COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS
Reducing sewage overflows in the Charles River.
Did you know raw sewage is still routinely dumped in the Charles River?
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) occur when heavy rain and intense storms cause our outdated combined sewer systems in Boston and Cambridge to overflow into local waterways. There are ten active CSO outfalls maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), Boston Water & Sewer Commission (BWSC), and the City of Cambridge that routinely discharge into the Charles River.
This is a public health risk. CSOs expose our communities to bacteria, viruses, excess nutrients, pharmaceuticals, trash, and even harmful PFAS compounds. And, overflows are becoming more frequent as climate change brings increased rainfall and stronger storms.
What are we doing about it?
We deserve a healthy, safe river for all to enjoy. We are advocating swift, bold actions to end combined sewer overflows, closely tracking discharges and impacts, keeping the public informed about the risks to safe recreation, and advocating for investments in green infrastructure to make our sewer infrastructure more resilient to climate change.
Sewage Notification Law
In 2021, after years of advocacy, CRWA celebrated the passage of the Sewage Notification Law which requires prompt, timely public notification within two hours of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) and Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) discharges in Massachusetts.
Timely warnings are critical for protecting public health. All river users have a right to know when they might be exposed to harmful pollution––and now prompt alerts will help us all stay safe when enjoying our river. As of July 2022, all permittees are required to offer a notification system in accordance with MassDEP regulations, and a statewide sewage discharge notification system is in effect.
How can you sign up for notifications? Sign up for CRWA’s Water Quality Alerts and subscribe to notifications from MWRA, BWSC, and the City of Cambridge.
Ending Sewage Discharges
Combined sewer overflows are illegal under the Clean Water Act, but for over three decades, sewage discharges have been allowed in the Lower Basin of the Charles River as Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), Boston Water & Sewer Commission (BWSC), and City of Cambridge upgrade sewer infrastructure and treatment facilities to reduce overflows.
Starting in April 2022, EPA and MassDEP require the MWRA, BWSC, and Cambridge to develop and implement updated CSO Long-Term Control Plans (LTCPs) to further reduce sewage discharges in the Charles River to improve water quality and protect public health.
We advocate for an end to sewage in our river by pushing for bold solutions like full sewer separation, the use of up-to-date climate predictions for increased rainfall and extreme weather, and rapid investment in green infrastructure solutions to clean up our river, once and for all.
Green Infrastructure Solutions
We’re bringing nature back–– designing, building, and maintaining green stormwater infrastructure across our watershed to keep stormwater runoff from overloading our sewer systems during heavy storms.
Green Stormwater Infrastructure uses nature-based solutions like rain gardens, bioswales, infiltration chambers, tree pits, permeable pavers, and more that collect stormwater runoff from our streets, sidewalks, roofs, and roads, filter out pollution, and return water to the groundwater.
With less stormwater overwhelming our combined sewer system during heavy rain events, harmful combined sewer overflow discharges are less likely to occur, so green infrastructure solutions can be an impactful way to solve this sewage problem.
How do I know if the river is safe?
CRWA’s Flagging Program provides live water quality alerts through a system of color-coded flags to indicate whether or not the Charles River is safe for recreation at twelve locations from Watertown to Boston.
We closely track combined sewer overflows, bringing notifications from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), and the City of Cambridge together in one alert system to keep you informed.
Where can you find updates? Check our website, sign up for email notifications, follow @crwaflagging on Twitter, and look for physical flags flying on the river at twelve participating boathouses.
MEET THE FLAGGING PROGRAM:
