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Keeping waste out of our water: Legislation looks to ensure public’s right to know on sewer discharge
Updated Feb 16, 2021;
By Michael P. Norton | State House News Service
Gov. Charlie Baker hosts an event Tuesday to bring attention to a new law requiring public advisories to be issued when sewage is discharged into waterways.
The House passed the bill (H 4921) in late July and the Senate got on board with it just before the last session ended. Baker signed on Jan. 12. The law will bring new attention to discharges that commonly occur from public systems during periods of heavy rain that overwhelm infrastructure systems.
Gov. Charlie Baker hosts an event Tuesday to bring attention to a new law requiring public advisories to be issued when sewage is discharged into waterways.
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This is an important step in protecting public health, our state’s water quality, and upgrading outdated water infrastructure.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