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U.S. EPA & LA RWQCB SUE LOS ANGELES OVER SEWAGE SPILLS

Release Date: 1/8/2001
Contact Information: Randy Wittorp, U.S. EPA,(415)744-1589, Karen Caesar, RWQCB, (213)576-6642

     Over 2000 sewage spills have occurred since 1995

     SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) today filed a complaint in federal district court against the City of Los Angeles for over 2,000 sewage spills stemming from problems with the city's wastewater collection system.

     The spills have violated the federal Clean Water Act and state water pollution laws.  The EPA and the RWQCB seek to join an existing federal district court lawsuit filed by Santa Monica Baykeeper on November 9, 1998.

     "The high number of spills we've seen in the last few years is a serious public health problem,"  said Alexis Strauss, director of the EPA's regional water division.  "While the City of Los Angeles is improving its sewer system, they need to improve their operating performance and commit to a reasonable schedule for doing so.  The EPA and the regional water boards will continue to scrutinize municipal wastewater operations to protect our beautiful California coast."

     Los Angeles has had an on-going problem with sewage spills, reporting 2065 spills between December 1, 1995 and August 31, 2000.  Frequently sewage has ended up on city streets, in rivers and in the Pacific Ocean.  The city has taken action in recent years to reduce its spills, but is still averaging over 50 spills per month.

     Operation and maintenance of the city's wastewater collection system have also created a severe odor problem in several neighborhoods that today's complaint seeks to resolve.

     "This Regional Board is deeply concerned that the City of Los Angeles sewer system is subject to spills of raw sewage," said Regional Board Chair David Nahai. "The Regional Board takes its mission to protect water quality very seriously and we call upon the City to take aggressive action to remedy this longstanding problem.  By moving this matter to federal court, we are augmenting previous enforcement action taken by this Board that resulted in a substantial penalty assessed against the City."

     The City of Los Angeles has plans to invest heavily in upgrading its wastewater collection system.  Through the lawsuit, the EPA and the RWQCB want assurance that the city will follow through with its plans and take additional comprehensive, long-term measures to stop sewage spills.  The agencies are
seeking the following improvements:

         An enforceable commitment to meet the schedule for increasing the
     capacity of sewage lines.
         A reduction in the amount of oil and grease that enters the system and
     clogs sewage lines.
         Improvements to sewage line maintenance, including the clearing of tree
     roots and grease build-up.
         A program to monitor and control odors that escape sewage lines and foul
     neighborhoods.

     Reducing sewage spills is a national EPA priority.  Untreated sewage contains E.coli bacteria and other pathogens which can cause infections in people.  Untreated sewage can also harm wildlife.  Beach advisories and closures, a serious concern in the Los Angeles area, can be traced in part to sewage spills.

     Following the El Ni¤o winter of 1998, during which the city experienced several massive sewage spills, the RWQCB requested that the EPA conduct a comprehensive investigation of the city's wastewater collection system.  That investigation resulted in today's complaint, which was filed by the United States Department of Justice and the California Attorney General's Office on behalf of the EPA and the RWQCB.