Shreveport Agrees to $342 Million Sewer System Upgrade
"The key provisions of this settlement will eliminate overflows of raw sewage in neighborhoods that have for too long been subject to these contaminated overflows," said Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher.
The city of Shreveport, La., recently agreed to make significant upgrades to reduce overflows from its sanitary sewer system and pay a $650,000 civil penalty to resolve Clean Water Act violations stemming from illegal discharges of raw sewage, the U.S. Department of Justice and EPA announced. The state of Louisiana, a co-plaintiff in the case, will receive half of the civil penalty.
To come into compliance with the act, the city estimates it will spend about $342 million during the next 12 years in order to improve the condition of its sewer system; while the system is being upgraded, Shreveport also will implement a program for capacity management, operation, and maintenance to help reduce sanitary sewer overflows.
"The key provisions of this settlement will eliminate overflows of raw sewage in neighborhoods that have for too long been subject to these contaminated overflows," said Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher. "These provisions are critical to protecting the public health of all citizens of Shreveport."
"Keeping these discharges out of our waterways is a priority for the EPA and the state of Louisiana," said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. "The residents of Shreveport deserve clean water and reliable infrastructure, and this agreement will help achieve that."