EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Texas
456 formal actions at 275 of 1,242 plants · $9.6M in penalties · 110 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 456 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Texas, 146 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 275 of the state's 1,242 plants, with $9.6 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (252 cases). EPA has inspected 67 plants in the state, 110 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
Recent enforcement actions in Texas
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Of Fulshear WWTF Fulshear | Sep 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1844 |
EPA's description: “On September 1, 2026, Region 6 issued an Administrative Orders (AO) under its authority pursuant to Section 309 of the CWA to the City of Fulshear, Texas (Respondent). The AO was issued in response…” | ||||||
| Temple Belton WWTP Belton | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 06-2026-1837 |
EPA's description: “On August 18, 2026, EPA Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Water Act to the Temple and Belton WWTF. The AO was issued in response to…” | ||||||
| City Of Zavalla-Guitp - Hwy 147 North Zavalla | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1543 |
EPA's description: “SDWA Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) Administrative Orders issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the City of Zavalla on August 14, 2026. The Orders were issued in…” | ||||||
| East Tawakoni WWTF East Tawakoni | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1544 |
EPA's description: “SDWA Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) Administrative Orders issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the City of East Tawakoni on August 14, 2026. The Orders were issued…” | ||||||
| City Of Flatonia Flatonia | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 06-2026-1534 |
EPA's description: “Failed to conduct a lead and copper inventory of pipelines” | ||||||
| City Of Itasca Itasca | Aug 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1538 |
EPA's description: “On August 14, 2026, EPA Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to City of Itasca (TX1090003) for failure to develop its…” | ||||||
| City Of Rio Grande City WWTP Rio Grande City | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1807 |
EPA's description: “EPA Region 6 has issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Water Act to the City of Rio Grande - Rio Grand City Wastewater Treatment Facility - in…” | ||||||
| City Of Ingleside WWTP Ingleside | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1810 |
EPA's description: “On June 29 2026, Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to the Clean Water Act to the City of Ingleside, Texas. The AO was issued in response to effluent violations…” | ||||||
| Zapata County Waterworks Sewer Division WWTP Zapata | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1813 |
EPA's description: “On June 29, 2026, Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to the Clean Water Act to Zapata County, Texas. The AO was issued in response to effluent violations of…” | ||||||
| City Of Whitewright-Plant 2 - 407 S Gowdy Whitewright | Jun 2026 FY2026 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 06-2026-1502 |
EPA's description: “On June 24, 2026, EPA Region 6 issued an Administrative Order (AO) under its authority pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to City of Whitewright (TX0910011) for failure to develop its…” | ||||||
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Largest penalties in Texas
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest WWTP Houston and 35 other plants named in the case | Apr 2021 FY2010 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $4.4M | $2,000M | ECHO 06-2010-1780 |
| 2 | Dos Rios Water Recycling Center San Antonio and 3 other plants named in the case | Oct 2013 FY2007 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $2.6M | $492M | ECHO 06-2007-1995 |
| 3 | Oso WWTP Corpus Christi and 3 other plants named in the case | Sep 2025 FY2011 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $1.1M | $800M | ECHO 06-2011-1897 |
| 4 | City Of Tyler- Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Tyler and 1 other plant named in the case | Apr 2017 FY2009 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $563,000 | $65M | ECHO 06-2009-1847 |
| 5 | Wilson Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Mc Kinney | Aug 2007 FY2004 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $126,200 | — | ECHO 06-2004-2175 |
| 6 | Washburn Tunnel Facility Pasadena | Feb 2021 FY2015 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $100,000 | — | ECHO 06-2015-1722 |
| 7 | Temple Belton WWTP Belton | Sep 1986 FY1985 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $91,000 | — | ECHO 06-1985-0005 |
| 8 | Plainview City Of POTW Plainview | Dec 2004 FY2001 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $75,000 | $1.6M | ECHO 06-2001-3713 |
| 9 | Wastewater Treatment Plant Paris | Jan 1989 FY1988 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $60,000 | — | ECHO 06-1988-0641 |
| 10 | Wastewater Treatment Plant Paris | Jan 1989 FY1990 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $60,000 | — | ECHO 06-1990-0356 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 9 | — |
| FY2019 | 18 | — |
| FY2020 | 20 | — |
| FY2021 | 11 | — |
| FY2022 | 19 | $1,200 |
| FY2023 | 21 | — |
| FY2024 | 23 | $400 |
| FY2025 | 22 | $1,200 |
| FY2026 | 30 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Texas: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Texas?
EPA's enforcement records list 456 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Texas, 146 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 275 of the state's 1,242 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Texas wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Southwest WWTP in Houston: $4.4 million assessed in fiscal year 2010 (Houston, 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 Texas 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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