Washington D.C. Sued for Clean Water Violations

DC water supplier sued for CWA, water quality violations

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 12, 2014 -- For violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) -- owner of the Potomac Water Filtration Plant -- has been indicted in federal court for polluting the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Attorneys from Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), on behalf of the Potomac Riverkeeper, together with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), filed a lawsuit today against WSSC in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland for unregulated polluted wastwater discharges from the filtration plant. The organizations allege that the WSSC facility has and continues to emit millions of pounds of sediments, or total suspended solids (TSS), and aluminum directly into the river.

The Potomac Water Filtration Plant is located near Seneca, Md., and discharges up to 15.8 million gallons per day (average discharge is 8 MGD) of wastewater into the Potomac River. The facility provides drinking water to the majority of Maryland residents in Montgomery County and parts of Prince George's County, and has been operating under a 5-year permit that expired nearly 12 years ago.

"Do as I say and not as I do" is a pretty typical response by government to attempts to hold them to the same standards as a private business would be held to. I'm happy to see the NGOs go after them.  It would be amusing if the court decided to shut down one of Washington D.C.s main water plants.  Let 'em drink Perrier.