San Antonio Agrees To $1.1B Upgrade Sewer Systems To Comply With Clean Water Act

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice announced recently that the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) has agreed to make significant upgrades to reduce overflows from its sewer system and pay a $2.6M civil penalty to resolve Clean Water Act (CWA) violations stemming from illegal discharges of raw sewage. The state of Texas is a co-plaintiff in this case and will receive half of the civil penalty.When wastewater systems overflow, they can release raw sewage and other pollutants into local waterways, threatening water quality and contributing to beach closures and disease outbreaks. To come into compliance with the CWA, including remedial measures taken during the parties' negotiations and the comprehensive measures required under the settlement, SAWS is expected to spend $1.1B to achieve compliance."EPA is working with cities across the country to protect the nation's waters from raw sewage overflows that can threaten public health," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "The improvements and upgrades agreed to in this settlement will protect the people of San Antonio and the surrounding communities by reducing raw sewage in the water."

"This settlement will help protect San Antonio residents from exposure to raw sewage by committing San Antonio to make immediate, badly needed repairs to its sewers as well as long-term improvements in the operation, management and maintenance of its system," said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "These improvements will benefit well over a million people living in Bexar County, with a special focus on reducing sewage overflows in communities who have suffered a historical pollution burden."

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