Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in Boston, Mass., is not only the second largest such facility in the country. It is part of one of the greatest environmental success stories since Congress passed the 1972 Clean Water Act. The plant is part of a precedent-setting cleanup effort, surrounded by engineered landscaping that makes it one of Boston’s key recreational assets. It has become a showcase for the city and a much-loved resource for many of its residents.A beneficial projectIn 1985, a Boston lawyer, disgusted at the polluted state of Boston Harbor, sued the city for violating the Clean Water Act.
