EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Illinois
46 formal actions at 37 of 661 plants · $10M in penalties · 18 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 46 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Illinois, 16 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 37 of the state's 661 plants, with $10.1 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (35 cases). EPA has inspected 12 plants in the state, 18 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Illinois
- Illinois NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Illinois
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Slope Treatment Plant Moline and 1 other plant named in the case | Sep 2026 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2024-0318 |
| Freeburg West Stp, Village Of Freeburg | Feb 2026 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2022-0315 |
EPA's description: “AOC for alleged CWA violations” | ||||||
| Illinois American Water-Godfrey Wastewater Godfrey | Sep 2025 FY2020 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2020-0314 |
EPA's description: “AOC sets out measures to correct the alleged violations and bring Godfrey?s sanitary sewer collection system into compliance with the CWA and ILAW?s NPDES permit, and that ILAW remains responsible…” | ||||||
| Clay City, Village Of Clay City | Jun 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 05-2025-0320 |
EPA's description: “AOC sets out measures to correct the alleged violations and bring the facility into compliance with the CWA” | ||||||
| Greater Peoria Sanitary And Sewage District Peoria | Mar 2025 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2023-0331 |
EPA's description: “Please note that the AOC sets out measures to correct the alleged violations and bring the facility into compliance with the CWA and the facility?s NPDES permit.” | ||||||
| Itasca, Village Of - Prospect Avenue WWTP Itasca | Feb 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2025-0306 |
EPA's description: “AOC to address alleged violations and return facility to compliance.” | ||||||
| Mounds Stp, City Of Mounds | Aug 2024 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 05-2024-0333 |
EPA's description: “AOC set out measures to address alleged violations and bring facility's into compliance with CWA and NPDES permit.” | ||||||
| Belleville Wastewater Treatment Facility Belleville | Aug 2024 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 05-2024-0330 |
| Huntley - West WWTP Huntley | May 2024 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $700 | ECHO 07-2024-0052 |
EPA's description: “Facility analyzed biosolids improperly. The reported values are greater than the4 0 CFR 503.13(b)(1) ceiling limits.” | ||||||
| Glenbard Wastewater Authority Glen Ellyn | Dec 2023 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2023-0330 |
EPA's description: “AOC to resolve Pretreatment Program deficiencies” | ||||||
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 Illinois
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin Power Station Hennepin | May 2005 FY1999 | Judicial case | Litigated With Penalty | $9M | $500M | ECHO 05-1999-0751 |
| 2 | Metropolitan Water Reclamation Chicago and 2 other plants named in the case | Jan 2014 FY2001 | Judicial case | Final Order Entered | $675,000 | $1,770M | ECHO 05-2001-0642 |
| 3 | Greater Peoria Sanitary And Sewage District Peoria | Mar 2021 FY2005 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $250,000 | $155M | ECHO 05-2005-0327 |
| 4 | Joliet Eastside Stp, City Of Joliet | May 1993 FY1988 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $160,000 | — | ECHO 05-1988-0219 |
| 5 | Joliet Eastside Stp, City Of Joliet | Jan 1994 FY1985 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $30,000 | — | ECHO 05-1985-0479 |
| 6 | St. Charles Wastewater Treatment Facility Saint Charles | Aug 2008 FY2008 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $20,124 | — | ECHO 05-2008-3761 |
| 7 | Hennepin Power Station Hennepin | Sep 1993 FY1992 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $12,500 | — | ECHO 05-1992-0053 |
| 8 | Huntley - West WWTP Huntley | May 2024 FY2024 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $700 | $1,000 | ECHO 07-2024-0052 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 4 | — |
| FY2019 | 2 | — |
| FY2020 | 3 | — |
| FY2021 | 2 | — |
| FY2022 | 2 | — |
| FY2023 | 3 | — |
| FY2024 | 4 | $700 |
| FY2025 | 2 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Illinois: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Illinois?
EPA's enforcement records list 46 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Illinois, 16 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 37 of the state's 661 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Illinois wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Hennepin Power Station in Hennepin: $9 million assessed in fiscal year 1999 (ILLINOIS POWER - BALDWIN, Litigated 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 Illinois is from Sep 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: Sep 2026.
Try Klarifi for free
Create your own trial account and explore how Klarifi can help you.