EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Tennessee
42 formal actions at 30 of 242 plants · $2.4M in penalties · 31 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 42 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Tennessee, 10 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 30 of the state's 242 plants, with $2.4 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (19 cases). EPA has inspected 14 plants in the state, 31 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Tennessee
- Tennessee NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Tennessee
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Of Portland 2021 Gravity Sewer Interceptor Portland | Sep 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 04-2026-1000 |
EPA's description: “SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 - ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ON CONSENT This Administrative Order on Consent (Order) is issued pursuant to the authority vested in the Administrator of the EPA by Section 309(a) of the…” | ||||||
| Denzil Bowman Wastewater Treatment Plant (greeneville Stp) Greeneville | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $3,000 | ECHO 07-2026-0178 |
EPA's description: “Facility land applied biosolids when their biosolids violated Table 1 for Arsenic.” | ||||||
| Manchester STP Manchester | Oct 2025 FY2026 | Administrative order | Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 04-2026-1001 |
EPA's description: “OCTOBER 29, 2025 - ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ON CONSENT On October 21, 2024, EPA inspectors, accompanied by a TDEC inspector, conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection {CEI) of the City's STP and WCTS.…” | ||||||
| Dickson STP Dickson | Oct 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 04-2025-1019 |
EPA's description: “On February 12, 2025, EPA inspectors, accompanied by a TDEC inspector, conducted a Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI) of the Respondent's STP and WCTS. The inspection was conducted to evaluate…” | ||||||
| Sevierville (mccroskey Island) STP Sevierville | Jan 2025 FY2024 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 04-2024-1022 |
| Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant Chattanooga | Sep 2024 FY2010 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $476,400 | ECHO 04-2010-9030 |
| Hamilton County Wastewater Treatment Authority, Signal Mountain STP Chattanooga | Jul 2024 FY2015 | Judicial case | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order With Penalty | $598,490 | ECHO 04-2015-9007 |
EPA's description: “JULY 15, 2024 - CONSENT DECREE This is a Clean Water Act enforcement case against a water and wastewater utility in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Authority, or…” | ||||||
| Lynchburg STP Lynchburg | Dec 2022 FY2022 | Administrative order | Sewage Sludge Disposal | Final Order With Penalty | $3,000 | ECHO 07-2022-0119 |
| Knoxville Utilities Board - East Bridge STP Mascot | Jun 2022 FY2003 | Judicial case | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order With Penalty | $334,000 | ECHO 04-2003-9052 |
EPA's description: “The Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) is a municipally-charted corporation created under Tennessee law and incorporated by the Charter of the City of Knoxville, Tennessee (the City). KUB owns and…” | ||||||
| Newport Utilities Board Wastewater Treatment Plant Newport | May 2022 FY2019 | Administrative order | Sewage Sludge Disposal | Final Order With Penalty | $8,300 | ECHO 07-2019-0185 |
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 Tennessee
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County Wastewater Treatment Authority, Signal Mountain STP Chattanooga | Jul 2024 FY2015 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $598,490 | $300M | ECHO 04-2015-9007 |
| 2 | Metro Central Wastewater Treatment Plant Nashville and 2 other plants named in the case | Mar 2009 FY2006 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $564,038 | $400M | ECHO 04-2006-9027 |
| 3 | Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant Chattanooga | Sep 2024 FY2010 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $476,400 | $250M | ECHO 04-2010-9030 |
| 4 | Knoxville Utilities Board - East Bridge STP Mascot | Jun 2022 FY2003 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $334,000 | $530M | ECHO 04-2003-9052 |
| 5 | Oak Ridge STP Oak Ridge | Oct 2012 FY2012 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $171,000 | — | ECHO 04-2012-4532 |
| 6 | City Of Columbia Wastewater Treatment Plant Columbia | Oct 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $76,800 | — | ECHO 04-2014-4506 |
| 7 | Waverly STP Waverly | Nov 2016 FY2016 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $47,200 | — | ECHO 04-2016-4524 |
| 8 | Lick Creek Valley (mosheim) Wastewater Treatment Plant Midway | Oct 2013 FY2013 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $20,000 | — | ECHO 04-2013-4514 |
| 9 | Cornersville STP Cornersville | Oct 2015 FY2015 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $9,200 | — | ECHO 04-2015-4511 |
| 10 | Lexington Utilities- Waste Water Treatment Plant Lexington | Dec 2010 FY2010 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $9,000 | — | ECHO 04-2010-4504 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 1 | — |
| FY2019 | 1 | $8,300 |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 3 | $5,505 |
| FY2022 | 2 | $5,100 |
| FY2023 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 1 | — |
| FY2025 | 1 | — |
| FY2026 | 3 | $3,000 |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Tennessee: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Tennessee?
EPA's enforcement records list 42 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Tennessee, 10 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 30 of the state's 242 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Tennessee wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Hamilton County Wastewater Treatment Authority, Signal Mountain STP in Chattanooga: $598,490 assessed in fiscal year 2015 (HAMILTON COUNTY WATER & WASTEWATER TREATMENT AUTHORITY (WWTA), 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 Tennessee 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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