The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has cited the city of Strawberry Point for wastewater violations. The D-N-R says the city violated its discharge permit by sending wastewater into Fenchel Creek south of the city. The waste water eventually ended up in the Maquoketa River and Backbone Lake. They city’s permit allowed for discharging wastewater at certain times of the year, but the city had been discharging the water at other times as well without notifying the D-N-R and without taking samples. The D-N-R is also looking at disciplinary action against the wastewater treatment plant operator Brad Chambers.
