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 intense storms, and sea level rise, is expected to increase the severity and frequency of these events.

Furthermore, the MWRA’s sewer infrastructure is failing to meet capacity during many rain events, causing hazardous sewage pollution discharges. In fact, the rate of sewage discharge is increasing exponentially with increase in rainwater, making this a Climate Change Emergency.

Therefore, we demand that the cities of Cambridge, Somerville, and the MWRA completely stop discharging sewage pollution into the Alewife Brook. We also demand that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts invest in urgently needed improvements to the Amelia Earhart Dam and to the Draw Seven Park along the Mystic River so the area is resilient to the effects of flooding due to Climate Change.