EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Montana
28 formal actions at 16 of 109 plants · $712,825 in penalties · 14 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 28 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Montana, 3 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 16 of the state's 109 plants, with $712,825 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (14 cases). EPA has inspected 9 plants in the state, 14 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Montana
- Montana NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Montana
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Of Poplar WTP Poplar | Apr 2026 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 08-2019-0048 |
EPA's description: “AO issued to cease unpermitted discharge.” | ||||||
| City Of Missoula WWTF No Exposure Missoula | Oct 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $1,400 | ECHO 07-2025-0094 |
EPA's description: “Facility generates Class A biosolids for public sale. The biosolids did not meet the requirements of 503. The facility is using the improper methods. The biosolids could not be verified for metals or…” | ||||||
| City Of Helena WWTP Helena | Jul 2022 FY2021 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $20,000 | ECHO 08-2021-0211 |
EPA's description: “The Pretreatment Regulations apply to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and to industrial users discharging pollutants to POTWs from non-domestic sources. The Pretreatment Regulations prohibit…” | ||||||
| City Of Helena WWTP Helena | Jun 2022 FY2021 | Administrative order | Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 08-2021-0203 |
EPA's description: “The Pretreatment Regulations apply to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and to industrial users discharging pollutants to POTWs from non-domestic sources. The Pretreatment Regulations prohibit…” | ||||||
| Town Of Poplar WTP Poplar | May 2022 FY2015 | Administrative order | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 08-2015-0059 |
EPA's description: “On October 9, 2014, the EPA was notified by the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes (Tribes) of a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) from the Poplar waste water treatment plant?s (WWTP) collection system that…” | ||||||
| City Of Great Falls WWTP Great Falls | Jan 2022 FY2008 | Judicial case | Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards | Final Order With Penalty | $645,000 | ECHO 08-2008-0232 |
EPA's description: “The City of Great Falls, Montana has agreed through a consent decree to control wastewater discharges that generate high levels of toxic gas in the City?s sewer system. The City has also agreed to…” | ||||||
| Northern Cheyenne Utility Commission Wastewater Treatment Plant Lame Deer | Nov 2021 FY2016 | Judicial case | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order Entered | $1,500 | ECHO 08-2016-0073 |
EPA's description: “Consent decree entered on 11/8/2021. CV 21-94-BLG-SPW-TJC” | ||||||
| City Of Bozeman WWTP Bozeman | Jun 2021 FY2016 | Administrative order | Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 08-2016-0002 |
EPA's description: “EPA NPDES inspectors conducted a pretreatment compliance inspection (PCI) at the Bozeman Wastewater Treatment Plant on September 8-9, 2014. Several deficiencies and associated corrective actions were…” | ||||||
| Ronan City WWTF Ronan | Sep 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 08-2019-0119 |
EPA's description: “Order requires the Respondent to obtain NPDES permit authorization for wastewater discharges from the wastewater treatment facility.” | ||||||
| Two Medicine Water Co. Browning | Sep 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 08-2019-0092 |
EPA's description: “Action requires facility's compliance with NPDES permit requirements and the Clean Water Act.” | ||||||
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Largest penalties in Montana
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Of Great Falls WWTP Great Falls | Jan 2022 FY2008 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $645,000 | $2.8M | ECHO 08-2008-0232 |
| 2 | City Of Polson WWTP Polson | Apr 2014 FY2012 | Administrative order | Litigated With Penalty | $40,000 | $2,500 | ECHO 08-2012-0141 |
| 3 | City Of Helena WWTP Helena | Jul 2022 FY2021 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $20,000 | — | ECHO 08-2021-0211 |
| 4 | Consolidated Charlo-Lake County Water&sewer Dist Charlo | Feb 2017 FY2005 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $3,500 | — | ECHO 08-2005-0229 |
| 5 | Northern Cheyenne Utility Commission Wastewater Treatment Plant Lame Deer | Nov 2021 FY2016 | Judicial case | Final Order Entered | $1,500 | — | ECHO 08-2016-0073 |
| 6 | City Of Missoula WWTF No Exposure Missoula | Oct 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $1,400 | — | ECHO 07-2025-0094 |
| 7 | City Of Billings Wastewater Treatment Plant Billings | Aug 2009 FY2009 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $900 | $1,000 | ECHO 08-2009-0127 |
| 8 | Bozeman Water Treatment Plant Bozeman | Apr 2009 FY2009 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $525 | $1,000 | ECHO 08-2009-0084 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 5 | — |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 2 | $20,000 |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 1 | $1,400 |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Montana: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Montana?
EPA's enforcement records list 28 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Montana, 3 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 16 of the state's 109 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Montana wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
City Of Great Falls WWTP in Great Falls: $645,000 assessed in fiscal year 2008 (City of Great Falls & Malteurop North America Inc, 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 Montana is from Apr 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 2026.
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