LA PLATA, Md. — The Town of La Plata is working to correct wastewater violations identified by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), following five years of permit exceedances and equipment challenges. Town Manager Chuck Stevens emphasized during the July 29 Town Council meeting that drinking water has not been affected.
According to a June 2025 technical memo prepared by CDM Smith, the La Plata Wastewater Treatment Plant recorded more than 60 violations between January 2020 and March 2025, including elevated levels of:
- Ammonia nitrogen (exceeding limits by up to 339%)
- Copper (up to 961% above limit)
- Coliform bacteria (exceedances as high as 1,764%)
- Zinc, phosphorus, BOD and total suspended solids
At the meeting, Stevens confirmed that the facility is now operating within all permit limits and that the previously malfunctioning equalization tank was repaired and returned to full automation on July 28 — a critical step in improving storm response and flow management.
“I just received information before this meeting — that tank is now fully back in automatic operation. So, that’s a big check in the box for the town. We’ve been working on that for a while and we’re glad that that’s operating. We’ll watch that over the next week or so to make sure that it continues to operate as it is supposed to do,” Stevens said.
The violations were attributed to a combination of:
- Heavy rain inflow exceeding 2.9 million gallons during peak events
- Offline treatment modules during plant upgrades
- Aging infrastructure, including disinfection and valve systems
The plant currently operates at about 1.22 million gallons per day, or roughly 80% of its 1.5 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) permit, with the ability to handle short-term storm surges up to 3 MGD over a four-hour period.
“The town is undertaking phased upgrades to increase plant capacity to two million gallons per day, with future plans to reach two and a half million gallons per day to accommodate projected growth. MDE has approved the town’s plans to expand the wastewater treatment plant capacity to two million gallons per day upon completion of the programmed infrastructure improvements,” Stevens said.
To restore and maintain compliance, La Plata:
- Hired CDM Smith in April 2025 for system analysis
- Partnered with Maryland Environmental Service for operational support
- Implemented internal reporting improvements and SCADA monitoring
- Hired three additional operators in June 2025
- Updated staff training and emergency protocols
No fines have been issued yet, but the town is in discussions with MDE to finalize a consent order, which will include a compliance timeline. The council was told that major facility fee funds will cover the cost of upgrades and penalties, with no tax or utility rate increases planned as a result of the violations.
“No impact on utility rates or taxes is anticipated at this time due to this issue. And I just want to be clear here — I am not saying that taxes or sewage fees will never go up. What we’re saying is that we plan to address these compliance issues using the major facility fee funds. So, taxes and fees will not rise as a result of this issue,” Stevens said.
The town has posted all violation letters, the CDM Smith technical report and its July 24 statement on the official Town of La Plata website.
You can watch the full recording of the July 29, 2025, La Plata Town Council meeting on the town’s official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@LaPlataEvents
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