FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2015
Fort Smith, Arkansas Agrees to Upgrade Sewer System to Reduce
Discharges of Raw Sewage into Local Waterways
City will also develop a program to help low income communities
improve sewer infrastructure
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
the U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Arkansas announced that the
city of Fort Smith, Ark. will upgrade its sewer collection and treatment system
over the next 12 years to reduce discharges of raw sewage and other pollutants
into local waterways. This work is expected to cost $255 million plus the cost
of routine operation and maintenance. Under a settlement filed in federal court
in the Western District of Arkansas, Fort Smith will also pay a $300,000 civil
penalty and spend $400,000 on a program to help low income areas of the city
repair and replace privately owned portions of the sewer network.
“This agreement means cleaner water for the residents of Fort Smith by
reducing pollution flowing into local waterways,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant
administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA
works with communities like Fort Smith to develop cost-effective and pragmatic
solutions to protect residents from exposure to raw sewage.”
“This settlement will achieve long overdue improvements in the city’s sewer
system that will substantially reduce the number of sewage discharges and help
assure that the citizens of Fort Smith reside in a safe and clean environment,”
said Acting Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch for the Justice Department’s
Environment and Natural Resource Division.
This agreement resolves alleged Clean Water Act violations related to Fort
Smith’s failure to properly operate and maintain its sewer collection and
treatment system. Since 2004, Fort Smith has had more than 2,000 discharges of
untreated sewage from its municipal sewage system, resulting in more than 119
million gallons of raw sewage flowing into local waterways, including the
Arkansas River. These types of discharges, known as sanitary system overflows,
cause serious water quality and public health problems. Fort Smith also
violated limits for discharges of various pollutants from its Massard and P
Street wastewater treatment plants numerous times over the last decade.
Many of the manholes and pump stations from which Fort Smith’s sanitary
sewage overflows occur are in low income and minority communities.
To cut sewage discharges, Fort Smith will conduct a comprehensive assessment
of its sewer system to identify defects and places where stormwater may be
entering the system. The city will also repair all sewer pipe segments and
manholes that are likely to fail within the next 10 years, develop projects to
improve its sewers’ performance and implement a program to clean the system of
debris like grease and tree roots, which can exacerbate sewage discharges. Fort
Smith will also implement a water monitoring program to determine whether human
waste is entering and being discharged from the city’s stormwater system.
The implementation of the consent decree will reduce discharges of 3,492
pounds of total suspended solids, 3,343 pounds of biological oxygen demand, 543
pounds of nitrogen, and 78 pounds of phosphorus from the Fort Smith sewage
system each year. High levels of these pollutants can reduce oxygen levels in
water bodies, which can threaten the health of aquatic plants and animals. Too
much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes algae to grow faster than
ecosystems can handle. Large growths of algae, known as algal blooms,
contribute to the creation of hypoxia or “dead zones” in water bodies where
oxygen levels are so low that most aquatic life cannot survive.
Sanitary system overflows and backups of raw sewage onto private property
poses risk to human health and the environment. Untreated sewage contains
organic matter, bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxics and metals, which may
cause illness or even death when humans come into contact with them. Most
illnesses that arise from contact with sewage are caused by pathogens, which
are biological agents that cause disease or illness in a host. The most common
pathogens in sewage are bacteria, parasites, and viruses. They cause a
wide variety of acute illnesses including diarrhea and infections.
Keeping raw sewage and contaminated storm water out of the waters of the
United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives. EPA is working
to reduce discharges from sewer overflows by obtaining commitments from cities
to implement timely, affordable solutions.
The proposed settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final
court approval. It can be viewed at: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/city-fort-smith-arkansas-settlement.