge disposal (9 cases). EPA has inspected 8 plants in the state, 11 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Arkansas
- Arkansas NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Arkansas
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith, City Of - P Street Water Reclamation Facility Fort Smith and 1 other plant named in the case | Jul 2026 FY2005 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $300,000 | ECHO 06-2005-2150 |
EPA's description: “Fort Smith CD Modification. Adds 11.5 years. Lodged: 5.19.26 Filed: 7.23.26 Total 23.5 Years. Ends: 6.30.2038” | ||||||
| Helena Water Sewer Helena | Sep 2023 FY2022 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2022-1319 |
EPA's description: “Failed to submit certification that the water system conducted a Risk and Resilience Assessment by June 30, 2021, and failed to submit certification that it submitted an Emergency Response Plan by…” | ||||||
| Dequeen, City Of De Queen | Aug 2023 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2023-1801 |
EPA's description: “WET limit violation for Pimephales promelas” | ||||||
| Benton WWTP Benton | Jul 2023 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2023-1764 |
EPA's description: “Failure to initiate a Toxicity Reduction Evaluation (TRE)” | ||||||
| Pocahontas Waterworks Pocahontas | Mar 2023 FY2023 | Administrative order | Intentional Acts | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2023-1222 |
EPA's description: “Failed to conduct a Risk and Resilience Assessment and certify the RRA to EPA by June 30, 2021 Failed to prepare or revise an Emergency Response Plan and certify the ERP to EPA by December 30, 2021” | ||||||
| Helena Water Sewer Helena | Sep 2022 FY2022 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2022-1320 |
EPA's description: “Failed to conduct a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) and certify to EPA that a RRA was conducted by June 30, 2021 and an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) by December 30, 2021.” | ||||||
| Dermott WWTP Dermott | Aug 2019 FY2014 | Administrative order | Sewage Sludge Disposal | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 06-2014-1838 |
| Dequeen, City Of De Queen | Jul 2018 FY2018 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 06-2018-1812 |
EPA's description: “Violations were identified during a December 7, 2017 inspection of your Wastewater Treatment Plant laboratory located in De Queen Arkansas. The inspection was conducted by Environmental Protection…” | ||||||
| West Helena Water Utilities West Helena | Apr 2017 FY2015 | Administrative order | Sewage Sludge Disposal | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 06-2015-1771 |
EPA's description: “VIOLATION: Administrative Order issued for failure to submit Annual Sludge Discharge Monitoring Report for calendar year 2014. Relief Sought: Submit Annual Sludge Discharge Monitoring Reports.” | ||||||
| Walnut Ridge WW Treatment Plnt Walnut Ridge | Apr 2017 FY2015 | Administrative order | Sewage Sludge Disposal | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 06-2015-1788 |
EPA's description: “VIOLATION: AO issued for failure to submit Annual Sludge Discharge Monitoring Reports for calendar year 2014. RELIEF SOUGHT: Submit Annual Sludge Discharge Monitoring Reports.” | ||||||
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 Arkansas
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Smith, City Of - P Street Water Reclamation Facility Fort Smith and 1 other plant named in the case | Jul 2026 FY2005 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $300,000 | $600M | ECHO 06-2005-2150 |
| 2 | Berryville, City Of-WWTP Berryville | Jan 1990 FY1986 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $123,549 | — | ECHO 06-1986-0034 |
| 3 | Monticello WWTP East Plant Monticello | Dec 1989 FY1987 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $35,000 | — | ECHO 06-1987-0022 |
| 4 | Helena Water Sewer Helena | May 1989 FY1988 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $12,000 | — | ECHO 06-1988-0624 |
| 5 | Augusta WWTP Augusta | Jan 1989 FY1988 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $5,000 | — | ECHO 06-1988-0633 |
| 6 | City Of Hot Springs Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Hot Springs | Nov 2005 FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $3,200 | — | ECHO 06-2006-3504 |
| 7 | Cwl-West Side Wastewater Treatment Plant Jonesboro | Jan 2006 FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $1,650 | — | ECHO 06-2006-3518 |
| 8 | Tucker Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Conway | May 2007 FY2007 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $1,500 | — | ECHO 06-2007-3502 |
| 9 | Brookland WWTP Brookland | Jan 1989 FY1988 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $1,000 | — | ECHO 06-1988-0637 |
| 10 | Wynne Water Utilities Wynne | Sep 2000 FY2000 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $750 | — | ECHO 06-2000-0847 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 1 | — |
| FY2019 | 0 | — |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | 2 | — |
| FY2023 | 3 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Arkansas: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Arkansas?
EPA's enforcement records list 35 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Arkansas, 5 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 22 of the state's 323 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Arkansas wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Fort Smith, City Of - P Street Water Reclamation Facility in Fort Smith: $300,000 assessed in fiscal year 2005 (Fort Smith, 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 Arkansas is from Jul 2026.
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: Jul 2026.
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