EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Kansas
38 formal actions at 29 of 355 plants · $177,188 in penalties · 3 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 38 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Kansas, 10 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 29 of the state's 355 plants, with $177,188 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (21 cases). EPA has inspected 2 plants in the state, 3 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
Recent enforcement actions in Kansas
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington, City Of Wellington | May 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2026-0186 |
EPA's description: “Facility experienced effluent noncompliance for Ammonia, E.coli, and BOD during years 2021 ? 2025. The facility is not following the compliance schedule timeframes to reduce phosphorus discharges.…” | ||||||
| Elk City Waste Water Treatment Plant C/o City Hall Elk City | Feb 2026 FY2024 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2024-0007 |
EPA's description: “Administrative Order on Consent issued to Elk City, for failure to maintain a locational running annual average for total trihalomethanes below the maximum contaminant level established in 40 C.F.R.…” | ||||||
| Mcpherson Wastewater Plant Mcpherson | Jan 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2026-0072 |
EPA's description: “This Administrative Compliance Order seeks a compliance plan to resolve violations for the City of McPherson NPDES pretreatment permit violations.” | ||||||
| Conway Springs, City Of Conway Springs | Nov 2025 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2016-0067 |
| Arkansas City Mwwtp Arkansas City | Sep 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $3,000 | ECHO 07-2025-0098 |
EPA's description: “Facility generates Class A biosolids for public sale. The biosolids did not meet the requirements of 503.” | ||||||
| Wellington, City Of Wellington | Aug 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $12,000 | ECHO 07-2025-0089 |
EPA's description: “Facility was not sampling according to the sampling frequency per 503. The facility land applied biosolids that exceeded metals limitations specific in 503.” | ||||||
| Eudora, City Of Eudora | Aug 2025 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2023-0122 |
EPA's description: “Noncompliance with maintenance of UV light bank, aeration basin, leaking air blowers, malfunctioning flow meter and inadequate backup power supply” | ||||||
| Bonner Springs, City Of Bonner Springs | Jun 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2025-0047 |
EPA's description: “This Consent Agreement seeks to resolve violations for the City of Bonner Springs NPDES violations.” | ||||||
| Leavenworth, City Of Leavenworth | Apr 2025 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2016-0044 |
| Spring Hill No. 2 (mechanical) Spring Hill | Feb 2025 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 07-2022-0069 |
EPA's description: “The order addresses effluent violations of ammonia, E. coli, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, failure to apply for an industrial stormwater permit, and failure to properly operate and maintain…” | ||||||
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 Kansas
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City Water Pollution Control Div. Kansas City | May 2020 FY2008 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $50,000 | $65M | ECHO 07-2008-0163 |
| 2 | Leavenworth, City Of Leavenworth | Sep 2017 FY2016 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $46,200 | — | ECHO 07-2016-0119 |
| 3 | Parsons WWTP Parsons | May 2017 FY2017 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $20,000 | — | ECHO 07-2017-0100 |
| 4 | Salina, City Of Salina | Jun 2020 FY2019 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $15,188 | — | ECHO 07-2019-0041 |
| 5 | Wellington, City Of Wellington | Aug 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $12,000 | — | ECHO 07-2025-0089 |
| 6 | Iola, City Of Iola | Nov 2012 FY2013 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $12,000 | — | ECHO 07-2013-0002 |
| 7 | City Of Coffeyville WTP Coffeyville | Jan 2021 FY2020 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $9,700 | — | ECHO 07-2020-0181 |
| 8 | Caney Sewer Treatment Plant Caney | Jul 2015 FY2014 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $9,100 | $12,356 | ECHO 07-2014-0015 |
| 9 | Arkansas City Mwwtp Arkansas City | Sep 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $3,000 | — | ECHO 07-2025-0098 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 1 | $15,188 |
| FY2020 | 1 | $9,700 |
| FY2021 | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | 1 | — |
| FY2023 | 1 | — |
| FY2024 | 2 | — |
| FY2025 | 3 | $15,000 |
| FY2026 | 2 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Kansas: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Kansas?
EPA's enforcement records list 38 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Kansas, 10 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 29 of the state's 355 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Kansas wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Kansas City Water Pollution Control Div. in Kansas City: $50,000 assessed in fiscal year 2008 (UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF WYANDOTTE COUNTY AND KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, 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 Kansas is from May 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: May 2026.
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