06/23/2026
Interesting articles that affect Marietta .
Town of Swampscott, Massachusetts (EPA Consent Decree, 2015)
The small coastal town of Swampscott (population ~15,000) owns and operates an MS4 under an NPDES permit. The EPA alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, including discharges of untreated wastewater/sewage from MS4 outfalls into local bays, failure to prohibit non-stormwater discharges (e.g., illicit sewage connections into storm drains), inadequate illicit discharge detection and elimination programs, and lack of ordinances/mechanisms for construction-site sediment/erosion control and post-construction stormwater runoff management from new development.
epa.gov
These issues stemmed from deficiencies in managing and maintaining the stormwater system to prevent pollution. The town entered a consent decree requiring:
• Ordinances to prohibit non-stormwater discharges.
• Identification and elimination of illicit connections (including infrastructure improvements to stop sanitary sewer flows from entering the MS4).
• Programs for construction and post-construction stormwater controls.
The town paid a $65,000 civil penalty. Implementation was expected to reduce pollutants like total suspended solids, nutrients, and bacteria. This directly addressed failures in stormwater infrastructure maintenance and oversight.
epa.gov
Source: EPA enforcement announcement and consent decree details.
Town/Village of Harrison, New York (Settlement with Save the Sound in Clean Water Act Enforcement Suit, 2022)
The Town/Village of Harrison (a smaller Westchester County municipality) faced a Clean Water Act citizen enforcement suit by Save the Sound alleging pollution violations from its municipal systems. The case involved issues with aging infrastructure vulnerable to stormwater impacts, leading to discharges (often tied to sewer overflows or inadequate management of stormwater inflows).
savethesound.org
The parties reached a collaborative settlement agreement resolving the suit. Key elements included:
• Required repairs and improvements to sewer/stormwater-related systems.
• Payments (e.g., $60,000 directed to local water quality remediation projects via the Westchester Soil and Water Conservation District).
• Broader commitments to address ongoing pollution from the municipality’s infrastructure.
pelhamexaminer.com
This reflects legal pressure on smaller municipalities for infrastructure maintenance failures that allow stormwater-related pollution or overflows.
These cases illustrate a common pattern: Smaller municipalities often struggle with the costs and complexity of MS4 compliance and infrastructure upkeep, leading to regulatory enforcement (fines, orders, or settlements) or citizen suits. Many more similar actions occur under state/EPA MS4 programs, though high-profile news coverage is more common for larger cities.
