Author Archives: SavetheAlewifeBrook

Sunday, January 11th, from 6 pm – 8 pm Hybrid meeting via Zoom or in-person at:Just A Start 430 Rindge Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140 Sewage elimination plans in Alewife Brook and in the Charles and Mystic rivers. MassDEP sent MWRA back to the drawing board. But MWRA has not changed direction. What do you wantContinue reading “Community Meeting”

Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant and digester domes peeking out from behind the clouds. Shot from a plane out of Logan, Thanksgiving 2025. Photo credit: Kristin Anderson In the 1990s, households and businesses in Greater Boston paid for the Boston Harbor cleanup with sewer rate increases that enabled borrowing. Now those old long-term loans areContinue reading “Thank You, MWRA?”

Amazing news. This week MassDEP told Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to halt its plans. Those plans would increase the amount of sewage at Alewife Brook, the Charles River, and the Mystic River. MassDEP said MWRA’s plans are not “consistent with the federal Clean Water Act or the Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards.” Thank you, MassDEP.  Continue reading “MassDEP tells MWRA: BACK OFF!”

This week, on 11/13/2025, the Somerville City Council voted unanimously to pass a CSO Funding Resolution. This decision sends a message to the State Delegation that MWRA must provide funding for the updated CSO Control Plan. The Resolution was sponsored by Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen and co-sponsored by Councilor-at-Large and Vice President Wilfred Mbah. The messageContinue reading “Somerville Passes MWRA CSO Funding Resolution”

On March 7, 2025, advocates from many watershed and community groups formed the Coalition to End Sewage Pollution. These organizations include the Mystic River Watershed Association, the Charles River Watershed Association, Alewife Study Group, Green Cambridge, Save the Alewife Brook, and others.  The Coalition works together represent over 100,000 people. We feel our concerns have notContinue reading “The Coalition to End Sewage Pollution”

Great news! At the urging of Chair Councillor Patty Nolan, the Health & Environment Committee of the Cambridge City Council voted unanimously to push forward Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) legislation. The new legislation will soon go to City Council for a final vote! Thank you to the Health & Environment Committee’s Chair Patty Nolan, CouncillorsContinue reading “Cambridge’s Big Step Towards Ending Sewage Pollution”

The Health and Environment Committee of the Cambridge City Council will meet on Tuesday afternoon, September 9th. They will discuss ways to improve the city’s Sewage Pollution Control Plans. For Alewife Brook, a meaningful plan means a 25-year level of control* for Cambridge’s Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Cambridge’s CSOs dump the most raw sewage intoContinue reading “Ask Cambridge to Finish the Job! End Sewage Pollution by 2050”

A new report was published by the Commonwealth last week, on 08/21/2025. It calls for an End to Sewage Pollution, through elimination of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). The new report calls for sewer separation, treatment plant upgrades, and green stormwater infrastructure. Governor Healey signed Executive Order No. 618, which calledContinue reading “Governor Healey Calls for an End to Sewage Pollution”

Please send an email to the State House to End Sewage Pollution. Do you live near Alewife Brook? Do you use the Alewife Greenway Path or the Alewife Brook Reservation state park? Do you live, work, commute, or play near any of the other 35 Combined Sewer Outfalls in the MWRA’s system that discharge untreatedContinue reading “We need your help!”

Great news! On 06/16/2025, the Cambridge City Council advanced a vision of the Alewife MBTA Station redevelopment. That vision includes as much Green Stormwater Infrastructure as possible and underground sewage pollution storage. The goal is to ensure the redevelopment plays a central role in significantly decreasing raw sewage discharges into Alewife Brook. The Policy OrderContinue reading “Cambridge Passes Alewife T Sewage Policy Order”

Join Save the Alewife Brook in person or remotely via Zoom Tuesday, June 17th 1 pm – 5 pm Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Hearingat the State House in Boston, Room 215 Support a sensible, achievable, and necessary response to raw sewage being dumped into our rivers through Combined Sewer Outfalls! Register now toContinue reading “Come to the State House to Demand an End to Sewage Pollution!”

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,Continue reading “TONIGHT! Attend Cambridge City Council Meeting”

Please attend the Cambridge City Council meeting in person or via Zoom at 5:30 pm on Monday, June 9, at City Hall in Central Square. Speak up for Alewife Brook! Since the sewage that flows into Alewife Brook mostly comes from Cambridge toilets, feel free to speak-up, regardless of which town you live in! PleaseContinue reading “Cambridge City Council to Consider Ending Alewife Sewage”

Over 60 volunteers from Somerville, Cambridge, Arlington, and Boston showed up in the pouring rain on Earth Day 2025 for Save the Alewife Brook’s DCR Path Earth Day cleanup & Alewife MBTA Sewage Outfall tour. Then another dozen volunteers arrived to help after the rain stopped. It’s unbelievable how many people care so deeply aboutContinue reading “What We Found in the Brook on Earth Day.”

