Please attend tonight’s Cambridge City Council meeting in person or via Zoom.

5:30 pm Monday, June 9
at City Hall in Central Square and via Zoom

Cambridge supporters, please be there. Please stand up and speak out.

If you live outside of Cambridge, but have experience with raw sewage flooding, the stench in the park, or boating downstream in Mystic River, please let the good folks on Cambridge City Council know what it’s like.

You will only get 1 or 2 minutes to comment during Public Comment Period. Please prepare your statement in advance.

This Policy Order is a request to the Governor and MBTA. Please be kind when you ask the Councilors to vote in support.

If you’d like to watch but not participate, here’s the live stream link for the meeting.

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What is the “Ending Alewife Sewage” Policy Order #3 about?

The Policy Order is about the redevelopment of the Alewife MBTA Station parking garage. The Alewife MBTA station demolition and reconstruction is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address problems with transit, regional sewer infrastructure, and affordable housing.

The Ending Alewife Sewage Policy Order asks that the MBTA’s Request for Proposals from developers (RFP) be rewritten to ensure that it includes planning and space for major upgrades to the existing sewer infrastructure. 

The RFP must include space for Cambridge and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to upgrade existing gray sewer infrastructure, including an underground sewage storage tank with the goal of eliminating sewage pollution in our brook. And there must be space for Green Stormwater Infrastructure, including at least 3 acres for a stormwater wetlands. 

The Policy Order asks for collaboration between the MBTA, MWRA, DCR, DPH, the City of Cambridge, Green Cambridge (an abutting landowner), and local residents and other stakeholders.

Note: The Policy Order does not ask for money for this work from the MBTA or from the private developer – it asks for needed space and collaboration of the state authorities and cities to End Alewife Sewage Pollution.

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Why do we need space for Gray Infrastructure?

Significant gray sewer infrastructure already exists at the MBTA Alewife site. Principally that’s “CAM401A”, the huge pipe next to the garage carrying 2/3rds of the sewage pollution that is dumped into the brook. There is also an ancient pipe under the garage. The infrastructure desperately needs to be upgraded by the city and by MWRA. 

The Alewife Brook Branch Sewer, built in 1896 (not a typo!), runs under the MBTA parking garage. Cambridge’s Alewife MBTA combined sewer outfall, aka CAM401A, is not in compliance with the Boston Harbor Court Case. 

A new underground sewage tank at Alewife could collect untreated sewage during rain storms and detain it until after the storm has passed. Then the sewage could be pumped to Deer Island for treatment.

Underground Tank in Central Square

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Why do we need space for Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI)?

Cambridge has a lot of sewer separation work to do that is tributary to Alewife Brook. Sewer separation removes stormwater from the sewer pipes. After the stormwater is removed from the pipes, it has to go somewhere. That somewhere is a Stormwater Wetland, for cleaning and attenuation. Without a new Stormwater Wetland here, there’s no place to send the separated water. 

GSI here would reconnect the separated areas of wetland and green spaces: the Alewife stormwater wetland, Yates Pond, and Jerry’s Pond.

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Meeting Talking Points

Space and Collaboration.
The Policy Order asks for space and collaboration, for the city to work with MWRA and other agencies and groups, so they are able to do the work needed there to End Alewife Sewage Pollution. It does NOT ask for money from the MBTA or from their private developer but it requires that this collaboration be integrated into the project before this precious and perfectly located public land is handed to a private developer.

Cambridge’s Alewife MBTA Sewage Outfall is not in compliance.
In 2023, Cambridge’s Alewife MBTA combined sewage outfall (CAM401A) was responsible for 70% of the sewage pollution in Alewife Brook. It is not in compliance with the Boston Harbor Court Case. 

Sewage Flooding.
The area is historically called, “The Great Swamp.” It floods regularly, sending untreated sewage flood water into the parks, yards, and homes of area residents. 

Community Health. 
100% of the Alewife sewage pollution is untreated. Exposure to untreated sewage results in sickness.

The area is densely populated. 
5000 people currently live in the Alewife’s 100-year floodplain. 

Environmental Justice.
Unhoused people have built multiple encampments in the Alewife Reservation. Camps get flooded out with sewage. Additionally, the state designates neighborhoods along the Alewife Brook as Environmental Justice blocks. 

An incredible opportunity!
Imagine the Alewife Stormwater Wetlands almost doubling in size, surrounded by beautiful new affordable housing where that horrible parking garage sits now. With connecting paths and trees. Swoon!