State of Illinois takes legal action against city of Lawrenceville

Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 12:54 PM

By Steve Anderson

A complaint was filed on Friday, September 25th in Lawrence County Circuit Court by the Illinois Attorney General's Office against the city of Lawrenceville regarding its wastewater treatment plant.

The move was made at the request of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

According to court documents, the complaint stems from the city's pollutant discharge permit which regulates the discharge of wastewater and pollutants into waterways and establishes limits and operational requirements for the plant, located on Third Street in Lawrenceville. The permit, which was issued in the year 2020, expired at the end of September 2025.

It is alleged by the state that the city continued to operate the plant and discharge wastewater after the expiration date without a valid permit. It also details violations and conditions allegedly discovered by the IEPA during an inspection of the facility in September of 2025.

The lawsuit contains six individual counts and asks for a judge to order the city to correct the alleged violations, impose civil penalties, and require the city of Lawrenceville to pay costs associated with the case.

The city has not yet issued a response to the court action.