Join us on Saturday morning, April 26th, for an Earth Day Alewife Greenway Path Clean-Up and CSO Tour. We will gather trash along the path next to the brook. While we’re there, we’ll provide a tour of the Combined Sewer Outfalls and the Concrete Sewage Death Channel. We’ll discuss what we’re doing together, to make Alewife BrookContinue reading “Earth Day Alewife Path Clean-up & CSO Tour”

A Step Towards a Clean Brook In a significant step towards addressing Somerville’s untreated sewage pollution, the Somerville City Council hosted Save the Alewife Brook to learn about long-time neglect at Somerville’s Tannery Brook CSO and the serious community health impacts of untreated sewage and flooding. Council President Neufeld Introduces Tannery Brook CSO Order OnContinue reading “Somerville City Council Meets Save the Alewife Brook”

Over 300 Alewife Brook supporters attended the public Alewife CSO Sewage Pollution meeting on January 22nd. Another 100-200 people registered. Thank you for your support. The State and Federal regulators were there. They work for all of us and they took note of your concern. MWRA tried to silence us.So we fought back and wonContinue reading “What Happened Last Month.”

Wednesday, January 22nd at 6 pm Meaningful improvement requires investment. Four decades since the start of the Boston Harbor Court Case and dumping of millions of gallons of untreated sewage continues at Alewife Brook. But a new plan is being developed. It is exciting that we have the opportunity now to solve the problem. WeContinue reading “Our Strategy for CSO Meeting #4”

Alewife Sewage Pollution Public Meeting #4 Please. We really need you to come to this important meeting.Your being there matters. Wednesday, January 22nd at 6 pm Join this meeting to demand an End to Untreated Sewage Pollution!  Less flooding! Compliance with the Clean Water Act!

Great news! The Town of Arlington has taken action to protect the community and environment from the harmful effects of Alewife Brook sewage pollution. Under the leadership of Selectboard Chair Steve DeCourcey, Vice Chair Diane Mahon, and Town Manager Jim Feeney, the Town of Arlington has called upon Governor Healey to coordinate efforts between theContinue reading “A Greener Alewife MBTA Station”

SUNDAY OCTOBER 6, from 11 am to 1:30 pm March with us from Davis Square to Harvard Square ©Greg Cook photo Puppeteers Cooperative present Save the Alewife Brook at HONK! Parade with us, along with musicians and puppeteers. March to demand a safe, clean, and restored Alewife Brook. It is so much fun! Puppeteers Cooperative has createdContinue reading “Join us in the 2024 HONK! Parade”

On Saturday, September 7th, Save the Alewife Brook’s Ann McDonald and Kristin Anderson kayaked into Alewife Brook from the Mystic River to get a look at current conditions and see if the Brook was navigable by water. The plan was to paddle from the Mystic River all the way to Cambridge’s only urban forest atContinue reading “Swans, Sewage, & Sediment: an Alewife Adventure”

Gathering to discuss the CAM002 CSO, which predates the historic Mass Ave bridge. Volunteers received t-shirts, boatbags, and Kolsvart Swedish Fish. Photo Credit: Arthur Prokosch Eighty Save the Alewife Brook volunteers met for an Earth Day Clean-up on Saturday, April 13, 2024. We collected trash along the entire length of the Alewife Brook, visiting allContinue reading “2024 Alewife Brook Earth Day Cleanup Was a Huge Success!”

We demand the following: During some major storm events, the Alewife Brook floods into the parks, yards, and houses of area residents in Environmental Justice Communities. The flood water contains hazardous sewage that is discharged from the active CSOs owned by Cambridge, Somerville, and the MWRA. Climate change, with its wetter rainy seasons, more intenseContinue reading “The State needs YOUR feedback.”

A rare opportunity to lock in legal requirements to help protect Alewife Brook for years to come. Tuesday April 9th at 7 PM MassDEP has proposed another “Water Quality Variance” to waive water quality standards for Alewife Brook for up to five years. The variance would allow Cambridge, Somerville, and MWRA to continue to dumpContinue reading “MassDEP Special Public Hearing on Alewife Sewage Pollution:”

Special Alewife Sewage Pollution HearingTuesday, April 9th at 7 pmZoom REGISTER HERE Please register now. There is power in numbers. A Real Hearing on Alewife Sewage Pollution. Finally. Demand an End to Untreated Sewage Pollution. A safe neighborhood and path for walkers, joggers, and cyclists. An on-site beacon light sewage warning notification system on theContinue reading “MassDEP wants to hear from you.”

