Cambridge, MA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

020 gives the Commissioner of Public Works broad regulatory authority over combined sewers, land disturbance activity, and every private or public sewer and stormwater drain connected to the City's system, including power to promulgate regulations, set permit requirements, and take enforcement action against unpermitted activity. Subsection B bars any unauthorized person or owner from uncovering, excavating over, blocking access to, connecting with, opening into, altering or disturbing the Wastewater or Stormwater Drainage System without first getting a written permit from the Commissioner. Anyone proposing a new discharge, or changing the volume or character of an existing discharge, must notify the Commissioner at least 45 days before the change or connection, obtain all required permits, and comply with the Commissioner's regulations and all applicable federal, state and local law.

Subsection C puts installation and connection costs, plus maintenance, on the owner, who must indemnify the City against resulting loss or damage, though the City Manager can cover connection costs when the work stems from the City's own sewer/storm-drain separation commitments to EPA, MassDEP or the MWRA. 090 makes it a disorderly-conduct arrest offense to maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure or equipment that is part of the Wastewater or Stormwater Drainage System.