Purpose

The Commonwealth’s water resources are public resources that require sustainable management practices for the well-being and safety of its citizens, protection of the natural environment and for economic growth. 310 CMR 36.00 is intended to establish enforceable standards, criteria and procedures that will enable the Department to comprehensively manage withdrawals above the threshold volume throughout the Commonwealth to ensure an appropriate balance among competing water withdrawals and uses and the preservation of the water resource. (Mass. Register #1491, 3/17/2023) The Department’s current understanding of the impacts of water withdrawals and other human influences on the sustainability of water resources has been informed by technical studies and the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) Sustainable Water Management Initiative (SWMI). SWMI was convened by EOEEA and involved its environmental agencies, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and public water suppliers, environmental organizations, scientists, policy-makers and planners. SWMI’s goal was to develop an approach to sustainable management of the Commonwealth’s water resources that balances human and ecological water needs based on the best available science. In November 2012, EOEEA and the environmental agencies issued the Final Framework Summary for the Massachusetts Sustainable Water Management Initiative, which provides recommendations for the permitting of water withdrawals under 310 CMR 36.00, including safe yield, streamflow criteria, and permit tiers. These SWMI recommendations informed the 2014 amendments to 310 CMR 36.00.