Mandatory minimum civil penalties: publicly owned treatment works.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the federal Clean Water Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (state act) . The state act, with certain exceptions, imposes a mandatory minimum penalty of $3,000 for each serious waste discharge violation, as defined, or for certain other described violations if those violations occur 4 or more times in any period of 6 consecutive months, as prescribed. The state act authorizes the state board or a regional board to elect to require a publicly owned treatment works (POTWS) serving a small community, in…