ABSTRACT
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is a regional water and sewerage authority which provides wholesale water and sewer services to the Metropolitan Boston area. The MWRA's initial activities led to a court-ordered schedule for construction of a single new primary and secondary treatment facility, development of sludge management plan focused principally on reuse, and completion of an accelerated program of repairs to existing facilities. The United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a plaintiff in the federal court case, asked that the MWRA take "responsibility" for controlling discharges from combined sewer overflows within its service area. EPA's focus on gathering of data and its commitment to high quality solutions, one might hope that these new regulations would encourage careful assessment of stormwater pollution and development of creative solutions. The requirements for monitoring of stormwater discharges pose a serious problem for municipalities, particularly in these difficult financial times.
