PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city was awarded $8,216 from MassDEP to reimburse efforts spent developing their SSO Public Notification Plan and develop a wet-weather hydraulic model of the wastewater collection system. 

 

To celebrate Earth Week, the Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced that $600,000 in grants have been awarded to 10 regional or municipal wastewater utilities and systems across Massachusetts. This grant program is the first to help local communities meet new requirements to notify the public of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) – which are sewage discharges and untreated stormwater and wastewater – into the surface waters of the Commonwealth. 

 

"It is important for the public to be informed about events that result in sewage pollution of surface waterbodies so that people can avoid the water when it may pose a health risk. These new notifications also help raise awareness of infrastructure limitations that result in Combined Sewer Overflows," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "This funding will enable wastewater utilities to expand their efforts to meet the sewage notification regulatory requirements to better inform the public of these events."

 

The funding awarded will enable regional or municipal wastewater utilities and systems in Massachusetts to expand their efforts to meet the Sewage Notification regulation requirements to notify the public of sewage discharges and overflows to protect and preserve public health. There are more than 240 Massachusetts municipalities subject to the current regulations that took effect on July 6, 2022.

 

Regulatory requirements that wastewater treatment plants and communities must meet include notifying the public of sewage discharge and overflow events, posting signage at public access points and making relevant information available online.   

 

"These new regulations have already helped the public become more aware of events that result in sewage pollution of surface water across the Commonwealth," said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "These grants will help wastewater utilities improve their public notification timeliness, accuracy, and reliability. The grants will also help utilities develop web interfaces and signage to inform the public across language barriers."