EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Maryland
16 formal actions at 8 of 118 plants · $1.7M in penalties · 10 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 16 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Maryland, 2 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 8 of the state's 118 plants, with $1.7 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (3 cases). EPA has inspected 7 plants in the state, 10 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
Recent enforcement actions in Maryland
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Jan 2024 · FY2023 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 03-2023-0124 |
| EPA's description: “On July 20, 2023, Region III and the City of Baltimore agreed to an Administrative Order on Consent requiring the City to complete work on two of the City's finished water reservoirs, Druid Lake and…” | ||||||
| Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Jul 2023 · FY2010 | Administrative order | Nat'l Drinking Water Compliance Schedule - Effective Date | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 03-2010-0123 |
| Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Jul 2023 · FY2023 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 03-2023-0109 |
| EPA's description: “On July 20, 2023, Region III and the City of Baltimore agreed to an Administrative Order on Consent requiring the City to complete work on two of the City's finished water reservoirs, Druid Lake and…” | ||||||
| Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Oct 2017 · FY2000 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $600,000 | ECHO 03-2000-0317 |
| Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Oct 2017 · FY2000 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $600,000 | ECHO 03-2000-0317 |
| Tracey'S Elementary School Tracys Landing | Apr 2013 · FY2013 | Administrative order | EPA Regulations - Asbestos in Schools | Final Order With Penalty | — | ECHO 03-2013-0116 |
| City Of Frederick Wastewater Treatment Plant-2012 Frederick | Jul 2012 · FY2012 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order With Penalty | $900 | ECHO 03-2012-0184 |
| Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Apr 2010 · FY2010 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order Issued | $1,950 | ECHO 03-2010-0108 |
| Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Sep 2006 · FY2006 | Administrative order | Underground Storage Tanks Compliance Order | Final Order With Penalty | $4,832 | ECHO 03-2006-0074 |
| Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Sep 2006 · FY2006 | Administrative order | Underground Storage Tanks Compliance Order | Final Order With Penalty | $4,832 | ECHO 03-2006-0074 |
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 Maryland
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Oct 2017 · FY2000 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $600,000 | $2,584M | ECHO 03-2000-0317 |
| 2 | Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Oct 2017 · FY2000 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $600,000 | $2,584M | ECHO 03-2000-0317 |
| 3 | Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Nov 1999 · FY1997 | Judicial case | Final Order Entered | $500,000 | $2M | ECHO 03-1997-0026 |
| 4 | City Of Salisbury Wastewater Treatment Plant Salisbury | Jul 2003 · FY2003 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $14,255 | — | ECHO 03-2003-0039 |
| 5 | Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Sep 2006 · FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $4,832 | $3,060 | ECHO 03-2006-0074 |
| 6 | Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Sep 2006 · FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $4,832 | $3,060 | ECHO 03-2006-0074 |
| 7 | Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore | Apr 2010 · FY2010 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $1,950 | $8,998 | ECHO 03-2010-0108 |
| 8 | City Of Frederick Wastewater Treatment Plant-2012 Frederick | Jul 2012 · FY2012 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $900 | $516 | ECHO 03-2012-0184 |
| 9 | Ocean City Wastewater Treatment Plant Ocean City | Jan 2006 · FY2005 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $400 | $357 | ECHO 03-2005-0275 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2017 | 0 | — |
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 0 | — |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 2 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Maryland: 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: Jan 2024.