Atlanta Clean Water Act Consent Decree

The City of Atlanta has been operating under a Consent Decree for violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in violation of the CWA since 1998. (see City of Atlanta Consent Decree at https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2013-10/documents/atlanta1998-cd.pdf ). Full compliance with the CWA Consent Decree is expected by 2027 according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) latest report ( https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-05/documents/_epaoig_20180530-18-p-0206.pdf ) The Atlanta consent decree directs Atlanta to develop and implement maintenance programs, wastewater treatment infrastructure, and report progress to the EPA and State of Georgia. The CSOs and SSOs have been attributed to stormwater runoff overwhelming sewers with limited capacity, and debris blocking SSOs, also attributed to rainwater. Porous pavement initiatives have been utilized as one of the methodologies to reduce the flow of stormwater runoff to sewers, in an effort to comply with the consent decree. (Example, City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development, Variance Application Checklist states “Pervious (porous) surfaces are encouraged to allow rainwater to absorb into the ground, thereby reducing runoff and flooding.” https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/21625/636245709418400000 )