2005 Consent decree regarding sewer overflows from the WSSC sanitary sewer collection system

“Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties – On December 7, 2005 a civil consent decree between Defendant Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) and Plaintiffs the State of Maryland (MDE) and the United States of America (EPA) and Plaintiff-Intervenors (Anacostia Watershed Society, Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Inc., Friends of Sligo Creek, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Patuxent River Keeper), was entered in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland regarding elimination of sanitary sewer overflows from the WSSC sanitary sewer collection system.”

“Under the terms of the consent decree, WSSC is required to implement over the next 14 years numerous reporting, monitoring, inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement remedial measures for its sewer collection system in order to eliminate sewer overflows. WSSC is also required to pay a civil penalty to the Maryland Clean Water Fund of $550,000 and a penalty of $550,000 to the United States Treasury. In addition, WSSC is required to perform supplemental environmental projects in the amount of $4.4 million toward the purchase or acquisition of Patuxent Reservoir buffer properties and easements for water supply protection; private property inflow elimination; and Western Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant winter denitrification through methanol addition. WSSC is also required to pay stipulated penalties to MDE and EPA for future sanitary sewer overflows and violations of consent order requirements.” —MDE Water Management Administration

Status: Case closed. (Reference # Civil Action No. PJM-04-3679).