Proposed Material Modification of Consent Decree: City of Columbia Sewer System Clean Water Act Compliance
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
On March 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice lodged a proposed material modification to a 2014 Consent Decree in the case United States and State of South Carolina v. the City of Columbia, South Carolina (Civil Action No. 3:13-cv-2429-TLW), filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The original Consent Decree resolved alleged violations of the Clean Water Act related to Columbia's operation of its sanitary sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. The proposed modification requires the City of Columbia to complete four new infrastructure projects aimed at increasing sewer capacity, with a completion deadline of January 1, 2029. It also postpones the deadline for implementing the capacity assurance program—originally mandated by the 2014 Decree—in the specific subbasins where these new projects will occur, until after those projects are finished. A 30-day public comment period has been opened following publication of this notice. Comments may be submitted by email to pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or by mail to the Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ–ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611. The proposed modification and original Consent Decree are publicly accessible at the Justice Department's consent decrees website.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- City of Columbia must complete four additional sewer infrastructure projects to increase system capacity by January 1, 2029
- Deadline for implementing the capacity assurance program (originally required by the 2014 Consent Decree) is postponed in affected subbasins until the four new projects are completed
- The modification is filed in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina under Civil Action No. 3:13-cv-2429-TLW
+ 3 more changes with Pro
Obligations
What this law requires
Complete four infrastructure projects to increase sewer capacity
Achieve completion of all four sewer capacity projects by January 1, 2029
Implement capacity assurance program in affected subbasins after completion of the four new infrastructure projects
Postpone capacity assurance program implementation deadline in specific subbasins where new projects occur until after project completion
Operate sanitary sewer system and wastewater treatment plant in compliance with Clean Water Act requirements