Office Of Environmental Health & Safety
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Avenue
229 Forsyth Building
Boston, MA 02115-5000
phone: 617.373.2769
fax: 617.373.7622
Developed byMWRA Discharge Limits Overview
No Person shall discharge, or cause or allow to be discharged, directly or indirectly, into the Authority Sewerage System, any of the following:
- Mercury
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
- Pesticides
- Phenanthrene
- Any substances that may create a fire or explosion hazard directly or indirectly
- Any substances with a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 12.0
- Any substance that may obstruct the flow in any Sewer
- Any radioactive Waste or isotope with a half-life or concentration in excess of any limit established by federal or state law
- Any substance that causes turbidity or discoloration
- Any substance containing pathogenic organisms
No discharge into the MWRA System shall exceed the following limitations:
| Pollutant | ppm |
| Acrolein | 0.15 |
| Antimony (total) | 10.0 |
| Arsenic (total)/td> | 0.5 |
| Benzene | 0.3 |
| Cadmium (total) | 0.1 |
| Chromium (hexavalent) | 0.5 |
| Chromium (total) | 1.0 |
| Copper (total) | 1.0 |
| Cyanide (total) | .5 |
| Formaldehyde | 9.0 |
| Lead (total) | 0.2 |
| Nickel (total) | 1.0 |
| Phenol | 5.0 |
| Selenium (total) | 5.0 |
| Silver (total) | 2.0 |
| Vinyl Chloride | 0.02 |
| Vinylidene Chloride | 0.3 |
| Zinc (total) | 1.0 |
| Each toxic organic | 1.0 |
| Total toxic organic | 5.0 |
| Fuel oil, crude oil, lubricating oil, or any other oil or grease of hydrocarbon or petroleum origin | 15.0 |
No person shall achieve, or attempt to achieve, compliance with 360 CMR 10.000 by diluting a discharge instead of using proper pretreatment. The increased use of process water in place of proper treatment shall be considered dilution prohibited by 360 CMR 10.000.