The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued disciplinary measures against several businesses and municipalities in recent weeks, including monetary fines to the city of Stockton.

The city of Stockton, the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, and Oakwood Lake Water District/ Beck Properties face penalties of $18,000, $54,000, and $63,000, respectively, for numerous violations of permitted effluent limits at their discharge sites.

The Central Valley water board's assistant executive officer has issued Administrative Civil Liability Complaints for assessment of mandatory minimum penalties for each of the three facilities.

The city of Stockton faces $18,000 in MMPs for effluent limitation violations that occurred at its wastewater treatment plant from Jan. 1, 2000 through April 30, 2008. The city violated the effluent limitations for dibromochloromethane, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand and total coliform organisms. Wastewater from the facility is discharged to the San Joaquin River.

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District faces $54,000 in MMPs for effluent limitation violations at the wastewater treatment plant from Jan. 1, 2000 through April 30, 2008. The district violated the effluent limitations for chlorine residual, cyanide, pH, settleable matter and total coliform organisms. Wastewater from the facility is discharged to the Sacramento River.

Oakwood Lake Water District/ Beck Properties in San Joaquin County face $63,000 in MMPs for effluent limitation violations from the Oakwood Lake Subdivision Mining Reclamation Project's discharge to the San Joaquin River from Jan. 1, 2000 through April 30, 2008. The discharger violated the effluent limitations for pH and turbidity.

Meanwhile, SPX Corporation in Stockton and Aerojet-General Corporation in Sacramento County face penalties of $33,000 and $12,000, respectively, for violations of permitted effluent limitations at their groundwater treatment plants.

SPX Corporations violated the effluent limitations for copper and hexavalent chromium. The facility discharges treated groundwater to the Stockton Diverting Canal, a tributary to the Calaveras River.

Aerojet-General Corporation violated the effluent limitations for trichloroethylene, perchlorate, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and pH. The facility discharges treated groundwater to Buffalo Creek, Morrison Creek and the American River.

The cities of Auburn and Nevada City and Sacramento County also face monetary penalties to the tune of $60,000, $69,000 and $3,000, respectively, for numerous violations of permitted effluent limits at their wastewater treatment plants.

The city of Auburn violated the effluent limitations for residual chlorine, total coliform organisms, pH, silver and turbidity. Wastewater from the facility is discharged into Auburn Ravine.

Nevada City violated the effluent limitations for biochemical oxygen demand, chlorine residual, total suspended solids, settleable solids and total coliform organisms. Wastewater from the facility is discharged to Deer Creek. The AEO proposes that Nevada City has satisfied the complaint for assessment of MMPs because it has spent $5.59 million to build a new wastewater treatment plant.

The Sacramento County Public Works Agency faces $3,000 in MMPs for violations of effluent limitations that occurred at the Kiefer Landfill Groundwater Extraction and Treatment Facility from July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2008. The agency violated the effluent limitations for aluminum and nickel. Wastewater from the facility is discharged into Deer Creek, which is tributary to the Cosumnes River.

The cities of Live Oak, Davis, Woodland and Sacramento also face penalties of $66,000, $12,000, $9,000 and $6,000, respectively, for numerous violations of permitted effluent limits at their wastewater treatment plants and discharge sites.

All complaints may be considered at the water board's regular public meeting on Feb. 5 or 6, 2009. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board is a California state agency tasked with preservation and enhancement of quality in water resources.