Waterloo’s Sewage Secrets Exposed

Waterloo’s Sewage Secrets Exposed

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – In a shocking revelation, the city of Waterloo has been caught red-handed in a massive clean water scandal, violating the Clean Water Act and Iowa law. The federal government and the State of Iowa have filed multiple counts against the city, alleging the illegal discharge of untreated sewage, permit violations, and violations relating to the city’s operation and maintenance of its sewer system.

The case, which dates back to October 26, 2015, has finally reached a settlement. The consent decree, signed on January 20, 2016, by the Federal District Court in Cedar Rapids, requires the city to comply with the Clean Water Act and take all necessary steps to come into compliance with the Act.

The consent decree outlines a series of benchmarks that the city must meet, including the implementation of rainfall and flow monitoring and a footing drain removal program, a Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) Program Plan for the sewer system, targeted Condition and Capacity Assessments of the sewer system, the creation of a Hydraulic Model of the sewer system, and the development of a Sanitary Sewer Master Plan.

United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, Kevin W. Techau, praised the city’s leadership for working through the situation and committing to make improvements to water quality. However, he also noted that for years, the city has been releasing raw sewer water containing pathogens into the Cedar River, threatening public health and impacting citizens who rely on the river for drinking water, fishing, and recreation.

The settlement is a significant victory for the citizens of Waterloo and the entire state of Iowa. It will safeguard water quality and protect human health by ensuring much-needed upgrades to the Waterloo sewer infrastructure, reducing combined sewage overflows and the public’s exposure to harmful pathogens.

The case was handled by the Environmental and Natural Resources Division Trial Attorney Danica Anderson Glaser, Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole, Assistant Iowa Attorney General David R. Sheridan, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 6:15-cv-02087. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for updates on this and other cases.