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Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1075.

Official summary

Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Sep 24, 2008

Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require owners or operators of publicly owned sewage treatment works to: (1) institute a monitoring program that alerts such owners or operators of sewer overflows; (2) notify the public of such overflows within 24 hours in areas where human health is potentially affected; (3) immediately notify public health authorities and other affected entities in the case of overflows that may imminently and substantially endanger public health; and (4) make specified reports on overflows, including the number of overflows in a calendar year, to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a state.

Requires each state to provide the Administrator an annual summary of sewer overflows.

Authorizes a state to submit evidence to the Administrator that it has in place a legally enforceable sewage overflow notification program that is substantially equivalent to the notification requirements of this Act. Sets forth factors for determining substantial equivalency.

Authorizes funding from state water pollution control revolving funds to carry out the monitoring of sewer overflows.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ] · D–NJ

Committees

  • Environment and Public Works Committee
4 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1075.

  2. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-497. Minority views filed.

  3. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-497. Minority views filed.

  4. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  5. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

  6. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11859-11860)

  7. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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