Cape Ann Citizens Ass'n v. City of Gloucester

In 1992 the mayor of Gloucester entered into a consent decree in the Federal District Court to resolve an action brought by the Federal government against the city to enforce the Federal Clean Waters Act. One provision of the decree, as amended in 1994, called for the city to construct a STEP sewer system, described in the margin,2 to abate water pollution from roughly seventy-five houses in North Gloucester. On obtaining easements from the homeowners, the city would install STEP system septic tanks, and maintain them as well as the sewer system to which the tanks were connected. The cost…