Enforcement

Overview:

The Enforcement Program's primary responsibilities are:

  • Evaluating and prioritizing violations of water quality protection laws, regulations, and permits.
  • Effectively initiating and following through on enforcement actions/strategies intended to reestablish compliance, to address environmental damage, and to deter future violations.
  • To coordinate with other Regional Water Boards and the State Water Board in pursuing multi-region or state-wide enforcement actions; and to improve enforcement consistency and effectiveness.

These actions are conducted under federal and state law, and the State Water Board's Water Quality Enforcement Policy, with one allocated position and with resources from other programs.

The Enforcement Fact Sheet provides more information on the Goals, Types of Enforcement Actions, Accomplishments, Performance Targets for the current year and following year.


Current Enforcement Cases


Recent Enforcement Cases


Water Code Sections 13225(k) and 13323(e) Enforcement Activity Summary Reports

As of January 1, 2007, the Regional Water Boards are publishing quarterly reports related to all enforcement activities from information collected in our data system. We are also providing information for administrative civil liability actions related to the initial assessment of the civil liability, the final assessment of civil liability, and whether a hearing was waived.

Enforcement Activity Summary Reports

2019
  • 2019 January to March
  • 2019 April to May
Prior Years
  • 2018 January 1 - December 31
  • 2017 January 1 - December 31
  • 2016 January 1 - December 31
  • 2015 January 1 - December 31
  • 2014 January 1 - September 30
  • 2013 January 1 - December 31
  • 2012 January 1 - December 31
  • 2011 January 1 - December 31
  • 2010 January 1 - December 31
  • 2009 January 1 - December 31
  • 2008 January 1 - December 31
  • 2007 January 1 - December 31

In addition to the summary information provided by these quarterly reports, access to enforcement information on a real-time basis is available. This information can be accessed from the State Water Resources Control Board’s Website and links below.


Supplemental Environmental Projects – Information, Current SEP List, Form to Submit New SEP Proposal

Proposed settlements of Administrative Civil Liability (ACL) Complaints may include a supplemental environmental project (SEP) to offset a portion of the total liability. When a proposed settlement includes a SEP, the SEP is included in an ACL Order that is presented to the Water Board at a public hearing. The Water Board can either accept or reject the ACL Order as proposed with the SEP.

Below are links that provide: (1) general information about SEPs, (2) specific information about SEPs that have been accepted by the Lahontan Water Board and are in progress or have been completed, and (3) instructions about how to submit a project proposal for inclusion on the Lahontan Water Board's SEP List.

Additional SEP Information