Strategies to Implement Proposed Combined Sewer Discharge Community Notification Requirements in Massachusetts

Communities across the U.S. are burdened by combined sewer systems, which dump raw sewage containing harmful pathogens into public waters during wet weather. Public notification of discharges is a common strategy to reduce public health risks from exposure to contaminated waters. We helped MassDEP prepare to implement proposed regulations that would strengthen public notification requirements of combined sewer overflows in Massachusetts. Through interviews and content analysis, we characterized current municipal notification practices for these events in the Commonwealth and identified potential challenges and strategies to meet the new requirements. We recommended 9 strategies that MassDEP can use to assist Massachusetts communities as they increase their community notification practices