2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XIX - Agriculture and Conservation › Chapter 132a - State Recreation Areas Outside of the Metropolitan Parks District › Section 17 - Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers Sanctuary

Section 17. There is hereby established in the towns of Ashby, Groton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Lunenburg a protected area to be known as the Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers Sanctuary. Said Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers Sanctuary shall be comprised of the waters of the Squannacook river and its tributaries, to wit: Ash swamp, Ashby reservoir, Bayberry Hill brook, Bixby brook, Flat pond, Flat Pond brook, Fitchburg reservoir, Locke brook, Mason brook, Pearl Hill brook, Pumpkin brook, Trap Fall brook, Trout brook, Walker brook, Willard brook, Witch brook with the exclusion of that section of the Squannacook river from the Hollingsworth and Vose dam at West Groton located approximately North 42° 36&sprime; 45'', West 71° 38&sprime; 7'', on the U. S. Geological survey map Shirley quadrangle to the confluence of the Nashua river; and the waters of the Nissitissit river and its tributaries to wit: Coon Tree pond, Gulf brook, Heald pond, Mine brook, Port Barrel pond, Park Barrel Pond brook, Stewart brook, Sucker brook, Wolf brook. After the effective date of this act, no new discharge of treated or untreated sewage or other wastewater will be permitted to be discharged to the Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers Sanctuary. For the purpose of this section, sewage shall mean the water-carried waste products or discharges from human beings, sink wastes, wash water, laundry wastes and similar so-called domestic waters; wastewater shall mean sewage, liquid or water-carried waste products or discharges from human beings, sink wastes, wash water, laundry wastes and similar so-called domestic wastes, and also sewage, liquid or water-carried waste from industrial, commercial, municipal, private or other sources; and person shall mean any individual, association, partnership, corporation, company, business, organization, trust, estate, the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, any administrative agency, public or quasi-public corporation or body or any other legal entity or the legal representatives, agents, or assignees thereof.
No person shall install or construct, or cause to be installed or constructed, any new outfall, drainage pipe, ditch, channel or other conveyance to carry storm water runoff, either directly or indirectly from any structure, parking lot, or storage yard, other than from a one- or two-family residence and appurtenant parking and storage facilities, into the Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers Sanctuary or any tributaries thereof until plans have been approved by the planning board and conservation commission of the affected town in which the pipe, ditch, channel or other conveyance is located. Said town may require the construction of any structure or structures or treatment works which it deems necessary to prevent the pollution of the Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers Sanctuary by matter carried by such storm water runoff.
The attorney general shall take such action as may be necessary from time to time to enforce the provisions of this section. The superior court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce the provisions of this section.