The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a settlement with the City of Salem, West Virginia, over violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at its wastewater treatment facility. The city was cited for failing to adhere to effluent limits specified in its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and discharging excessive pollutants into Salem Fork, a tributary of the Monongahela River.
In resolution of these violations, the City of Salem has agreed to pay a $25,000 fine. This penalty follows an Administrative Order on Consent filed earlier this year in April 2024. In addition to the financial penalty, the city will develop and implement an updated Operations and Maintenance Manual. An engineering evaluation of the plant will also be conducted, alongside a corrective action plan aimed at improving operations and addressing all effluent exceedances.
According to EPA, "continued violations without corrective action posed the potential for harm to aquatic life with excessive discharges of pollutants including fecal bacteria, suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen, and copper."
The CWA regulates pollutant discharges from point sources like wastewater treatment plants through NPDES permits. These permits set parameters on what can be discharged by facilities and at what levels to maintain water quality.
For more details about EPA’s NPDES municipal wastewater program, visit their website.
