Massachusetts
Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2008
The Clean Watersheds Needs
Survey (CWNS) is a comprehensive
assessment of needs1 to meet the water
quality and water-related public health
goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
States and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) conduct the
CWNS every four years under CWA
Section 516 (b). Massachusetts
documented needs totaling $8.8 billion
in 2008. This is a 135 percent increase
from the $3.8 billion in needs
documented in 2004.
Documented Needs in Massachusetts
Needs (2008 Dollars, Millions)
Type of Need
2004
2008
Percent Change
Wastewater treatment
$830
$2,613
215%
Pipe repair and new pipes
$774
$3,227
317%
Recycled water distribution
nra
$26
n/a
Combined sewer overflow correction
$2,140
$2,044
-4%
Total Wastewater Treatment Needs
$3,744
$7,910
111%
Conveyance infrastructure
n/a
$22
n/a
Treatment systems
n/a
$17
n/a
Green infrastmcture
n/a
<$0.5
n/a
General stormwater management
nr
$1
n/a
Total Stormwater Management Needsb
nr
$41
n/a
Agriculture (cropland) best management practices (BMPs)
nr
nr
0%
Agriculture (animals) BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Silviculture (forestry) BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Ground water protection: unknown source BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Marinas BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Resource extraction BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Brownfields remediation
nr
$1
n/a
Storage tank remediation
nr
nr
0%
Sanitary landfills BMPs
$7
$7
0%
Hydroniodification (Water resource restoration and protection)
$6
$72
>1,000%
Other estuary management activities0
n/a
$19
n/a
Total Nonpoint Source Control NeedsM
$13
$99
662%
Total Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Needsb'd
nr
$767
n/a
Total Needs
$3,757
$8,817
135%.
aNot reported; Actual needs may be higher, since documenting these needs is difficult; °In 2004, Other Estuary Management
Needs were reported under Separate State Estimates (SSEs); dNot included in Official Needs in the Report to Congress.
County Needs ($M)
None reported
<200
200-600
>600
1 Documented needs in the CWNS include the unfunded capital costs of projects as of January 1, 2008 that address a water
quality or a water quality-related public health problem existing as of January 1, 2008, or expected to occur within the next 20
years; and meet the seven CWNS documentation criteria. All needs are in January 2008 dollars.

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Massachusetts
Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2008
Wastewater Treatment Facilities
The enactment of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 resulted in dramatic improvements in the:
•	Number of wastewater treatment plants.
•	Percentage of the population served by wastewater treatment plants.
•	Quality of effluent treatment from wastewater treatment facilities.
In 2008, 70% of Massachusetts residents received centralized wastewater treatment services at the
secondary, advanced, or no discharge treatment level, compared to 12% in 1972.
Number of Centralized Treatment Facilities and Population Served
Number of Facilities
Population Served
%Total	%Total
Population	Population
Treatment Level
1972
2008
Projected"
1972
1972
2008
2008
Projected3
Less than Secondary
21
1
1
356,000
6
50,326
1
67,918
Secondary
37
77
63
431,000
7
3,765,115
58
3,873,684
Advanced
28
27
41
266,000
5
721,994
11
1,119,738
No Discharge
0
13
20
0
0
48,827
1
156,931
Total
86
118
125
1,053,000
18
4,586,262
71
5,218,271
a Number of facilities and population served if all needs documented in the CWNS 2008 are met.
Small Communities
In Massachusetts, small community
wastewater facilities serve 9% of the
population and comprise 10% of total
wastewater treatment and collection
needs. EPA small community support
information is available at:
www. epa. gov/owm/mab/smcomm
Reported Needs for Facilities in Small Communities
Facilities

1 Needs (2008 Dollars, Millions)
Population
2004
2008
2004
2008
0-999
3
4
$2
$8
1,000-3,499
15
17
$124
$142
3,500-10,000
22
26
$103
$666
Total
40
47
$231
$816
Visit www.epa.gov/cwns for more information including:
•	Detailed Reports to Congress
•	Other state fact sheets
•	Maps, charts, and data downloads for projects, facilities, watersheds, counties, congressional
districts, cities, states, and regions

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