Photo by DWR
A settlement agreement between the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board and the city of Victorville has been reached and imposes a $1.5 million fine on the City for violating the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) general waste discharge requirements. The $1.5 million settlement fine addresses violations from six untreated sewage spills to Mojave River tributaries, which posed a serious threat to public health and groundwater quality.
The $1.5 million settlement fine addresses violations stemming from six untreated sewage spills which posed a serious threat to public health and groundwater quality. The settlement reflects several deficiencies in the City’s sewer system operations and maintenance programs that likely contributed to the sewage spills. It is the fourth largest such fine imposed by the SWRCB. The deficiencies were originally identified through a staff audit of the City’s sewer system operation and maintenance programs.
The settlement agreement allows up to $750,000 of the $1.5 million fine to be used as part of a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to cover costs of connecting more than 33 private properties on septic systems in the City’s Old Town area to the public sewer system, and the proper abandonment of existing septic systems.
The SEP was proposed by the City and will improve groundwater quality by significantly reducing septic system discharges to the groundwater underlying the Old Town area. The City has made great strides to correct these problems and has invested more than $20 million in infrastructure improvements to the system.
The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board is a California state agency responsible for the preservation and enhancement of the quality of California’s water resources in eastern California. For more information about the Lahontan Water Board, visit its website.
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