State officials have fined 11 local government agencies in the Sacramento region a total of $663,000 for water pollution violations.
The fines were announced today by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Under a program started in 2000, wastewater treatment entities are charged $3,000 minimum fines for each violation of a pollution limit. The violations are self-reported by the treatment agencies as part of required monitoring reports.
"These mandatory minimum penalties have been a success in getting the discharger to improve their plants and protect water quality," said Wendy Wyels, environmental program manager at the water board.
In the Sacramento metro area, the penalties include:
• Placer County, $303,000 for violations of coliform, mercury, ammonia, aluminum and other pollutants at two treatment plants that discharge to Rock Creek and Miner's Ravine.
• City of Roseville, $54,000 for violating coliform pollution limits at its Pleasant Grove Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharges to Pleasant Grove Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River.
• City of Woodland, $45,000 for discharges of selenium, ammonia and coliform from a wastewater treatment plant discharging into Tule Canal and Yolo Bypass.
• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, $21,000 for violation of manganese, copper, chlorine and other pollutant limits discharged to the Sacramento River.
Each entity has 30 days to either pay the fine or appeal the penalty to the water board.
