New initiatives aim to make Charles River and Mass. beaches more swimmable

Boston Globe

01-08-2025

It was the latest reminder that, each summer, dozens of beaches in Massachusetts close because of pollution from downpours that wash stormwater and sewage into swimming areas.
This year, several new initiatives by advocacy groups and legislators are aiming to make the state's water bodies more swimmable.
The Charles River Watershed Association has spearheaded a campaign called 'Cut the Crap' to address sewage connections to street-level stormwater systems, state legislators have filed bills to set targets to reduce discharges
and eventually eliminate those connections, known as combined sewage overflows, while two municipalities are piloting a UV light system to kill bacteria on some of the state's most notoriously polluted beaches.
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Portions of sewer systems in Massachusetts that were constructed in the late 1800s allow sewage from homes and businesses and stormwater runoff to move through the same pipes.
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Back in 1987, there
Neponset rivers, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority; around 46 of these are still active,
The MWRA has a long-term control plan for most active discharge sites. There are 10 locations along the Charles in Cambridge and Boston where sewage overflows are discharged during storms.
'That rain flushes out whatever's dripping from dumpsters, bacteria from city streets, and stuff from our pipe network,' said Max Rome, stormwater program manager at the Charles River Watershed Association. Heavy rain also draws pollution from areas upstream, such as the Watertown Dam, Rome said.
Combined sewage overflows have long been an issue, but there is renewed energy around making public waterways in Massachusetts safer. The Charles River Watershed Association has been advocating for bills that would require municipalities and other operators to eliminate combined sewage overflows by December 2050. Rome said legislative action was needed to finally 'finish the job' because the federal Clean Water Act of 1972 largely encouraged incremental progress on eliminating pollution in rivers.
For example, rather than eliminating all combined sewage overflows, MWRA's long-term control plans focus on reducing discharges below to meet minimum levels set in 1985. Of the MWRA's active discharge sites, there are six in particular that present 'significant challenges,' according to the agency's December report.
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'We're very worried about those six sites, especially in wet years because there's no clear plan,' Rome said. 'Legislative efforts would speed that up and clarify goals.'
In June, advocates
and members of the public testified at the State House in favor of a bill that would require municipalities and other operators to eliminate combined sewage overflows by December 2050. The bill, sponsored by Democratic State Representatives Greg Schwartz of Newton and David Rogers of Cambridge, would set more stringent reduction targets for combined sewage overflows within six months of becoming law.
Mark Jacobson, vice president at Charles River Recreation, which rents paddle boats on the Charles and Mystic Rivers, said pollution from those overflows routinely shuts paddling for his customers.
'It'll look like a nice Saturday that's perfect for paddling, but the water quality is just not good enough,' Jacobson said.
He's also worried about cyanobacteria blooms in the Charles. Excess phosphorus from stormwater runoff and warmer temperatures cause the blue-green algae to explode into a toxic 'bloom' that can cause skin rashes, irritation of the nose, eyes, and throat, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, and even more serious problems. Warmer temperatures caused by climate change have made these blooms more frequent.
Leticia Rojas of Boston took a selfie as she jumped into the water during sanctioned swimming in the Charles hosted by the Charles River Conservancy in 2017.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
This year would have been the eighth iteration of City Splash, which was started by the Charles River Conservancy in 2013. Laura Jasinski, executive director of the Conservancy, said the cancellation offered an opportunity for people to learn and discuss the health of the river.
She is pleased with the work so far to remove some sewage overflows along the Charles, but wants people to be more cognizant of how new construction contributes to the pollution problem. Jasinski is especially concerned about the
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'If we put down lots of pavement instead of more parkland in the I-90 project, there will be more pollutants in the river,' Jasinski said.
Swimmers looking to cool off along the coast have had to make other plans, too. Constitution Beach in Boston and others in Winthrop and Swampscott were closed for swimming as of Tuesday, July 29, because of high levels of bacteria. The state's Department of Public Health provides an
Some beaches in Boston and Lynn have a history of elevated bacteria levels. But the frequency and timing of closures of other beaches can fluctuate dramatically based on rainfall and environmental conditions, a DPH spokesperson said.
The department tests the water at around 1100 public and semi-public beaches across the state for the bacteria Enterococci. At Donovans Beach in Winthrop, bacteria levels were more than 14 times the allowed limit as of the last test on July 23.
In June, officials in Lynn and Swampscott began a three-month pilot program to use ultraviolet light to treat the water near King's Beach, one of the most frequently closed for high bacteria levels. Seawater is pumped through a system that exposes it to UV light to kill bacteria and then discharged back into the ocean. The water is
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Swimming in unsafe waters can cause nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, and ear aches, according to the Department of Health's website. The department tests water every two to three days for many beaches and closes beaches to swimmers when bacteria levels exceed the limit for two consecutive days. Beaches with a history of multi-day exceedances are required to close to swimmers after just one test result that exceeded the allowed limit.
Angela Mathew can be reached at