Press Release  Operator of Wastewater Treatment Plant Sued for Violations Resulting in Over Ten Million Gallons of Sewage Spills

Boston — A wastewater treatment plant operator has been sued after allegedly failing to properly maintain and operate the Town of Plymouth’s wastewater treatment plant and collection system, resulting in the discharge of over ten million gallons of raw sewage late last year and earlier this year, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

The complaint, filed in Suffolk Superior Court against Veolia Water North America-Northeast LLC (Veolia) and related companies, also alleges that the operator previously discharged untreated wastewater into Plymouth Harbor resulting in the closure of shellfish beds.

“It is critically important that wastewater treatment facilities, like the one operated by Veolia in Plymouth, are adequately maintained and properly operated,” said AG Healey. “This is a case involving repeated, serious violations of state laws that threatened public health and our invaluable water resources.” 

Veolia, a global provider of wastewater treatment services, operates Plymouth’s treatment plant and collection system, pursuant to a contract with the town.  

The complaint alleges Veolia failed to operate and maintain the wastewater treatment system properly, resulting in discharges during December 2015 and January 2016 of over ten million gallons of raw, untreated sewage to wooded lands and other locations around Plymouth, including a tract of land owned by the state.  

In addition to the raw sewage spills, the complaint alleges that Veolia has at various times since October 2012, discharged improperly treated or untreated wastewater to Plymouth Harbor from the treatment facility. These alleged unlawful discharges resulted in the forced temporary closure of commercial and noncommercial shellfish beds in Plymouth Harbor, including parts of Kingston Bay and Duxbury Bay, due to high fecal coliform levels and the risks posed to human health by eating shellfish from sewage-contaminated waters.  Those closures were temporary, and all of those beds have been authorized to be reopened.  The complaint also alleges that the facility was inadequately staffed.  

“Proper staffing, operation and maintenance of this wastewater system is critical to support the hard work and years of investment that Plymouth and surrounding communities have made to improve the water quality and the public’s use and enjoyment of the Plymouth Harbor and Kingston and Duxbury Bay areas,” said Beth Card, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s deputy commissioner for policy and planning.    

The Town of Plymouth is authorized to discharge treated wastewater pursuant to the terms of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit issued by MassDEP and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The complaint also names the Town, the owner of the wastewater treatment plant, as a defendant.   

The case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Melissa A. Hoffer, Chief of AG Healey’s Energy and Environment Bureau, and Assistant Attorney General I. Andrew Goldberg, of AG Healey’s Environmental Protection Division, with assistance from Paralegal Christopher Knecht, also of the AG’s Environmental Protection Division, Shaun Walsh, an attorney with MassDEP, and Regional Engineer Jonathan Hobill, of MassDEP’s Southeast Regional Office.

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