Alexandrium tamarense

A geologic formation that holds groundwater. Many non-MWRA communities rely on wells drilled into aquifers for their drinking water supplies.

One way to track the status of a marine ecosystem is to measure the diversity of the organisms in the communities that comprise the ecosystem, such as the soft-sediment communities (benthic infauna) i [..]

The process by which toxic chemicals can accumulate in animal tissues and become concentrated when they move up the food chain.

There are annual and seasonal chlorophyll thresholds for the "nearfield," the group of stations within about three miles from the outfall that are most likely to be affected by nutri [..]

An antiquated sewer system in which storm runoff and sewage from homes and businesses are carried by the same pipes.

A treatment facility that operates in wet weather to treat combined sewage before discharge. Includes disinfection; may also include some removal of suspended solids or floatable pollutants.

The addition of a chemical (usually sodium bisulfate or sodium thiosulfate) to neutralize the toxicity of chlorine after it has been used for disinfection.

Untreated sewage carries large numbers of potentially disease-causing pathogens originating in human waste that would be a health hazard if discharged into recreational or shellfishing areas. Llike mo [..]

Fish and other aquatic animals breathe oxygen dissolved in the water. Algae and other plants growing in the water produce oxygen, and atmospheric oxygen also dissolves in water at the surface. In poll [..]