On March 21, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection hosted a meeting at their headquarters in Boston where we talked about Alewife Brook Water Quality. The main topic was the issuance of a new Alewife Brook CSO ‘variance’, which would allow MWRA, Cambridge, and Somerville to continue to dump untreated sewage into Alewife BrookContinue reading “A Great Meeting With MassDEP.”

Join us on Saturday morning, April 13th, for an Early Earth Day Alewife Greenway Path Clean-Up and CSO Tour. We will gather trash along the path next to the brook. While we’re there, we’ll provide a tour of the Combined Sewer Outfalls and the Concrete Sewage Death Channel. We’ll discuss what we’re doing together, to make AlewifeContinue reading “Early Earth Day Alewife Path Clean-up & CSO Tour”

Photo by David Stoff. Local meteorologist Dave Epstein has predicted 2-5 inches of rain tonight, Wednesday, March 6th. When we receive just less than an inch of hard, fast rain, we experience untreated sewage pollution discharges into Alewife Brook. When we receive more than a couple of inches of hard, fast rain, the Alewife BrookContinue reading “SEWAGE FLOOD WARNING”

In 2023, 27.8 Million Gallons of untreated sewage pollution was dumped in Alewife Brook by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Somerville, and Cambridge.1 So what does that number mean? A way to visualize 28 millions gallons is to imagine a 6-story building the size of a football field full of sewage pollution. Imagine if allContinue reading “2023 Alewife Sewage Pollution”

Join Save the Alewife Brook in person or remotely via ZOOM Wednesday, October 25th at 1 PM Support House Bill 886 ~ An Act Relative to Combined Sewer OverflowsA Sensible, Achievable, and Necessary Response to Raw Sewage Being Dumped into our Waterways through Combined Sewer Outfalls Register to speak about the second to last bill,Continue reading “Come with us to the State House!”

Join us in the Sunday Parade! SUNDAY OCTOBER 8, from 11 am to 1:30 pm at 11 am gather at the Day Street Parking Lot in Davis Square, Somervilleending in Harvard Square, Cambridge, at around 1:30 pm Parade with Save the Alewife Brook, musicians, and puppeteers. Join us, to demand a safe, clean, and restored brook, forContinue reading “March in the 2023 HONK! Parade”

Governor Maura Healey’s first budget includes $100,000 for the Alewife Brook. Funding will go through Mystic River Watershed Association for a hydraulic and dredging study. Construction of the Alewife channel with a crane dredge, circa 1909. From the Department of Conservation and Recreation, courtesy Massachusetts State Archives. Why do we need a study of theContinue reading “State Passes $100K for Alewife Brook!”

Please sign the following email petition: Michele Barden EPA Region 1 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (06-1) Boston, MA 02109 RE: NPDES MA0103284, Part I. B. 2. b.(8) You can’t dump untreated sewage into Alewife Brook without telling us. There are too many of us living too close to it. The Alewife Greenway/Bike pathContinue reading “Send A Public Comment to EPA!”

This is not Alewife Brook – it’s the Alewife Greenway under sewage flood water! The public has a legal right to know when hazardous, untreated sewage is discharged into Alewife Brook because it is a serious health risk, especially during flood events. But residents are not informed. On Tuesday, August 8th, 2023, folks had noContinue reading “Public Health Warning Failure!”

he State of Massachusetts, through its agency the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, unfairly uses Alewife Brook poor water quality to justify not spending money to end sewage pollution.  How does this make any sense? Well, it doesn’t. So here’s an analogy which might help the reader to better understand the MWRA’s poor thinking on theContinue reading “The Weaponization of Alewife Brook Water Quality”

On May 17th, students from Cambridge’s Fayerweather Street School rallied to end the sewage pollution that is destroying our environment. They marched from their school to the Alewife Brook, where the 3rd & 4th Grade students leading the year-long watershed project had installed an educational public art exhibit. Students also wrote letters to state legislatorsContinue reading “Cambridge Students March to Save the Alewife!”

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Save the Alewife Brook volunteers met for an Earth Day Clean-up and environmental tour. We collected trash near three of the Alewife’s Combined Sewer Outfalls.  The event began with a reading of Governor Maura Healey’s message to the volunteers. We distributed t-shirts and Kolsvart Swedish Fish. We then began theContinue reading “Earth Day 2023 Clean-up”

Sunday, May 7th, 1:30–5:00 The Rindge Ave Greenway Plan Proposed by Friends of Jerry’s Pond Music * Bangladeshi Dance * Food * Arts & Crafts * Native American Fish Weir * Activities for Kids & Adults! Meet your neighbors to celebrate the planned reopening of Jerry’s Pond!Meet members of the IQHQ team and community groups.MakeContinue reading “Jerry’s PondFest !!”

