The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has been granted a federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge effluent from the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant into Massachusetts Bay. Below are links to pages containing reports that MWRA is required by its permit to post on-line:

What's New: Links to recent MWRA treatment plant performance and environmental quality reports.

Ambient Monitoring: Reports on monitoring in Massachusetts Bay.

Discharge Monitoring: Reports on the quality of effluent being discharged into Massachusetts Bay.

Contingency Plan: "Caution" or "Warning" level exceedances of Contingency Plan thresholds for water quality monitoring in Massachusetts Bay. Designed to detect potential effects of the outfall.

Best Management Practices: To keep each facility's operation clean so it does not become a polluter.

Pollution Prevention: MWRA's industrial pre-treatment and household education programs.

Flow Limitation: Demand management and water conservation efforts designed to minimize flows to the Deer Island Treatment Plant.

Groundwater Remediation: MWRA prohibits discharges into the MWRA system for groundwater remediation activities. The NPDES permit requires an annual review of this policy.

Local Limits: A review of MWRA standards and limits for discharges from certain business or industrial sewer users.

Prior Notice: Notice of any significant change in the pollutants being introduced into the treatment plant by, for example, a new industry.

Operations & Maintenance: Status report on routine maintenance of the sewer system, the sewage treatment plant, and the sludge pelletizing plant; and a report on steps taken to reduce leakage into MWRA's pipes.

Archive: Older reports are available to those who want historical information.

Note: A PDF version of MWRA's NPDES permit can be accessed on the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency's web site. To view reports that are in PDF format, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader®, which is available free from Adobe Systems. MWRA also makes available to the public copies of all NPDES required reports at Hyannis Public Library and at the MWRA library, 100 First Ave., Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, MA 02129.

Please address data requests or questions about the harbor and the bay to the MWRA Environmental Quality Department at 617-788-4601, or e-mail us.

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