A federal grand jury indicted Harlem's director of Public Works on Wednesday, alleging he violated the Clean Water Act.

Daniel Webster Cason was indicted on 11 counts by the grand jury in Savannah, according to a news release from the Southern District of Georgia office of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The indictment charges Mr. Cason, who is responsible for operation of the city's Wastewater Treatment Plant, in a January 2004 pumping of a pollutant from the oxidation pond at the plant into nearby Euchee Creek and falsifying records and statements regarding plant measurements of fecal coliform and biochemical demand.

The indictment is a result of an investigation conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the FBI, according to the release.

U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Dan Drake did not immediately return a phone message Wednesday evening.

"The city will ... take the appropriate steps to segregate away from the Wastewater Treatment Plant the public works director until this investigation and procedures are completed," said Harlem Mayor Bobby Culpepper, according to an e-mail from city attorney Barry Fleming. "Prior to this incident, the public works director has been a good employee who was believed not to have intentionally taken missteps in the operation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant."

The alleged incidents occurred more than four years ago and the city has since spent more than $1 million to upgrade the facility.

If convicted, Mr. Cason faces three years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the pumping charge and two years' confinement and a $250,000 fine on each of the false statement charges. No initial appearance or arraignment dates have been set, according to the release.