On January 30th TRWA submitted comments in support of EPA’s new draft Clean Water Act (CWA) permit for Somerset, MA. TRWA noted that the last time this permit was reissued was May 14, 2004 making this action overdue. The permit is important because it contains effluent limitations and a schedule for removing nitrogen a potent pollutant driving algae blooms and low dissolved oxygen levels in the Taunton River estuary and Mount Hope Bay.
Middleborough, Mansfield, and Brockton currently have upgraded wastewater treatment facilities which remove nitrogen. Bridgewater and Taunton have upgraded facilities for nitrogen removal under construction which are scheduled for completion the end of 2024.
This leaves Somerset and Fall River as the only two major wastewater treatment facilities in the Taunton River watershed without new permits requiring nitrogen removal. The public comment period on the Somerset permit closed on February 5, 2024.
A copy of TRWA’s comments on the Somerset draft permit my be found at this link.
Recently, EPA put a draft CWA permit for Fall River on public notice with a close of the public comment period on April 1, 2024. TRWA will be submitting comments on the draft Fall River Permit soon.