The Sewer Maintenance Division maintains and repairs the City’s sanitary sewer, combined sewer and stormwater collection systems. The maintenance program includes responding to obstructed sewer lines, cleaning catch basins, repairing broken sewer lines, controlling sewer odors, and inspecting and approving private connections to public sewers. The Sewer Division uses a combination of City personnel and contractors to complete these maintenance activities. Cambridge is a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) community for wastewater treatment and the Sewer Division works closely with them on various wastewater issues.

Other responsibilities of this Division include development and management of critical projects such as stormwater management, inflow and infiltration studies combined sewer overflow monitoring; stormwater quality sampling, and administering the Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) program. The Sewer Division also oversees the design and construction of sewer separation projects that convert the combined sewers into separate sanitary sewer and stormwater drains.

The Sewer Maintenance Division is also working with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and community groups to improve the water quality in the Charles River and Alewife Brook.

An important part of the Sewer Division’s duties is to meet with citizen groups and individual homeowners to advise them on methods to avoid sewer backups and to define the responsibility of the City and the homeowner regarding sewer connections.