AWWA WQTC53020

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), which provides water fromunfiltered surface water sources to the Greater Boston area, pursued a dual trackfor compliance with the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) under the SafeDrinking Water Act. While undertaking a comprehensive review of its system needsand developing an integrated water supply improvement plan, MWRA planned anddesigned both filtration and non-filtration treatment technologies under anadministrative consent order with the state primacy agency. After the MWRA Boarddecided in 1998 to include ozonation/chloramination treatment in the newtreatment plant, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) challenged thisdecision in federal court, contending that filtration was required under the SafeDrinking Water Act. After a full trial, the US Federal District Court upheldMWRA's program and found that filtration was not required for the system. The UShas appealed this decision but, while the appeal is pending, the MWRA continuesto pursue its program for drinking water quality improvements. This programincludes watershed protection for the sources, a new $260 million treatmentfacility including ozonation disinfection, construction of covered distributionstorage, and pipeline rehabilitation, as well as a new 17.5 mile MetroWest WaterSupply Tunnel to provide redundancy for the single aqueduct now transmittingwater for the Boston area. Includes 6 references.