Join us Saturday morning, April 22nd, for an Earth Day Alewife Greenway Path Clean-Up and CSO Tour! We’ll be working to gather trash along the path next to the brook. While we’re there, we will provide a tour of the Concrete Sewage Death Channel and the CSOs. Come see GHOST FISH art and listen toContinue reading “Earth Day Alewife Path Clean-up & CSO Tour”

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 levelContinue reading “Legislation to Reduce Alewife Sewage Pollution”

to Tonight’s CSO Powerpoint Presentation Which is Meant to Make You Think that Alewife Brook Sewage Pollution is a Good Thing Annotated Slides by David Stoff Meeting materials can be downloaded from the documents tab here. By “occasionally, excess flow”, they mean 51 Million Gallons of Untreated Sewage Pollution was dumped in the Alewife BrookContinue reading “A Brief Annotated Guide”

Add event to calendar Alewife Sewage Pollution Control Public Meeting #2Thursday, December 15th at 6 pm Zoom Register Here 1. EXPRESS Gratitude for Addressing Climate Change We thank Cambridge, Somerville, and MWRA for agreeing to include Climate Change Projections in the updated sewage pollution control plan. If applied properly, this is a huge win forContinue reading “Our Secret 3-Point Meeting Strategy”

There is huge news about a new plan to make desperately needed improvements to the sewage pollution problem in the Alewife Brook. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has promised to include Climate Change projections in their planning of new area combined sewer infrastructure, in response to the Alewife Brook’s hazardous raw sewage pollution problem. IncludingContinue reading “Local Alewife Brook News Story”

The weather should be good today. Take a three minute walk from Massachusetts Avenue, north along the Alewife Brook. And check out the kid-friendly Alewife GHOST FISH art installation and Somerville’s sewer outfall! Before there was a sewer outfall at this location (behind the Homewood Suites Hotel), there was a second brook that met theContinue reading “GHOST FISH on Halloween!”

On Sunday October 9, 2022, thirty supporters of Save the Alewife Brook marched in HONK! Fest from Davis Square in Somerville to Harvard Square in Cambridge.  Sara Peattie’s Puppeteers Cooperative marched with us, leading the way with a family of sea horses and the huge four-person puppet named Big Blue, the Goddess of Clean Water.Continue reading “HONK! Parade”

Former President of Friends of the Alewife Reservation Dear water protectors to Save the Alewife Brook, After 20 years, your water quality campaign for watershed conservation is a great boon to the residents of the Alewife Upper Basin in Belmont, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville and to the downstream Medford and Chelsea Creek communities, and for theContinue reading “A Letter from Ellen Mass”

Join us on Sunday April 24th at 6 PM We have an opportunity now to promote our vision for a safer and more beautiful Alewife Brook. Please join us to discuss this on Sunday April 24th at 6 pm for Save the Alewife Brook’s April Community Meeting. April Meeting Agenda: Draft Scopes for the newContinue reading “April 24th Community Meeting”

Join us Saturday morning, April 23th, for an Earth Day Alewife Greenway Path Clean-Up and CSO Tour! We’ll be working with Everywhere Arlington Safe Streets to gather trash along the path next to the brook. While we’re there, we can show you the CSOs you’ve been hearing so much about. You’ll know us by our new redContinue reading “Earth Day Saturday Alewife Path Clean-up & CSO Tour”

On Saturday, 04/09/2022, the Boston Globe published our letter in response to the op ed, “The cleanup of Boston Harbor is incomplete”. (Note that we have subsequently determined that the 2021 Alewife discharges were over 50 million gallons.) Arlington’s Award-Winning Town Engineer, Wayne Chouinard, also had a letter published about the CSOs: In addition toContinue reading “Boston Globe’s CSO Letters”

Would you like to help flyer a neighborhood in Cambridge or Somerville that is connected to the sewer outfalls on the Alewife Brook? Please help our grassroots effort in North Cambridge and West Somerville, hanging our “Please don’t flush when it rains” flyers. We will be visiting neighborhoods that are still hooked up to theContinue reading “Volunteers Needed Now!”

At the March 4th, 2022 Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s (MWRA) Wastewater Advisory Committee meeting, core activists from Save the Alewife Brook learned something awful about Belmont’s sewage. In 2015, the MWRA reconstructed a Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) known as MWR003 in the Little River/Alewife Brook. They did this as part of the 2006 Long TermContinue reading “MWRA is Dumping Belmont Sewage into Alewife Brook”

Talking Points THURSDAY FEB 17th at 10 AMCLICK HERE FOR MWRA’s online meeting!Access Code: 2331 962 5386Password: February17 The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is holding a briefing at 10 am on Thursday February 17 for their Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project’s Final Report.  This meeting is a final milestone in the completion of theContinue reading “MWRA Final CSO Report Meeting”