EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Massachusetts
97 formal actions at 38 of 66 plants · $1.4M in penalties · 37 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 97 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Massachusetts, 12 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 38 of the state's 66 plants, with $1.4 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (53 cases). EPA has inspected 19 plants in the state, 37 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Massachusetts
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Wastewater Treatment Facility Manchester | Sep 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 01-2026-2033 |
EPA's description: “On September 2, 2026, the Region entered into an administrative order on consent ( AOC ) with the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts requiring the Town to implement an ambient receiving…” | ||||||
| Haverhill Wastewater Treatment Facility Haverhill | Dec 2025 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2024-2066 |
EPA's description: “On August 15, 2024, EPA issued a Clean Water Act Administrative Compliance Order to the City of Haverhill, Massachusetts for alleged violations of the 2016 General Permit for Stormwater Discharges…” | ||||||
| Hatfield Wastewater Treatment Facility Hatfield | Apr 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 01-2025-2046 |
| Hull Wastewater Treatment Plant Hull | Oct 2024 FY2016 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2016-2017 |
EPA's description: “On May 9, 2016, the Region entered into an order on consent (Order) with the Town of Hull, Massachusetts to address sanitary sewer overflows from its wastewater collection system. Hull owns and…” | ||||||
| Pittsfield Wastewater Treatment Facility Pittsfield | Feb 2024 FY2011 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2011-2003 |
EPA's description: “The City of Pittsfield, MA's NPDES permit contains water quality based imits for total phosphorus and total aluminum which the existing treatment system cannot meet. In addition, the City has had…” | ||||||
| Hardwick WWTP Hardwick | Jan 2024 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2019-2021 |
EPA's description: “On April 10, 2019, EPA issued a Clean Water Act administrative order (AO) to the Town of Hardwick, Massachusetts for violations of the effluent limits contained in its NPDES permit. The Town owns and…” | ||||||
| Billerica Wastewater Treatment Facility Billerica | Jan 2024 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2019-2040 |
EPA's description: “On July 16, 2019, EPA issued a Clean Water Act Administrative Order (Order) to the Town of Billerica, Massachusetts for violating the total aluminum limits contained in its National Pollutant…” | ||||||
| North Brookfield Waste Water Treatment Plant North Brookfield | Oct 2023 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2019-2052 |
| North Brookfield Waste Water Treatment Plant North Brookfield | Oct 2023 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 01-2024-2001 |
| Holyoke Water Pollution Control Facility Holyoke | Aug 2023 FY2016 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Entered | $50,000 | ECHO 01-2016-2036 |
EPA's description: “On March 23, 2023, the Department of Justice lodged a consent decree in federal court that will resolve violations of the Clean Water Act and corresponding Massachusetts laws by the City of Holyoke,…” | ||||||
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 Massachusetts
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Facility Winthrop | Jun 2014 FY2006 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $305,000 | $180,000 | ECHO 01-2006-2216 |
| 2 | Greater Lawrence Wastewater Treatment Facility North Andover | Jan 2007 FY2003 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $254,000 | $18M | ECHO 01-2003-0127 |
| 3 | South Essex Wastewater Treatment Plant Salem | Sep 1991 FY1988 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $225,000 | — | ECHO 01-1988-0018 |
| 4 | Brockton Advanced Water Reclamation Fac Brockton | Mar 2013 FY2003 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $180,000 | $86M | ECHO 01-2003-0118 |
| 5 | Haverhill Wastewater Treatment Facility Haverhill | Nov 2016 FY2013 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $157,500 | $96M | ECHO 01-2013-2037 |
| 6 | Hoosic Wastwater Treament Plant Williamstown | Oct 2003 FY2000 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $100,000 | $4.8M | ECHO 01-2000-0226 |
| 7 | Holyoke Water Pollution Control Facility Holyoke | Aug 2023 FY2016 | Judicial case | Final Order Entered | $50,000 | $30M | ECHO 01-2016-2036 |
| 8 | Holyoke Water Pollution Control Facility Holyoke | Oct 2005 FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $36,000 | $17M | ECHO 01-2006-2000 |
| 9 | Holyoke Water Pollution Control Facility Holyoke | Jan 2005 FY2004 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $27,000 | $720 | ECHO 01-2004-2033 |
| 10 | Palmer Water Pollution Control Facility Palmer (three Rivers) | Jun 1990 FY1985 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $25,000 | — | ECHO 01-1985-0011 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 2 | — |
| FY2019 | 6 | — |
| FY2020 | 4 | — |
| FY2021 | 1 | — |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 3 | $12,000 |
| FY2024 | 2 | — |
| FY2025 | 1 | — |
| FY2026 | 1 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Massachusetts: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Massachusetts?
EPA's enforcement records list 97 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Massachusetts, 12 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 38 of the state's 66 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Massachusetts wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Facility in Winthrop: $305,000 assessed in fiscal year 2006 (MASSACHUSETTS WATER RESOURCES AUTHORITY, 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 Massachusetts 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.
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