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Sen. Patricia Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat involved in the bill's passage, said that the law will help people stay safe by letting them know when sewage that may carry bacteria or viruses is in the water where they plan to kayak, fish or otherwise engage in recreation.
During the final hours of the legislative session, the Massachusetts House and Senate enacted, An Act promoting awareness of sewage pollution in public waters.
The bill now sits on Gov. Charles Baker’s desk, where he has 10 days after the bill’s enactment to sign it.
This is an important step in protecting public health, our state’s water quality, and upgrading outdated water infrastructure. H.4921, sponsored by Rep. Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen), Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), and Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville), will require water suppliers to establish a public notification system to let Massachusetts residents know when there’s been a sewage discharge in their area. Up until now, residents had no way to know when sewage was present in their local waterways, running the risk of unknowingly coming in contact with harmful bacteria and toxins that could cause serious health impacts. Increasing awareness about archaic infrastructure is the first step in the long journe
Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Tuesday a bill that will require cities and towns to send, at minimum, email or text alerts to residents if sewage or industrial waste has been or is being discharged into local harbors, rivers and coastal waters.
The Massachusetts River Alliance, a Cambridge-based nonprofit, called it an excellent step toward protecting public health and water quality.
“Massachusetts residents have a right to know if there is sewage in their rivers, especially this year when we’ve turned to nature for safe recreation and peace of mind,” said Julia Blatt, executive director of the alliance, in a press release.
A MWRA wet weather sewage discharge outfall warning on the Charles River by the outlet of Boston s Muddy River (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Among the many bills sitting on Gov. Baker’s desk is one requiring cities and towns to notify residents any time raw sewage ends up in a local river or water body.
As gross and alarming as it sounds, sewage dumps actually happen hundreds of times every year in Massachusetts during heavy rain, because of antiquated sewer systems. They release hundreds of millions of gallons of bacteria-laden waste into waterways like the Charles, Mystic and Merrimack Rivers and Boston Harbor, and the problem is expected to worsen as climate change brings heavier and more frequent rainstorms to the region.