The MWRA cleaned up Boston Harbor. It’s time for it to do the same for the Charles and Mystic rivers. — Op-Ed in The Commonwealth Beacon

Read the new opinion piece in The Commonwealth Beacon by CRWA Executive Director Emily Norton and CRWA Board President Paul Levy.

“It’s easy to forget today, now that whales swim through its waters and shellfish beds are open to harvesting, but 40 years ago Boston Harbor was one of most polluted urban waterways in the country. Unfortunately, we face a similar environmental challenge today, but this time the problem is MWRA’s timidity with regard to ending the pollution of the Charles and Mystic rivers, both of which flow into Boston Harbor. The issue is combined sewer overflows, which are caused by outdated infrastructure in which stormwater and household/industrial wastewater are collected in the same pipe and conveyed to a wastewater treatment plant. During intense rainstorms, the combined system cannot handle the excess polluted water and releases it into the river.”