A former supervisor of a wastewater treatment plant in Sioux City, Iowa, plans to plead guilty to federal charges that accuse him of tampering with water test results, according to his attorney. The false reports showed the plant’s effluent met federal standards for discharge into the Missouri River.
Patrick Schwarte’s attorney filed a notice saying he will plead guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States. Schwarte will appear in a U.S. District Court Jan. 23.
Although no one else has been charged, Schwarte claims he and the plant superintendent instructed operators to raise chlorine levels on the days E. coli tests were performed.
“It was part of a conspiracy that the co-conspirators did employ a fraudulent testing procedure which ensured that the city would always pass its effluent tests for fecal coliform, E. coli and (total residual chlorine)," the information document says.
Those fraudulent testing and reporting procedures violated and concealed violations of the city's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and the federal Clean Water Act and deceived the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which administers the city's permits, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Attorney's Office alleges.
Heavy Rains Affect WWTP Operations in Austin, Texas
Operations at the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Austin, Texas, were affected after heavy rains in early January, as floodwaters reached the plant’s collection system.
Less than 1 percent of the plant’s flow (830,000 gallons) only received partial treatment during the rainstorm.
People using private drinking water supplies in the area were told to boil water for at least a minute prior to consumption.
Settlement Reached on Class-Action Flushable Wipes Lawsuit
As a result of a class-action lawsuit settlement, Proctor and Gamble will refund anyone who has bought Charmin’s Freshmates Flushable Wipes in the last seven years.
The lawsuit claims the wipes aren’t actually flushable, and the company will refund up to $30 per person with proof of purchase, or up to $4.20 for those without proof.
Pump Failure Causes Untreated Sewage to Flow for Days in Atlanta
After a pump failure at a water treatment facility in Atlanta county officials say sewage was flowing into the Chattahoochee River’s tributaries since New Year’s Eve until an emergency backup pump was brought in the weekend of Jan. 5.
While officials say drinking water is unaffected by the incident, untreated sewage was flowing for days and the county is working with the Environmental Protection Division to minimize downstream effects.
