Big Lake Estates Fined for Wastewater Violations

MN MPCA News

Filed March 4th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) fined Big Lake SADO, LLC, operator of Big Lake Estates mobile home park, $24,150 for unauthorized wastewater releases and failure to notify authorities. The company has agreed to corrective actions to prevent future violations.

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What changed

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued a $24,150 fine to Big Lake SADO, LLC, for violations related to unauthorized untreated wastewater discharges from the Big Lake Estates mobile home park in October 2024 and January/February 2025. The company was also cited for failing to promptly notify the Minnesota Duty Officer of these discharges, a requirement under state regulations.

Big Lake SADO has agreed to implement several corrective actions, including posting emergency contact information, submitting a standard operating procedure for unauthorized release responses, and completing a facility evaluation report with recommendations for system improvements. These actions are intended to prevent recurrence and ensure compliance with environmental regulations designed to protect public health and the environment. The MPCA considers the severity of environmental impact, history of violations, and economic benefit gained by non-compliance when calculating penalties.

What to do next

Submit a standard operating procedure for unauthorized release response for MPCA review.
Complete a facility evaluation report with recommendations for wastewater system improvements.
Ensure emergency contact information is posted at the mobile home park.

Penalties

$24,150 fine

Source document (simplified)

News release

March 4, 2026

Contact

MPCA communications, news.mpca@state.mn.us

Big Lake Estates mobile home park fined more than $24,000 for wastewater violations

Big Lake SADO, LLC, which operates a mobile home park at Big Lake Estates in Big Lake, was fined $24,150 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for unauthorized releases of untreated wastewater in October 2024 and January and February 2025. The company was also cited for failure to notify the Minnesota Duty Officer in a timely manner after the unauthorized discharges occurred, which is required by state regulations.

Big Lake SADO agreed to the following corrective actions:

posted the Minnesota Duty Officer’s contact information in the mobile home park
submitted a standard operating procedure that provides guidance to those responding to an unauthorized release for review by the MPCA
will complete a facility evaluation report with recommendations for maintaining, repairing, and improving the mobile home park’s wastewater collection system to prevent future releases MPCA rules and regulations are designed to protect human health and the environment by limiting pollution emissions and discharges from facilities. When companies do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment.

When calculating penalties, the MPCA considers how seriously the violations affected or could have affected the environment, and whether they were first-time or repeat violations. The agency also attempts to recover the economic benefit the regulated party gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.