A federal judge approved Wednesday’s agreement between the city of New York and the EPA for the repair and modernization of its sewer system. It is estimated that the cost was $22 million. Although the city has started some of the work, it does not have enough funding to complete all of the repairs. Andy Alexander, Greenville’s attorney, stated that while we recognize our problems, we also know we have limitations in what we can accomplish given the depressing, yet undisputed statistics. “But I believe that over a two year period, we finally convinced the EPA we are trying to do what is right.” Sanitary Sewer Overflows happen when raw sewage leaks into a body or onto land before it reaches a sewage treatment facility. This is usually a problem in the nation, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. It’s often the result of cities growing too fast for their aging infrastructure to keep pace. However, Greenville’s problems are caused by population loss. Greenville, like many other towns in the Delta has seen large swathes of its population disappear over the past 30 years. According to the Census Bureau, it went from a high point of more than 45,000 people in 1990 to 32,000 today. “So, we have all the infrastructure that we need to maintain with only two-thirds of our tax base. Alexander said that it was a difficult situation. “Every Delta town is facing this problem.” Although the EPA indicated that several Mississippi cities are at risk, it did not give a specific number. Greenville has six years from the date of the partial consent decree to complete the repairs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will then assess the condition of the sewage system. They will wait to see if Greenville will be fined or not for previous violations. Maurice Horsey from the Environmental Protection Agency, Chief of Municipal and Industrial Enforcement, said that the reason was partly to get the municipality to start working on improving the system. Alexander stated that even without the imposition of fines, Greenville’s ability and willingness to pay for the repairs is still a concern, as lack of funds was the root cause of the problem. Alexander said that city officials are considering grants, but that increasing sewer rates is possible. Alexander stated that this is a hot topic because it means that for a large portion of the population that’s $15 more per month and that that’s a serious issue for someone on a fixed income. “Raising rates is the last option, but I believe only a fool or a liar will say that we’re not going raise rates.” The complaint states that Greenville’s violations fall under four categories. The first is sanitary sewer overflows. The city failed to properly maintain its sewer system and the treated water had higher levels of pollutants that allowed by the Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Pollution Control Permit. Les Herrington, from the Department of Environmental Quality stated that “any of these violations must be reported to the DEQ.” According to the complaint, Greenville only reported a few of them. According to Brad Ammons, an Environmental Protection Agency engineer, “They basically said they had nine overflows.” These violations were first discovered by the EPA in January 2013, as part of the National Enforcement Initiative. This initiative evaluates the sewage infrastructure across cities in the United States. Greenville stood out initially because it had only reported a few violations to the Department of Environmental Quality. Ammons stated that they were unable to obtain accurate records from the city and therefore had to count complaints in order to determine the number of violations. He admitted that it is difficult to get a precise figure. The statute of limitations meant that the Environmental Protection Agency could only examine records back to 2008. Greenville, which isn’t required to admit fault under the decree, claims that these numbers are exaggerated because many of the sanitary sewer overflows originated from private lines connecting the city’s pipes with homes. These lines are not maintained by the city. Alexander stated that everything was changed in the reporting process. Alexander stated that the number of SSOs has dramatically declined. “The only thing that has changed is that we are keeping better records.” Greenville claims that it has begun repairs. Alexander stated that the company plans to fully comply with it. Alexander said, “And if it runs out of money – oh my God. We would certainly not deliberately fail to comply.”