Watauga Lake marina fined for wastewater violations

A Watauga Lake marina faces a $32,000 state fine for violating its wastewater discharge permit, including wastewater overflows from a septic tank that reached the lake. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation levied the fine March 18 against Hank’s Dock, Inc., which operates Mallard Cove Marina not far from the Butler Bridge. The business has 30 days to appeal the order. The wastewater discharge stretches back to October 26, 2023, when TDEC inspected the marina in response to a complaint and reported finding pipes underneath a bathhouse discharging wastewater into the lake, as well as wastewater overflowing from a septic tank.