Our Environment

As an environmental agency committed to sustainability and mitigating the impacts of climate change, MWRA has a number of program and policies to manage the environmental impact of our operations.  

Environment Water Quality Monitoring

MWRA’s water quality monitoring of the environment includes Massachusetts Bay, Boston Harbor, Boston area beaches, and the rivers. In September 2000, MWRA relocated It’s Deer Island Treatment Plant wastewater discharge from Boston Harbor to Massachusetts Bay. Monitoring has demonstrated the cleanup of the Harbor without causing harm to the Massachusetts Bay environment. Monitoring in the rivers and Boston area beaches demonstrates improvements to water quality in these areas too, even as MWRA continues work on its combined sewer overflow program. MWRA effluent discharges are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). As detailed in its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) discharge permit, MWRA's Ambient Monitoring Program includes extensive testing of the ocean surrounding the Massachusetts Bay outfall and farther out in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Cape Cod Bay.

Climate Change and Sustainability

MWRA has a long standing and successful commitment to energy savings and decarbonization. MWRA has pursued the development of clean energy projects for decades and built up a significant portfolio of renewable energy infrastructure, including solar, wind, hydro, and digester gas fueled combined heat and power.  Over the past two decades, MWRA’s commitment to innovative energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy development, and electrification yielded considerable reduction in GHG emissions. MWRA also continues to implement adaptation measures to protect MWRA facilities from the impacts of more severe weather and sea level rise.

MWRA’s large data set from ocean monitoring also contributes to the overall understanding of climate change indicators in the Gulf of Maine region.