Enforcement to Address Sewer Overflows

Preventing sewer overflows is a national enforcement priority for EPA. EPA's compliance goal is to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) from municipal collection systems and to ensure that wastewater is being conveyed to treatment plants in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Water Act. To eliminate SSOs, EPA uses a mix of compliance and enforcement tools. As part of its efforts to achieve these improvements, EPA New England has issued a number of traditional administrative and judicial penalty actions assessing over $2 million in penalties.

EPA in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, is using an integrated approach that includes both enforcement and compliance assistance to bring the municipal sewer systems of Rhode Island into full compliance with the Clean Water Act by eliminating sewage overflows.

Sanitary Sewer Overflows, USEPA Office of Water
Properly designed, operated, and maintained sanitary sewer systems are meant to collect and transport all of the sewage that flows into them to a publicly owned treatment works (POTW). However, occasional unintentional discharges of raw sewage from municipal sanitary sewers occur in almost every system. These types of discharges are called sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). SSOs have a variety of causes, including but not limited to severe weather, improper system operation and maintenance, and vandalism. EPA estimates that there are at least 40,000 SSOs each year. The untreated sewage from these overflows can contaminate our waters, causing serious water quality problems. It can also back-up into basements, causing property damage and threatening public health.

Clean Water Act, National Enforcement Programs, USEPA Compliance and Enforcement
EPA's Clean Water Act (CWA) enforcement programs are designed to protect and improve the quality of the nation's waters. SSOs are overflows or releases from sanitary sewer systems and are illegal under the Clean Water Act.

Preventing Backup of Municipal Sewage into Basements, USEPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Enforcement Alert, September 2006
Raw or partially treated sewage can back up through pipes into businesses and homes. Learn more about the causes of such backups and what to do if you encounter a suspected backup.

EPA Strategically Addressing Raw Sewage Discharges Across Nation to Protect Public, Environment, USEPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Enforcement Alert, March 2003
A summary of EPA enforcement and compliance assistance tools used to address SSOs.

Water Enforcement Program, USEPA New England Regional Office
The Region's Water Enforcement Program is responsible for conducting compliance monitoring and enforcement activities under the authorities of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Find contacts, press releases, links to regulations, policies and guidance, and other information.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Office of Compliance and Inspection
The Office of Compliance and Inspection is responsible for the regulatory enforcement activities related to air, waste, and water resources.

Management Operation and Maintenance (MOM) Programs Project, USEPA Region 4
A pilot enforcement approach developed by EPA Region 4 to bring municipal sewer systems into full compliance with the Clean Water Act by eliminating sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) from municipal sewer systems.

Northeast Ohio Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance (CMOM) Initiative, USEPA Region 5
Many of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's satellite communities are owners of separate sanitary sewers that experience overflows into nearby waterways. Region 5 is piloting a program that offers satellite communities the opportunity to conduct a self-assessment of their sanitary sewers.

Serving the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, & Tribal Nations

Enforcement to Address Sewer Overflows

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