Summary of Massachusetts' Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Industry
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 industrial applications approved for use in Massachusetts
- Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for industrial applications 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 reuse for industryThe use of recycled water for industrial applications, often created at the industrial facility. This includes recycled water generated through onsite processes such as boiler water, cooling water, manufacturing water, and oil and gas production, as well as recycled water generated offsite and imported elsewhere for industrial reuse applications. includes reuse for certain cooling purposes, process water and boiler feed water. The source of water treated municipal wastewaterTreated 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 on this page 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 use of recycled water for industrial applications including industrial cooling or air conditioning where aerosols or other mists are both created and not created and as industrial process water and boiler feed water. 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 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 industrial applications approved for use in Massachusetts
314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00 defines the following approved industrial applications:
- Cooling or air conditioning where aerosols or other mists are created, including, without limitation, cooling towers, evaporative condensers, or spray mechanisms (Class A)
- Process water where inhalation or contact is possible (Class A)
- Cooling or air conditioning where aerosols or other mist are not created (Class B)
- Process water in a closed system where there is no worker contact (Class C)
- Boiler feed water (Class C)
Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
In Massachusetts, the various classes of treatment are assigned based on the potential for human contact, with Class A being the highest probability of human contact. The respective treatment requirements are briefly summarized (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00):
- For Class A reclaimed water, the reclaimed water must meet or exceed the Class A effluent limits defined in the table.
- When an industrial cooling system uses Class A reclaimed water in conjunction with an air conditioning facility that utilizes a cooling tower or otherwise creates a mist that may come into contact with employees or members of the public, chlorine or another biocide must be used to treat the cooling system recirculating water to minimize the growth of Legionella spp. and other microorganisms.
- For Class B reclaimed water, the reclaimed water must meet or exceed the Class B effluent limits defined in the table.
- For Class C reclaimed water, the reclaimed water must meet or exceed the Class C effluent limits defined in the table.
In Massachusetts, permittees must maintain a chlorine residual of at least 0.5 mg/L in the reclaimed water during conveyance from the wastewater treatment facilities to each reuse site (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00). For reuse sites that are not under the control of the permittee, the Service and Use Agreement must provide the permittee with sufficient access to the reclaimed water distribution system and the reuse site to ensure compliance with this requirement (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00). This chlorine residual requirement might be waived if the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection determines that another method of disinfection has been provided that adequately protects public health and the environment (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00).
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).
When an industrial cooling system uses Class A reclaimed water in conjunction with an air conditioning facility that utilizes a cooling tower or otherwise creates a mist that may come into contact with employees or members of the public, a drift eliminator must be used whenever the cooling system is in operation (314 Mass. Code Regs. 20.00).
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 industrial applications specifications
Summary of Massachusetts' Water Reuse for Industrial Applications Reuse Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Class A (Industrial cooling or air conditioning where mist is created, including cooling towers, evaporative condensers, or spray mechanisms; Process water where inhalation or contact is possible) |
Municipal wastewater |
pH |
6.5–8.5 |
Point of compliance is after the final treatment process and prior to the point of reuse |
|
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 (over continuous 7-day sampling period) ≤14/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
|||
|
Total nitrogena |
<10 mg/L |
|||
|
Phosphorusa |
May be established on a case-by-case basis |
Not specified |
||
|
Class B (Industrial cooling or air conditioning where mist is not created) |
Municipal wastewater |
pH |
6.5–8.5 |
Point of compliance is after the final treatment process and prior to the point of discharge |
|
5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) |
<30 mg/L |
|||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
<10 mg/L |
|||
|
Total nitrogen |
<10 mg/L |
|||
|
Fecal coliform |
≤14 coliform/100 mL (median over continuous 7-day sampling period) ≤100/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
|||
|
Phosphorusa |
May be established on a case-by-case basis |
Not specified |
||
|
Class C (Process water in a closed system where there is no worker contact; Boiler feed water) |
Municipal wastewater |
pH |
6.5–8.5 |
Point of compliance is after the final treatment process and prior to the point of discharge |
|
5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) |
<30 mg/L |
|||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
<30 mg/L |
|||
|
Total nitrogena |
<10 mg/L |
|||
|
Fecal coliform |
≤200 coliform/100 mL (median; sampling period not specified) |
|||
|
Phosphorusa |
May be established on a case-by-case basis |
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.
a The Department may establish a limit on phosphorus and/or establish a limit on total nitrogen that is more stringent than 10 mg/L to maintain or achieve compliance with Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards and/or to protect the actual or potential use of the groundwater as a source of potable water.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming regulations related to water reuse for industry 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.