Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Notifications
SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW (SSO) NOTIFICATIONS
In January 2021, Governor Baker signed An Act Promoting Awareness of Sewage Pollution in Public Waters into law. This new law will make sure the public knows when untreated sewage flows into Massachusetts waters. This includes certain Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). A year later January 2022, MassDEP promulgated regulations to implement the provisions of the Act. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Town of Swampscott recognizes the importance of notifying the public when untreated sewage is released into our waters.
The regulations and materials from the reg-development process are available here:
314 CMR 16.00: Notification Requirements to Promote Public Awareness of Sewage Pollution
Public (SSO) Notifications:
About Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Notifications
A Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) is an unintentional discharge of wastewater to the environment prior to reaching a treatment facility. SSOs can occur on infrequent occasions when the capacity of the sewer system is exceeded, usually due to extreme conditions such as heavy rainfall, or an obstruction or break in sewer lines.
During such events, flow may be discharged to the environment and potentially local receiving waters without treatment. These events may also occur in a manner to reduce the risk of sewage backing up into homes and businesses. Public health officials recommend avoiding contact with receiving waters for up to two days after SSO discharges have ended.
This web page will include notifications to the public which provide data from any ongoing SSOs as well as any SSOs that have occurred during the past sixty (60) days. In addition, the Town also reports all SSOs to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as required.
When a discharge or overflow occurs, Swampscott Department of Public Works (DPW) sends out a public advisory notification. On business days, this website will be updated within 2 hours of the notification. During nights, weekends, or holidays, this website will be updated on the next business day.
You can also see a list of discharge and overflow events on the MassDEP Website. This list is updated within 24 hours of when the public advisory notification is sent. Enter the community name in the Permittee field and click Search.
The EPA Website also has additional information on SSOs for our specific EPA Region of the country.
The fastest way to get information is to sign up below to receive public advisory notifications directly from the Town.
Subscribe to E-Alerts | Swampscott, MA (swampscottma.gov)
If you do have a sewer overflow, immediately call
Public Works Department at (781) 596-8860
Normal business days
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Closed
After hours, please call (781) 595-1111
What can I Do to Prevent SSO and Back-ups? To protect your property and the environment, follow these simple Do's and Don'ts:
- DON'T Put non-flushable WIPES in the toilet
- DON'T Put diapers or sanitary napkins in the toilet
- DON'T Dispose of fats, oils or grease (FOG) down the drain
- DON'T Plant trees near sewer lines
- DON'T Connect any roof drains or sump pumps to the sewer system
For more information, please read the article: Beware of “The Un-flushables”
