PIERRE – The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has fined the Town of Hermosa $13,000 for Surface Water Discharge permit violations.
Violations included failure to submit monitoring reports, failure to monitor land applied wastewater, violation of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) limit, and land application of wastewater between November 1 and March 31 without written approval.
“Hermosa has addressed these violations,” said DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts. “However, this penalty reinforces the need for permit compliance to protect the public and the environment. DANR expects operators to comply with their permits and will continue to work closely with the Town of Hermosa to prevent future violations.”
In response to the violations, DANR required Hermosa to submit an updated Best Management Plan for land application and required Hermosa to obtain permission prior to land applying wastewater. In addition, Hermosa is not allowed to add any chemicals to its wastewater without written approval from DANR.
Hermosa is working on a wastewater treatment facility expansion project to ensure adequate capacity and minimize the need to land apply wastewater. Starting on April 1, 2023, the town is required to submit quarterly progress reports on the status of the upgrades.
The Town operates a wastewater treatment plant in Hermosa to treat the town’s residential wastewater. DANR requires the Town to sample domestic wastewater prior to land application and to report any violations. For more information about DANR’s Surface Water Discharge permitting program visit: https://danr.sd.gov/
