The following MWRA regulations govern what can be discharged into the sewer system. The regulations must be approved by EPA, and published in the Massachusetts register. After the Secretary approves them, they become part of the "Code of Massachusetts Regulations" (CMR), which has the force of law.
- 360 CMR 1.00 - Adjudicatory Proceedings
- 360 CMR 2.00 - Enforcement and Administrative Penalties
- 360 CMR 10.00 - Sewer Use
About the Pretreatment Program and the Federal Clean Water Act
Congress passed the Clean Water Act in part to set water quality standards for water bodies that receive effluent from sewage treatment systems. The Boston Harbor cleanup came about from a lawsuit by the cities of Boston and Quincy against the Metropolitan District Commission (MWRA's predecessor) for failing to comply with the Clean Water Act. MWRA was formed to bring Boston's metropolitan sewer system and Boston Harbor into compliance with a court order, a result of this lawsuit. The Clean Water Act also requires that businesses and industries that discharge into the sewer system be regulated through an industrial pretreatment program. TRAC administers the Industrial Pretreatment Program for the MWRA service area.