Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title XIV Chapter 83
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 83, § 7 (2026)

Examination of sewage disposal works; prevention of nuisances

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 7. If the department of environmental protection determines upon examination that a filter bed or other works for the treatment, purification and disposal of sewage causes the pollution of a stream, pond or other water, or is likely to become a source of nuisance or create objectionable results in its neighborhood by reason of defective construction, inadequate capacity or negligence or inefficiency in maintenance or operation or from other cause, it may issue notice in writing to the town or person owning or operating such works requiring such enlargement or improvement in the works or change in the method of operation thereof as may be necessary for the proper maintenance and operation of the works and the efficient purification and disposal of the sewage. If said department determines after investigation that the unsatisfactory operation of a sewage disposal system is due wholly or partly to the discharge into the system of manufacturing waste or other substance of such character as to interfere with the efficient operation of said works, it may if necessary prohibit the entrance of such waste or other material, or may regulate the entrance thereof into the system, or may require the treatment of such waste or other material in such manner as may be necessary to prevent its interference with the operation of the works.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 1993–2003 · leading case: Greater Lawrence Sanitary Dist. v. Town of North Andover, 785 N.E.2d 337 (Mass. 2003).
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Greater Lawrence Sanitary Dist. v. Town of North Andover, 785 N.E.2d 337 (Mass. 2003). “G. L. c. 83, § 7. The department also has broad power to regulate air pollution.”
Greater Lawrence Sanitary Dist. v. Town of North Andover, 14 Mass. L. Rptr. 571 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2002). “G.L.c. 83, §7. Under the Massachusetts Clean Waters Act, chapter 21, §§26-53, the DEP’s division of water pollution control (the division) is charged with the “prevention, control and abatement of water pollution.”
Silva v. Landreville, 1 Mass. L. Rptr. 4 (Mass. Super. Ct. 1993). “See G.L.c. 83, §7. 7 In sum, I rule that the proposed sewage treatment plant is a “public service building” exempted by operation of §9-208(7) from the zoning restrictions otherwise applicable to a Residence “A” District.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.