Auto parts manufacturing plant Kamtek, Inc. reached a settlement agreement this week with environmental group Black Warrior Riverkeeper over water pollution from its aluminum casting plant in Birmingham, agreeing to significantly improve its wastewater treatment and monitoring processes.

The company self-reported water pollution violations last year for discharging waste water polluted with heavy metals to Jefferson County’s Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.

But now the company will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to improve its treatment and water testing to remove heavy metals from its discharge water before it reaches the public wastewater treatment plant.

“They’re adding additional wastewater treatment capabilities at their plant, as well as personnel to run its wastewater [treatment operations],” Black Warrior Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke told AL.com. “And so they’re putting a big investment into ensuring that they have the capability to properly pre-treat going forward.”

Black Warrior Riverkeeper filed a notice of intent to sue Kamtek in March 2022 over the heavy metals violations. The Clean Water Act allows any private citizen or group to sue polluters for violations, but requires a formal 60-day notice in advance of the lawsuit.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper staff attorney Eva Dillard said the company reached out in advance of the 60-day time limit and sought to work to resolve the violations out of court.

“We were happy to sit down with Kamtek and work toward an agreement about the best ways for the plant to improve their treatment of toxic pollutants,” Dillard said. “We wish every facility in the watershed were this receptive to our concerns.”

Kamtek’s parent company Magna International confirmed the settlement in a statement this week.

“As a responsible employer and active member of the Birmingham community, Magna has implemented additional water treatment processes, equipment and staff,” the statement said.

“Magna is an industry leader in environmental responsibility. Across our 343 global manufacturing operations, we are committed to meeting or exceeding all environmental laws and regulations that apply to us and monitors and reviews each operation with a goal of continuous improvement.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Kamtek will continue to overhaul its water treatment processes, investing around $530,000 to improve its water treatment and monitoring capabilities with an ongoing expenditure of about $580,000 per year to pay for increased staffing and water testing.

Kamtek will also underwrite a $62,000 Supplemental Environmental Project for Five Mile Creek by the Freshwater Land Trust and reimburse Black Warrior Riverkeeper $15,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Brooke said the agreement was a “win-win” for the company and for people who enjoy paddling or fishing along Five Mile Creek and in the Locust Fork. In settling, the company avoids future legal issues and the pollution issues could be resolved as quickly as possible.

“We would much rather be able to work with the polluters to resolve the matter and get their violation situation into compliance,” Brooke said. “It can be a win-win for for everybody, all people involved as well as the receiving stream and all the wildlife that depend on it.”