Exciting news! New state legislation, HD3316, has been filed that would greatly improve water quality in the rivers and streams throughout the Boston area as shown on this map. It would limit the dumping of untreated sewage pollution and potentially leading to the building of new treatment facilities.
This legislation would bring the same level of sewage pollution reduction in the Alewife that is afforded along the bay in Boston Harbor, which makes recreational swimming possible on Boston beaches. This is something that the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the cities can do, and this legislation gives them ten years to accomplish this for the Alewife Brook.
Huge thanks go out to Representatives Dave Rogers and Adrian Madaro for introducing this legislation and to Representative Sean Garballey, for co-sponsoring!
Dave Rogers Adrian Madaro Sean Garballey
We’d also like to thank the Arlington Select Board for supporting this legislation. Co-Chair Diane Mahon, in particular, deserves our gratitude for her continued leadership on this issue.
Diane Mahon
A Huge Improvement for the Alewife Brook!
If it passes, this law would eliminate untreated discharges from CSOs except in larger storm events – meaning 25-year storms or larger. That would be a huge improvement for the Alewife Brook! To make sure the reduction in untreated CSOs can be achieved , the legislation gives the CSO permittees a decade to either reduce or eliminate CSO discharges, or to add treatment facilities.