Contacts: Cathy Rofshus, 507-206-2608
Butterfield, Minn. -- The city of Butterfield, in south-central Minnesota, has paid a $10,000 penalty to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for alleged violations at its wastewater treatment plant. The city is also expanding its treatment system to prevent illegal discharges. In addition, the city will provide at least $20,000 in assistance to residents to redirect sump pumps from the sanitary sewer system to home exteriors, in order to reduce excess flows to the treatment plant during rain events.
During inspections of the Butterfield wastewater treatment plant in 2008 and 2009, the MPCA observed and documented many violations in reporting, monitoring, operating, recordkeeping and discharge requirements. The violations include discharging large volumes of untreated or partially treated wastewater to Butterfield Creek during four periods total from 2006 to 2009. Butterfield Creek flows to the Watonwan River, which flows to the Minnesota River.
In addition, the treatment plant exceeded the state limits for certain parameters, such as fecal coliform bacteria, on 39 occasions from March 1, 2006 to April 30, 2009.
The city of Butterfield has taken steps to correct problems, including reducing inflow and infiltration, which are terms for the ways that clear water and stormwater make their way into sanitary sewer pipes and eventually get treated, unnecessarily, at wastewater treatment plants. Basement sump pumps are a typical source of inflow. Inflow during major rainfalls may also exceed a treatment plant’s capacity, leading to discharges of untreated or partially treated sewage. These discharges put public health at risk and violate state and federal regulations.
To reduce inflow and infiltration, and help prevent illegal discharges, the city has started a program to remove sump pumps from its sanitary sewer system, including financial aid to elderly and fixed-income residents, as outlined in its stipulation agreement with the MPCA.
The stipulation agreement is one tool that the MPCA uses to achieve compliance with environmental laws. When calculating penalties, the MPCA takes into account how seriously the violation affected the environment, whether it was a first time or repeat violation and how promptly the violation was reported to appropriate authorities. The agency also attempts to recover the calculated economic benefit gained by failure to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.
For more information, go to the MPCA web site at www.pca.state.mn.us.
