EPA v. FARMINGTON WWTP

Case summary

EPA issued an Adiminstrative Order (AO) to Farmington to address violations of the total phosphorus, total recoverable copper, E. coli, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and the whole effluent toxicity (WET) limits contained in its NPDES permit. The AO requires the Town to determine within 6 months whether year-round or seasonal land application is feasible and propose an implementation schedule to achieve full permit compliance by June 30, 2012. If year-round land application is not feasible, then, within one year of receipt of the AO, the Town must submit a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) upgrade facilities plan with recomendations and a proposed schedule to achieve full permit compliance by June 30, 2012. The design and construction schedule for the selected alternative will be incorporated into the AO. The AO includes interim limits for specific parameters that are in effect from the date of the Town's receipt of the AO until the earliest of: (1) the facilities plans improvements are fully operational; or (2) EPA determines that the Town has not complied with the interim AO milestones. The AO also requires the Town to prepare and submit a phosphorus optimization plan assessing the cost and feasibility of implementing interim process control and chemical addition alternatives, and alternatives to minimize influent phosphorus levels at the WWTF. If year-round land application is infeasible: (1) the Town must prepare a copper optimization engineering report must be prepared with a schedule for achieving full compliance with the copper limits of the permit; and (2) the Town must also perform an additional WET test and submit a detailed report evaluating the WET test concentration-response patterns and recommending corrective measures to eliminate violations of the WET limits of the permit. The interim effluent limits shall be reviewed and revised as appropriate after the reports have been submitted. Finally, the AO requires Farmington to submit quarterly compliance status updates until it achieves compliance with its permit limits.

Defendants (1)

• FARMINGTON WWTPNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• FARMINGTON WWTP

  BALDWIN WAY, FARMINGTON, NH, 03835

  Registry ID: 110006619249

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• FARMINGTON WWTPentered 2008-04-30

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 2008-01-23Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2008-04-30Final Order Issued
• 2012-12-31NPDES Closed
• 2012-12-31Enforcement Action Closed