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WS 23, 24: Approval to Construct a Water Treatment Facility

Approval to build a treatment facility
Apply online: EEA ePLACE Portal 

Contacts

MassDEP Drinking Water Program

Online

MassDEP Drinking Water Program Email MassDEP Drinking Water Program at program.director-dwp@mass.gov

EEA ePLACE Help Desk

Phone

ePLACE Help Desk Call EEA ePLACE Help Desk, ePLACE Help Desk at 844-733-7522

Open M-F 7:30 am-5:00 pm, with the exception of all Commonwealth & Federally observed holidays.

Online

Email EEA ePLACE Help Desk at ePLACE_helpdesk@mass.gov

The Details

What you need

These approvals serve to protect the public health by ensuring that the application meets minimum drinking water requirements and conforms to current Division of Water Supply guidelines and policies contained in Guidelines and Policies for Public Water Systems . This publication is available at the State House Bookstore.

Apply in category WS 23 A, B, or C if your facility will treat less than one million gallons per day.  The specific subcategory is determined by the design capacity of the system:

  • WS 23A:  less than 40,000 gallons per day (gpd)
  • WS 23B:  40,000 gpd or more and less than 200,000 gpd
  • WS 23C:  200,000 gpd or more and less than 1 million gpd


Apply in category WS 24 if your facility will treat equal to or more than one million gallons per day. Legislative authority for both approvals is stated in MGL Chapter 111, section 160A. Regulatory authority for these approvals is stated in 310 CMR 22.04.

Public water systems (PWS) or their designated representatives seeking approval to construct a treatment facility.

If the PWS or their representative applies for either of these permits it may be necessary to apply for other water treatment permits, e.g. WS 21, 22, or 25.

Approvals of this type may require Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office review. Please carefully examine 301 CMR 11.00, the MEPA Regulations, to determine if your project exceeds the MEPA review thresholds, or for more information contact the MEPA Office of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114; (617-626-1020).  If MEPA review is required by regulation, MassDEP cannot begin technical review of the application until the MEPA process has been completed, unless otherwise agreed to in writing. Copies of MEPA filings should be sent to the MEPA Coordinator in the appropriate Regional Office.

Note: These additional requirements are intended to serve as a guide to the applicant. It does not necessarily include all additional requirements.

Fees

MassDEP Permit Timelines and Fees

How to apply

File online via the EEA ePlace Portal. See details below.

Next steps

  1. Review the Instructions

    Guidance on how to prepare your certification and file it online, as follows:

    Open PDF file, 197.26 KB,  Instructions: WS 23, 24 - Approval to Construct a Water Treatment Facility (English, PDF 197.26 KB)
    Open PDF file, 1.02 MB,  WS23 ePLACE step-by-step instructions (English, PDF 1.02 MB)
    Open PDF file, 901.42 KB,  WS24 ePLACE step-by-step instructions (English, PDF 901.42 KB)

  2. Complete the Certification Form

    Please fill out and save the Microsoft Word or Acrobat Adobe PDF form on your computer.

    Important Note: Even when applying online, you will still need to complete the WS Certification Form and upload it as an attachment during the online filing process. Please do not mail in this form.

    Open PDF file, 83.07 KB,  Application: WS Certification Form (English, PDF 83.07 KB)
    Open DOCX file, 82.67 KB,  Application: WS Certification Form (English, DOCX 82.67 KB)

  3. Submit your Online Application/Documents and Fee Payment

    1. File online via the EEA ePLACE Portal. Please note: There is no need to submit a Transmittal Form or WS Application Form. See instructions above for documents that are required for the WS 23 and 24 application.
    2. For additional guidance on navigating the EEA ePLACE Portal, please follow this link - EEA ePLACE Portal Instruction Documents
    3. You will have the option to Pay Online by credit card or automated clearing house (ACH) or pay by mail. If you select pay by mail option, instructions on how to do so will be provided when you submit your online application.

Contact

Online
MassDEP Drinking Water Program Email MassDEP Drinking Water Program at program.director-dwp@mass.gov
Phone
ePLACE Help Desk Call EEA ePLACE Help Desk, ePLACE Help Desk at 844-733-7522

Open M-F 7:30 am-5:00 pm, with the exception of all Commonwealth & Federally observed holidays.

Online
Email EEA ePLACE Help Desk at ePLACE_helpdesk@mass.gov

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