Release: MWRA Plan to Continue Dumping Sewage in Boston’s Rivers Is Sent to State & Federal Regulators for Approval
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 3, 2026
Contact: Carly Sherman, Communications Manager
Email: csherman@crwa.org
BOSTON, MA— On June 2, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and the Cities of Cambridge and Somerville presented their draft Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) to address Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) in the Charles River, Mystic River, and Alewife Brook. CSOs are the intentional discharge of raw and partially treated sewage into local rivers during heavy rains.
River advocates criticize the MWRA and cities’ plan as too weak, as it would still allow sewage discharges in large rainstorms, which are growing more frequent due to climate change.
Now open for public comment, the plan must be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A final plan is expected in early 2027.
"The MWRA is not meeting the moment,” said Emily Norton, Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA). “The public wants and deserves a Charles River free of sewage. Instead, MWRA is proposing using the Charles as a toilet forever. MWRA's mission is to provide reliable, cost-effective, high-quality water and sewer services that protect public health, promote environmental stewardship, maintain customer confidence, and support a prosperous economy. Dumping untreated sewage in our rivers for over sixty years does not protect public health, promote environmental stewardship, or support a prosperous economy.”
“We have been working tirelessly for over 50 years to make sure communities in our region — many of which are already overburdened by environmental justice concerns — have access to the river and a safe and healthy environment,” said Patrick Herron, Executive Director for the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA). “It’s a betrayal of this mission to have ongoing sewage pollution running through communities, and we need the MWRA to step up to meet this challenge.”
CRWA has highlighted several critical flaws and misleading claims within the MWRA’s proposal:
Zero CSOs: The MWRA calls their recommended plan “0 CSOs in a Typical Year”, and zero CSOs sounds pretty good. The plan will not eliminate CSOs. The plan will result in no CSOs in an average, or typical, year or years that are drier than average. We will still have CSOs in large storms, intense storms, and years that are rainier than average.
Missing and Incomplete Information: The MWRA has only shared data for an average, or typical, year, failing to disclose how much sewage will flood water bodies during atypical years, or the natural variability of rainfall over a ten-year period.
Shifting the Blame: The MWRA argues that due to other forms of pollution, namely urban stormwater runoff, the rivers wouldn't be pristine even without CSOs. The truth is that both CSOs and stormwater are serious sources of pollution. Municipalities are already legally mandated by the EPA to reduce stormwater pollution, at local expense. The MWRA must do its part and take accountability for its own specific contribution: sewage in the river.
The True Cost of Clean Water: While MRWA cites the need to balance ratepayer burdens, their own financial analysis reveals that implementing a significantly stronger, more protective control plan would cost the average household in Greater Boston a minimal amount: less than $46 per household per year.
Comparing Apples and Oranges: MWRA claims that this plan is far superior to any other plan in the country, and even the world. What they fail to highlight is that this is their second round of work; compared to the first round of work in other cities, this is akin to comparing the test results of a high school student to those of an elementary school student. These other cities are likely to fully solve the problem in their second go-around.
Omitting Discussion of Public Health: MWRA is not telling the public about the actual health impacts of CSOs and the disease-causing pathogens that sewage contains. Studies in other areas of Massachusetts have linked CSOs with an increase in emergency room visits for gastrointestinal illness, yet the team never mentions the public health impacts of CSOs or the public health benefits of ending them.
Mission Failure: When asked why we should address CSOs, MWRA has responded, because they have to. It cannot and should not be left up to a small team at MWRA who has not demonstrated a commitment to ending this problem to decide what is best for our city and our rivers. The decision should be made by the public, yet calls to end sewage dumping have been ignored and dismissed for years.
Take Action
CRWA and MyRWA are urging Greater Boston residents to voice their concerns during the public comment period, which is open until September 30th, to demand a plan that prioritizes public health, climate resilience, and clean water. Comments can be submitted at: https://www.votervoice.net/CRWA/Campaigns/137668/Respond
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Charles River Watershed Association’s mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the Charles River and its watershed through science, advocacy, and the law. CRWA develops science-based strategies to increase resilience, protect public health, and promote environmental equity as we confront a changing climate.
Mystic River Watershed Association builds solutions so that all people across the watershed, no matter who you are or where you live, have safe and easy access to nature and a healthy environment. MyRWA is rooted in science and the understanding of environmental injustices. We believe access to information and opportunities to learn about the natural world empower us all to work together for a better future in the Mystic.
