engineering has now designed a very aggressive infiltration and inflow program. This 
state agency is responsible for granting construction grants to the different communities. 
Under this program, grants for construction are contingent upon a certain 
removal level of infiltration and inflow into the local system. I think it's fair to say that 
the problem is being attacked on all sides. I was just focusing on what I feel are the three 
major areas in sewage management. Infiltration and inflow is a major component, and we 
do currently also have eight priority combined sewer overflow projects that are in various 
stages of design and construction. 
Dr. Brown: Given the large volume of sewage coming into the Harbor, a 
number of people have suggested that, as an alternative to siting a plant in one place, 
multiple plants be constructed, with the various townships picking up more responsibility 
for them—for instance, locating plants at Reading and out towards Needham, rather than 
one plant having several secondary treatment plants. Why was that option not 
considered? 
C. Breen: What is termed the satellite treatment plant option, whereby 
smaller plants would be located further west in the Metropolitan District, is one of the 
options that was analyzed in the supplemental EIS on siting. It was determined, however, 
that those types of facilities could not meet the water quality criteria for the different 
rivers into which they would discharge. 
Now that it has gone through the siting process once, I think the MWRA knows 
that in the future if it needs to expand its facilities, will definitely have to look at the 
construction of new facilities elsewhere than in the Harbor. 
When the new facilities are constructed, they will be constructed with a 
certain design life, usually about a 20-year operation life. When new facilities planning 
must be undertaken, the Authority will be looking at options that deal not with just 
whatever sites it picks now, but possibly other sites. We will need to develop treatment 
plants at other sites that will meet water quality regulations, when at this juncture they 
could not. It may involve advanced waste treatment options or something of that nature. 
Dr. Brown: If constructing satellite treatment plants is going to become 
necessary in the future, then planning for them needs to be started now, because in 20 
years we will again be overtaxing a wastewater treatment system that we create now. 
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