Audit of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Overview of Audited Entity

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Overview

The Massachusetts Legislature created the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) in 1985, in accordance with Chapter 372 of the Acts of 1984.

According to page 3 of MWRA’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, dated October 19, 2021,

MWRA assumed control of the water and sewer systems, including facilities, properties, and the right to utilize water withdrawn from system reservoirs that had formerly been the Sewerage and Waterworks Divisions of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“the Commonwealth”) Metropolitan District Commission (MDC). The Commonwealth, under the management of the MDC Watershed Management Division (now the Department of Conservation and Recreation – Division of Watershed Management), retained ownership of all real property comprising the water and sewer systems, including the reservoirs and watersheds, the maintenance of which are included in MWRA’s operating budget. . . .

MWRA’s facilities span from the Quabbin Reservoir in western Massachusetts to the Deer Island Treatment Plant in Boston Harbor. In Fiscal Year 2021, the systems served approximately 3.1 million people and more than 5,500 businesses. . . .

[Chapter 372 of the Acts of 1984] also established the MWRA Advisory Board to represent the cities and towns in the service area. The Advisory Board appoints three members to the MWRA Board of Directors, approves the extension of water and sewer services to additional communities, and reviews and makes recommendations on MWRA’s annual Current Expense Budget and Capital Improvement Program.

MWRA is governed by an 11-member board of directors (three members appointed by the Governor, three members appointed by MWRA’s advisory board, three members appointed by the mayor of Boston, one member appointed by the mayor of Quincy, and one member appointed by the town council president of Winthrop). According to its website,

MWRA’s mission is to provide reliable, cost-effective, high-quality water and sewer services that protect public health, promote environmental stewardship, maintain customer confidence, and support a prosperous economy. . . . MWRA . . . provides wholesale water and sewer services to its customer communities, and funds its operations primarily through user assessments and charges.

Total operating revenue for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 was approximately $755.3 and $778.3 million, respectively. Of these amounts, rate revenue³ was $739 and $760.9 million, respectively.

Oversight and Monitoring of Water Systems

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and other enforcement agencies work together to implement environmental standards set by the United States Clean Water Act (for wastewater) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (for drinking water). These agencies also perform various monitoring processes with MWRA to keep the water, the process of treating the water, and the disposal processes of wastewater safe for communities in the Commonwealth. Constant monitoring of systems is essential to keep the Commonwealth’s water clean and safe.

America’s Water Infrastructure Act

MWRA undergoes a certification process in accordance with the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA), which has a five-year cycle for recertification. According to the AWIA, “Each community water system serving a population of greater than 3,300 persons shall conduct an assessment of the risks to, and resilience of, its system . . . to provide a safe and reliable supply of drinking water.”

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s webpage on the AWIA, “No later than six months after certifying completion of its risk and resilience assessment, each system must prepare or revise, where necessary, an emergency response plan.”

Water Treatment Plants

The John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant in Marlborough treats water for most MWRA communities with ozone and ultraviolet light⁴ as well as other chemicals. The treated water leaves the plant through the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel and the Hultman Aqueduct. Along the way, it is stored in covered storage tanks. Three MWRA communities—Chicopee, an area in South Hadley, and Wilbraham—have their water treated at the William A. Brutsch Water Treatment Facility in Ware, and the water leaves the plant through the Chicopee Valley Aqueduct.

MWRA’s website states, “MWRA’s water comes from the Quabbin Reservoir, about 65 miles west of Boston, and the Wachusett Reservoir, about 35 miles west of Boston. . . . The Quabbin alone can hold a . . . five-year supply of water.”

MWRA’s Water System

 

 

Source: MWRA (https://www.mwra.com/04water/html/watsys.htm)

Water Treatment

MWRA’s website states, “MWRA tests over 1,600 water samples per month, from the reservoirs all the way to household taps.” MWRA uses process and laboratory testing to ensure that water is safely treated with chemicals and has protocols to ensure the safety of its staff members.

