EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Maine
6 formal actions at 5 of 85 plants · $27,500 in penalties · 2 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 6 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Maine, 1 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 5 of the state's 85 plants, with $27,500 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is clean water act (2 cases). EPA has inspected 2 plants in the state, 2 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
Recent enforcement actions in Maine
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searsport Wastewater Treatment Facility Searsport | Apr 2025 · FY2021 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2021-2005 |
| EPA's description: “On December 7, 2020, EPA entered into a Clean Water Act administrative order on consent (Order) with the Town of Searsport, Maine. In September 2019, EPA denied the Town's 301(h) waiver request…” | ||||||
| Bangor Wastewater Treatment Facility Bangor | Dec 2015 · FY2012 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2012-2039 |
| EPA's description: “On September 30, 2012, Region 1 referred a civil enforcement action to DOJ regarding an existing consent decree with the City of Bangor, Maine. In 2010, the Region informed the City that, despite its…” | ||||||
| Kennebunkport Wastewater Treatment Facility Kennebunkport | Nov 2002 · FY2002 | Administrative order | SPCC and/or Federal Response Plan Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $4,500 | ECHO 01-2002-0145 |
| Brewer Wastewater Treatment Facility Brewer | Apr 2002 · FY2002 | Administrative order | SPCC and/or Federal Response Plan Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $2,000 | ECHO 01-2002-0044 |
| Calais Wastewater Treatment Facility Calais | Aug 1997 · FY1997 | Administrative order | Clean Water Act | Final Order With Penalty | $1,000 | ECHO 01-1997-0116 |
| Bangor Wastewater Treatment Facility Bangor | Jun 1991 · FY1987 | Judicial case | Clean Water Act | Final Order With Penalty | $20,000 | ECHO 01-1987-0012 |
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 Maine
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangor Wastewater Treatment Facility Bangor | Jun 1991 · FY1987 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $20,000 | — | ECHO 01-1987-0012 |
| 2 | Kennebunkport Wastewater Treatment Facility Kennebunkport | Nov 2002 · FY2002 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $4,500 | — | ECHO 01-2002-0145 |
| 3 | Brewer Wastewater Treatment Facility Brewer | Apr 2002 · FY2002 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $2,000 | $2,850 | ECHO 01-2002-0044 |
| 4 | Calais Wastewater Treatment Facility Calais | Aug 1997 · FY1997 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $1,000 | — | ECHO 01-1997-0116 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2017 | 0 | — |
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 0 | — |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 1 | — |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Maine: questions
Sources and methodology
Flow, permit and violation figures come from the EPA's ICIS-NPDES discharge monitoring records. Population served comes from the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2022. Treatment structures are identified by Klarifi's review of aerial imagery, and capital improvement projects are extracted from published municipal budget documents. Violations are counted over the last three years of monitoring reports.
Data refreshed September 17, 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: Apr 2025.