Former waste plant workers hit with felony charges after allegedly lying about years of troubling actions: 'There were some discrepancies'

Two former waste treatment plant employees are facing felony charges for the alleged dumping of raw untreated sewage outside of Oklahoma City.

According to authorities, former Bethany-Warr Acres Waste Water Treatment Plant manager Glenn Brentnell and former employee Anthony Menzie are accused of lying to officials regarding how much fecal matter was dumped into surrounding waterways.

Officials allege that as plant manager, Brentnell was aware of the plant's disrepair but failed to address any concerns. They also argue that Menzie knowingly altered lab reports to indicate a lower fecal count.

As reported by KFOR, Menzie was arrested on March 28, 2025, and charged with five felonies including obtaining money, property, or signature under false pretenses, one charge of conspiracy to commit a felony, another of offering forged or false instruments for the record, and two of violating the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act.

A felony warrant is out for Brentnell's arrest. As of April 6, 2025, no arrest record for Brentnell has been made available.

Shellie Chard, Water Quality Division Director at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, spoke to KFOR regarding the department's lengthy investigation into the illegal dumping and the plant's overall conditions. "The treatment plant was in very much disrepair," Chard said.

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The plant's questionable conditions ultimately led to a complaint being filed in 2019. "We responded within 24 hours," Chard said. "Through a series of records reviews, there were some discrepancies. We had our inspectors go out and look at the facility and inspect the equipment. In doing that, some of the records were missing, and some of the tests weren't being completed."

Although the yearslong investigation uncovered several issues, Chard noted that the illegal dumping of untreated raw sewage was perhaps the most concerning. The sewage was found in nearby fields and local water sources such as Bluff Creek and Liberty Lake. "It's a big lake. There's fishing and lots of activities. So, there was an impact there and to Bluff Creek."

According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Liberty Lake is home to several fish species, including crappie, catfish, and bass. The lake is also an important water source for the nearby community.

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