EPA v. ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY (ALCOSAN)

Case summary

On March 25, 2026, DOJ, on behalf of EPA Region 3, filed a Joint Status Report submitted by the United States and the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) which memorializes a minor modification to the Consent Decree previously entered into by ALCOSAN, the United States, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). ALCOSAN?s publicly owned wastewater treatment plant provides wastewater treatment services to 83 communities in Allegheny County, including the City of Pittsburgh. The 59-acre plant has the capacity to treat 250 million gallons of wastewater per day. The original Consent Decree resolved violations of Section 301 of the CWA and violations of ALCOSAN?s NPDES Permit issued pursuant to Section 402 of the CWA. The minor Consent Decree modification makes the following changes to the current Consent Decree: - Allows E. coli sampling in place of fecal coliform sampling; - Allows the elimination of one primary sedimentation tank; - Revises the list of combined and sanitary sewer outfalls; and - Updates the definition of the ?Wet Weather Plan? to clarify that this is a plan submitted pursuant to the Consent Decree (and not contained in the Consent Decree).

Defendants (1)

• ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITYNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• ALLEGHENY CNTY SAN AUTH

  3300 PREBLE AVE, PITTSBURGH, PA, 15233

  Registry ID: 110001085076

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations
• CWA 301/307 — Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards
• CWA 301 — NPDES Discharge without a Permit

Enforcement conclusions (3)

• ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY (ALCOSAN)entered 2020-05-14

  Primary law: CWA

• ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY (ALCOSAN)entered 2008-01-24

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $400,000 · State/local: $800,000 · SEP: $3,000,000

• ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY (ALCOSAN)entered 2026-03-25

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 2000-02-28Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2000-02-29Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2007-05-31Complaint Filed With Court
• 2026-03-25Final Order Lodged
• 2026-03-25Final Order Entered