MWRA

MWRA
Name	Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Founded	1985
Jurisdiction	Greater Boston
Headquarters	Charlestown, Massachusetts
Key people	Frederick A. Laskey (Executive Director)
Website	https://www.mwra.com

MWRA. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is a public authority established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1985 to provide wholesale water and sewer services. It was created in response to a federal court order to clean up Boston Harbor, taking over these critical functions from the Metropolitan District Commission. The MWRA's mission encompasses the treatment and delivery of high-quality drinking water from the Quabbin Reservoir and Wachusett Reservoir, and the collection and treatment of wastewater for a significant portion of eastern Massachusetts.

History

The authority's formation was directly driven by the landmark environmental lawsuit, *United States v. Metropolitan District Commission*, which found the former provider in violation of the Clean Water Act. The case, spearheaded by the Conservation Law Foundation and later involving the Environmental Protection Agency, highlighted the severe pollution in Boston Harbor. Following the court order, the Massachusetts Legislature passed the MWRA Act, dissolving the water and sewer division of the Metropolitan District Commission. This legislative action created a dedicated, financially independent entity with the mandate and bonding authority to execute massive infrastructure projects, most notably the Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant and the associated outfall tunnel.

Organization and governance

The MWRA is governed by an eleven-member board of directors. The Governor of Massachusetts appoints four members, including the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs who serves as chair. The advisory board includes the Mayor of Boston and representatives from the Massachusetts Senate and Massachusetts House of Representatives. Day-to-day operations are managed by an executive director and a professional staff overseeing divisions such as engineering, water quality, and finance. The authority works in close coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and maintains agreements with the United States Army Corps of Engineers on certain watershed issues.

Infrastructure and operations

The water supply system relies on two primary sources: the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts and the Wachusett Reservoir near West Boylston. Water is conveyed eastward through the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel and the City Tunnel to covered storage facilities like the Norumbega Reservoir and the Fells Reservoir. The wastewater system is centered on the Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant, one of the largest in the United States. Treated effluent is discharged via a 9.5-mile-long outfall tunnel into Massachusetts Bay, while solid waste is processed into fertilizer pellets at the MWRA Pelletizing Facility. The system also includes major pumping stations like the Cottage Farm Pumping Station and the Nut Island Headworks.

Service area and member communities

The MWRA provides wholesale services to 61 communities in the Greater Boston area. This includes major cities like Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, and Somerville, as well as many surrounding towns. The water service area covers approximately 2.5 million people, while the sewer service area, which includes additional communities that only receive sewer service, serves about 3.1 million people. Each member community operates its own local distribution and collection systems, purchasing water and sewer treatment services from the MWRA.

Major projects and environmental initiatives

Following its creation, the MWRA undertook the Boston Harbor Project, a multi-billion dollar cleanup that included constructing the advanced primary and secondary treatment facilities on Deer Island. Other significant projects include the construction of the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel to provide a redundant water conduit and the completion of the Inter-Island Tunnel system. The authority has implemented extensive combined sewer overflow control projects, such as the Charles River and Mystic River storage tunnels. It also manages watershed protection programs for the Quabbin Reservoir and Wachusett Reservoir, often partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Financial structure and rates

As an independent public authority, the MWRA finances its operations and capital debt through user charges and fees assessed to its member communities, not through state taxes. It raises capital for large infrastructure projects by issuing bonds, which are repaid through the rate structure. Rates are set annually by the board of directors based on the authority's operating budget and debt service requirements. Each community then sets its own retail rates for end users. The authority's financial practices are overseen by bond rating agencies like Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, and it participates in state revolving fund programs administered by the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust.

Category:Water supply and sanitation in the United States Category:Government agencies established in 1985 Category:Organizations based in Boston