Summary of Massachusetts' Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Impoundments
This page is part of the EPA’s REUSExplorer tool, which summarizes the different state level regulations or guidelines for water reuse for a variety of sources and end-uses.
The source water for this summary is Treated Municipal Wastewater.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Water reuse for impoundments approved for use in Massachusetts
- Water reuse treatment category for impoundments
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for impoundments specifications (table)
- Upcoming state law or policy
- References
- Disclaimer
This page is a summary of the state’s water reuse law or policy and is provided for informational purposes only. Please always refer to the state for the most accurate and updated information.
In Massachusetts, water reused for impoundmentsThe use of recycled water in an impoundment (body of water within an enclosure). This includes both unrestricted (use of reclaimed water in an impoundment in which no limitations are imposed on body-contact water recreation activities) and restricted (use of reclaimed water in an impoundment where body contact is restricted). Includes recreational impoundments, aesthetic impoundments, and ornamental impoundments with and without public access. Excludes landscape impoundments and storage of recycled water intended for other specific reuse applications (e.g., for agricultural irrigation). include restricted recreational impoundments. The source of water treated municipal wastewater Treated wastewater effluent discharged from a centralized wastewater treatment plant of any size. Other terms referring to this source of water include domestic wastewater, treated wastewater effluent, reclaimed water, and treated sewage. is specified by the state as municipal wastewater. The write-up below uses state terms when discussing sources or uses of water that may differ from the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer's (REUSExplorer's) terms.
Technical basis
Massachusetts approves the reuse of municipal wastewater for impoundments used for non-body contact recreation. All applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.), including its implementing regulations, must be met in addition to any state water quality standards. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators related to impoundments and are summarized in the table. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators of all classes of municipal wastewater is based on California’s Title 22 Water Recycling Criteria (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22).
Water reuse for impoundments approved for use in Massachusetts
314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00 defines the following approved water reuse for impoundments:
- Restricted recreational impoundments (Class A)
Water reuse treatment category for impoundments
The various classes of reclaimed water are defined by their level of treatment.
- For Class A reclaimed water, the reclaimed water must meet or exceed the Class A effluent limits defined in the table. Maintenance of a chlorine residual is not required in reclaimed water impoundments.
Additional context and definitions
Massachusetts defines reclaimed water as “wastewater that has been treated so that it is suitable for beneficial reuse in accordance with 314 CMR 20.00” (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00).
Massachusetts defines a “recreational Impoundment” as a man-made impoundment of reclaimed water for fishing, boating and other non-body contact recreational uses.
Massachusetts requires that all municipal reclaimed water plumbing and out-of-sight fixtures are colored purple and marked or stamped with the following warning every three feet or less: “NOTICE: RECLAIMED WATER – DO NOT DRINK” (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00). All areas at a reuse site that are accessible to the public, like reclaimed water valves, storage facilities and outlets, must have visible, purple-colored public signs stating “NOTICE: RECLAIMED WATER – DO NOT DRINK” in English and any additional “locally employed language”. No cross connections are allowed between a reclaimed water system, a potable water system and all pipes conveying water for drinking, domestic and culinary purposes.
Water reuse for impoundments specifications
Summary of Massachusetts' Water Reuse for Impoundments Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category (Approved Uses) | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Class A (Recreational impoundments) |
Municipal wastewater |
pH |
6.5–8.5 |
Point of compliance is after the final treatment process and prior to the point of discharge |
|
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) |
<10 mg/L |
|||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
<5 mg/L |
|||
|
Turbidity |
<2 NTU (24-hour average) 5 NTU (cannot exceed more than 5% of time for 24-hour period) 10 NTU (cannot exceed at any time) |
|||
|
Total nitrogen |
<10 mg/L |
|||
|
Fecal coliform |
No detectable fecal coliform/100 mL (median over continuous 7-day sampling period) ≤14/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
|||
|
Phosphorus |
Not specified |
Not specified |
Source= 314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00
* Information about sampling and monitoring requirements such as frequency, site and quantification methods not specifically listed in the table was not explicitly specified in the State-specific regulations.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming reuse regulations related to impoundments were found for Massachusetts.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Reclaimed Water Permit Program and Standards, 314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00.
Please contact us at waterreuse@epa.gov if the information on this page needs updating or if this state is updating or planning to update its laws and policies and we have not included that information on the news page.