EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Rhode Island
13 formal actions at 9 of 14 plants · $283,000 in penalties · 3 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 13 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Rhode Island, 0 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 9 of the state's 14 plants, with $283,000 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (10 cases). EPA has inspected 3 plants in the state, 3 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Rhode Island
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narragansett Bay Commission Bucklin Point East Providence (rumford) | Mar 2025 FY2007 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2007-2012 |
| Jamestown Wastewater Treatment Facility Jamestown | Mar 2025 FY2007 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2007-2047 |
| Scarborough Wastewater Treatment Facility Narragansett | Mar 2025 FY2007 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2007-2053 |
| East Greenwich WWTF East Greenwich | Mar 2025 FY2007 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2007-2519 |
| Bristol Wastewater Treatment Facility Bristol | Jun 2022 FY2007 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 01-2007-2016 |
| Bristol Wastewater Treatment Facility Bristol | Jun 2022 FY2008 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $75,000 | ECHO 01-2008-2005 |
EPA's description: “As part of the Region's ongoing integrated effort to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in Rhode Island, the Town of Bristol, Rhode Island, has agreed to pay an administrative civil penalty…” | ||||||
| Bristol Wastewater Treatment Facility Bristol | Mar 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 01-2019-2012 |
EPA's description: “EPA issued a Clean Water Act Administrative Compliance Order (Order) to the Town of Bristol, Rhode Island to address sanitary sewer overflows. The Order requires that the Town, among other things,…” | ||||||
| Cranston Water Pollution Control Facility Cranston | Jun 2017 FY2017 | Administrative order | Solid Waste Fuel Combustion | Final Order With Penalty | $35,000 | ECHO 01-2017-1014 |
EPA's description: “On June 29, 2017, Region 1 and the City of Cranston, Rhode Island (Cranston) and Veolia Water North America ? Northeast, LLC (Veolia) settled a Clean Air Act (CAA) administrative enforcement case for…” | ||||||
| Newport Water Pollution Control Facility Newport | Apr 2016 FY2009 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $170,000 | ECHO 01-2009-2032 |
EPA's description: “CD Modification accounting for additional costs based on completed long-term control plan.” | ||||||
| Westerly Wastewater Treatment Facility Westerly | Apr 2010 FY2010 | Administrative order | SPCC and/or Federal Response Plan Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $3,000 | ECHO 01-2010-2035 |
EPA's description: “On 4/26/10, EPA settled an expedited CWA administrative penalty action against the City of Westerly, RI for its failure to implement an SPCC plan. The City agreed to pay a penalty of $3,000.” | ||||||
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 Rhode Island
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newport Water Pollution Control Facility Newport | Apr 2016 FY2009 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $170,000 | $99M | ECHO 01-2009-2032 |
| 2 | Bristol Wastewater Treatment Facility Bristol | Jun 2022 FY2008 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $75,000 | — | ECHO 01-2008-2005 |
| 3 | Cranston Water Pollution Control Facility Cranston | Jun 2017 FY2017 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $35,000 | — | ECHO 01-2017-1014 |
| 4 | Westerly Wastewater Treatment Facility Westerly | Apr 2010 FY2010 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $3,000 | $2,000 | ECHO 01-2010-2035 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 1 | — |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Rhode Island: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Rhode Island?
EPA's enforcement records list 13 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Rhode Island, 0 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 9 of the state's 14 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Rhode Island wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Newport Water Pollution Control Facility in Newport: $170,000 assessed in fiscal year 2009 (NEWPORT WPCF, 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 Rhode Island is from Mar 2025.
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: Mar 2025.
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