The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
The Hampton Roads Sanitation District has agreed to pay a $900,000 civil penalty after overflows from its collection system and nine sewage treatment plants polluted the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Under a settlement filed Tuesday in federal court, the Sanitation District is also required to collect data, conduct computer modeling and - in conjunction with the municipalities it serves - develop a regional plan to ensure that its sewer system has adequate capacity to handle flows from severe storms and prevent sewage overflows.
The Sanitation District must implement the regional plan, which is expected to cost millions of dollars, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement comes after the United States and Virginia filed a joint complaint alleging that the Hampton Roads Sanitation District illegally discharged 9 million gallons of untreated sewage and other wastes from its sewer system and sewage treatment plants into various bodies of water, including the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, on at least 249 occasions beginning in 2003.
The complaint also alleged the Sanitation District caused or contributed to at least 118 municipal sewer overflows when the sewer system exceeded its capacity. The volume lost by the municipalities is unknown but is believed to be substantial, the news release said.
A copy of the consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Major upgrades and improvements required for the sewer system over the next eight years are expected to cost at least $140 million, and the settlement requires the Sanitation District to evaluate, replace, rehabilitate or upgrade pipes, pump stations and other infrastructure where inspections and screenings show a material risk of failure. A new plan to manage, operate and maintain the system is also required to prevent future sanitary sewer overflows.
The Hampton Roads Sanitation District serves 1.6 million customers in 17 counties and cities, according to its Web site. The system consists of 104 pump stations, nine major Hampton Roads plants, four smaller plants on the Middle Peninsula and more than 500 miles of pipes for a combined capacity of 231 million gallons per day.
Lauren King, (757) 446-2309, lauren.king@pilotonline.com
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Regional Media
I think the regional media - papers & news stations - need to monitor HRSD as closely as they monitor our municipalities, VDOT, & SPSA. If they use their 'FOIA' rights and dug deep into the HRSD files, they would find a lot of overspending, mismanagement, and employee perks. Amazing what this public entity can get away with because it isn't closely monitored. I challenge the media to do this. You will be amazed at what you find.
HRSD is about as well run as SPSA and VDOT.
HRSD is about as well run as SPSA and VDOT.
9 million gallons of raw sewage?
This article should have been titled "Citizens of Hampton Roads pay $900,000.00 in fines for poluting the Bay". 9 million gallons of polution and they are worried about taking the land and development rights away from the average citizen! I'd laugh but the joke is on us. Gotta wonder of a n y o n e is going to get fired over all of this? Bet not.
You Watch
I'm sure this will end up on our bills at some point.
Sammons
You are exactly correct. Our money will pay for this "fine."
This is a "fine" collaboration between DOJ and the locality to "fine" the Agency for spills that were unavoidable based on weather events and non-negligent or non-malicious events.
This is what we get when we turn over the reigns to a Federal Department (DOJ/EPA) and the end result is a "consent decree" which is not consensual, but rather a means to an end to create revenue that is not otherwise available, nor Constitutional, via taxation.
Get used to it.