According to MWRA’s website, “MWRA’s licensed treatment operators treat drinking water according to strict state and federal regulations.” The following table provides details on some of the treatments/chemicals that MWRA uses on its drinking water.

Treatment	Purpose
Ozone	Primary disinfectant (to achieve 99.9% Giardia inactivation)
Sodium Bisulfite	To remove ozone
Ultraviolet Light	Second primary disinfectant, to inactivate chemically resistant parasites, such as Cryptosporidium
Sodium Hypochlorite (Chlorine)	For residual disinfection, to protect water as it travels through the pipe network
Hydrofluorosilicic Acid (Fluoride)	For dental health
Aqueous Ammonia	To combine with chlorine to form monochloramine for residual disinfection
Sodium Carbonate	To raise the alkalinity of the water for pH buffering; to minimize lead and copper leaching
Carbon Dioxide	To adjust pH to final level

Source: MWRA (https://www.mwra.com/04water/html/watsys.htm)

Drinking water is dispersed through 13 covered storage facilities, which are listed from largest to smallest size, in the following table.

Covered Storage Facility	Location	Gallons Held (millions)
Norumbega	Weston	115
Carroll	Marlborough	45
Nash Hill	Ludlow	25
Blue Hills	Milton	20
Fells	Stoneham	20
Spot Pond	Stoneham	20
Loring Road	Weston	20
Arlington	Arlington	2
Bear Hill	Stoneham	6
Bellevue	West Roxbury (Boston)	3.7
Deer Island	Deer Island (Boston)	2
Turkey Hill	Arlington	2
Walnut Hill	Lexington	2
Total		282.7

 

Physical Security of Water Treatment Facilities

According to MWRA officials, all MWRA employees are issued employee access identification cards. Their identification cards are badges that provide access to any building or facility and must be worn while they are on duty. Access points requiring badges are monitored.

A contractor programs the electronic access control system to provide door alarm monitoring for entrances to sensitive areas in MWRA facilities. MWRA security personnel stated that MWRA uses cameras, fences, locked gates, and deterrence signage for its physical security and that contractors are told to respond to any alarms.

MWRA contracts with third-party vendors to maintain the security of its facilities. Each vendor provides a specific component of security, including staffing, badge tracking, and camera/video monitoring.

Information Systems and Cybersecurity

MWRA has technical infrastructure systems—including MWRA’s administrative computer network and a separate process control system, a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system⁵—for operating the water treatment plants and pipelines. MWRA stated in a letter in response to our draft audit report, dated June 16, 2023, “Access to the SCADA system is only available within MWRA facilities and only by a small group of trained operational staff.”

According to MWRA officials, the Human Resources and Management Information System (MIS) Departments provide access to its systems using multifactor authentication for MWRA employees and contractors, conduct trainings on using the systems, and revoke access to the systems when appropriate. MWRA has established an information security program to outline requirements for system users. Contractors receive access through an MWRA employee, called the single point of contact (SPOC). The SPOC initiates remote access requests for contractors as needed (for example, when a contractor performs security system maintenance and equipment installation). The SPOC submits a request for authorization of remote access for the identified contractor. The director of the MIS Department approves all requests for authorization of remote access.

Upon the director’s approval of the request for authorization of remote access, the MIS Department creates an account for the contractor. Access is limited to the system(s) they are contracted to use. When the contractor no longer needs access to a system, the SPOC notifies the MIS Department that the access is no longer needed and the MIS Department deletes the account.

3.    Rate revenue includes charges for water and sewer services. Water rates are set through the cost to run the water system, and sewer rates are computed on a proportional allocation basis using total flow.

4.    According to MWRA, “Ozone disinfects the water, killing pathogens and oxidizing some other contaminants. Ultraviolet light disinfects water by inactivating chemical- resistant pathogens.”

5.    A SCADA system gathers data from computers, transmitters, and other instruments.

Date published:	August 25, 2023