EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in New Mexico
161 formal actions at 24 of 31 plants · $717,007 in penalties · 16 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 161 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in New Mexico, 64 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 24 of the state's 31 plants, with $717,007 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (131 cases). EPA has inspected 8 plants in the state, 16 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in New Mexico
- New Mexico NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in New Mexico
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Of Rio Rancho Wastewater Facilities Rio Rancho | Sep 2026 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2022-1770 |
EPA's description: “On April 28, 2022, EPA issued Administrative Order CWA-06-2022-1770 to the City of Rio Rancho for violations of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. ?? 1251-1387). Violations were identified during a…” | ||||||
| City Of Farmington Farmington | Sep 2026 FY2023 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 06-2023-1799 |
EPA's description: “On August 24, 2023, EPA Region 6 issued a schedule Administrative Order under its authority pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Water Act to the City of Farmington Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)…” | ||||||
| Socorro, City Of Socorro | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1814 |
EPA's description: “The City of Socorro has been issued an Administrative Order for failure to apply for permit reissuance within one-hundred and eighty (180) days. The City of Socorro has fifteen (15) days. No monetary…” | ||||||
| Santa Fe WWTP Santa Fe | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1838 |
EPA's description: “Failure to meet permit effluent limits and the permit schedule of compliance for copper limit.” | ||||||
| Cuba, Village Of Cuba | Jul 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1815 |
EPA's description: “AO for late submission of permit renewal application and for failure to submit DMR's for the months of July 2025, and October 2025 thru March 2026” | ||||||
| Reserve, Village Of Reserve | Jul 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2026-1714 |
EPA's description: “Failure to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of facilities. AO includes several tasks and due dates.” | ||||||
| City Of Belen WWTP Belen | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1817 |
EPA's description: “EPA Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Water Act to the City of Belen Wastewater Treatment Plant. The AO was issued in response to…” | ||||||
| Mora Mutual Water & Sewer Works Association Mora | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1816 |
EPA's description: “Failure to submit DMRs for 3 months.” | ||||||
| City Of Las Cruces - Utilities Las Cruces | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Compliance Achieved | — | ECHO 06-2026-1749 |
EPA's description: “Administrative Order (AO) CWA-06-2026-1749 issued to the City of Las Cruces, for violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. ? 1251 et seq. Violations were identified during a review of the…” | ||||||
| Sunland Park Wastewater Plant Sunland Park | Apr 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1787 |
EPA's description: “On April 30, 2026, EPA Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Water Act to the Camino Real Regional Utility Wastewater Treatment Plant.…” | ||||||
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Largest penalties in New Mexico
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Of Rio Rancho Wastewater Facilities Rio Rancho | Apr 2023 FY2023 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $142,000 | — | ECHO 06-2023-1704 |
| 2 | City Of Rio Rancho Wastewater Facilities Rio Rancho | Jan 1991 FY1990 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $125,000 | — | ECHO 06-1990-0304 |
| 3 | City Of Rio Rancho Wastewater Facilities Rio Rancho | Mar 2026 FY2025 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $115,000 | $240,000 | ECHO 06-2025-1737 |
| 4 | Albuquerque City Of Southside Water Reclamation Plant Albuquerque | May 1997 FY1996 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $85,000 | — | ECHO 06-1996-0304 |
| 5 | Albuquerque City Of Southside Water Reclamation Plant Albuquerque | Sep 2024 FY2023 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $72,600 | — | ECHO 06-2023-1727 |
| 6 | Las Vegas (city Of) Las Vegas | Jan 2026 FY2025 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $33,600 | $145,000 | ECHO 06-2025-1740 |
| 7 | Albuquerque City Of Southside Water Reclamation Plant Albuquerque | Mar 2016 FY2015 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $33,500 | — | ECHO 06-2015-1777 |
| 8 | Cuba, Village Of Cuba | Jan 2006 FY2005 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $14,000 | — | ECHO 06-2005-1915 |
| 9 | Socorro, City Of Socorro | May 2007 FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $11,000 | — | ECHO 06-2006-1893 |
| 10 | City Of Rio Rancho Wastewater Facilities Rio Rancho | Sep 2011 FY2007 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $10,800 | — | ECHO 06-2007-1811 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 8 | $6,250 |
| FY2019 | 10 | — |
| FY2020 | 9 | $5,000 |
| FY2021 | 5 | — |
| FY2022 | 8 | — |
| FY2023 | 13 | $214,600 |
| FY2024 | 9 | — |
| FY2025 | 7 | $148,600 |
| FY2026 | 13 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in New Mexico: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in New Mexico?
EPA's enforcement records list 161 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in New Mexico, 64 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 24 of the state's 31 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which New Mexico wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
City Of Rio Rancho Wastewater Facilities in Rio Rancho: $142,000 assessed in fiscal year 2023 (Rio Rancho, City of, 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 New Mexico 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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