In 2008, at the request of the New England Region of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance and Technology entered into an agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the feasibility of water conservation at sample facilities in the city of Marlborough, Massachusetts, which was experiencing restraints on development due to limited capacity to process wastewater discharges. OTA hired consultants to perform eight audits, accompanied by OTA staff, and performed two audits on its own. DEP transferred $52,000 to OTA to pay for the consultants, so that OTA could offer subsidized water audits to companies.