(Theo Stroomer/Getty Images)
(BOSTON) Gov. Charlie Baker late Tuesday evening signed a new bill that will promote awareness of sewage pollution in public waters.
Sponsored by Reps. Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen) and Denise Provost (D-Somerville) and Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), bill H.4921 requires water suppliers in the state to establish a public notification system to notify residents of sewage discharge in their area.
The bill addresses a major problem for Massachusetts, which battles raw sewage spillage into public waterways often due to the state’s “antiquated” combined sewer overflow (CSO) systems that combine sewer and rainwater during substantial rainfalls, according to The Somerville Times. Almost 3 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage is discharged every year into state rivers through CSOs when there is heavy rainfall.
Up until Jan. 12, Massachusetts residents had no way of knowing when sewage is present in waterways, running the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria and toxins that could lead to serious health problems. The bill was originally filed on July 30, 2020.
“It is standard medical advice to avoid contact with water containing sewage,” said Rep. Provost, per The Somerville Times. ”People in Massachusetts deserve information about discharges of sewage into recreational waters, so that they can protect their health and that of their families.”
The Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, an organization that works to protect and restore the state’s rivers and streams, led the advocacy effort for the sewage notification bill and said in a press release it is thrilled that Gov. Baker signed “ this common-sense bill into law.”
“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 Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. “Passage of this bill is an important step toward raising awareness of this problem, bringing our water infrastructure out of the nineteenth and into the twenty-first century.”
Now that the bill is signed into state law, the Department of Environmental Protection will work with sewage operators to establish the public notification system to alert the public of sewage spills.
“Our waterways in Massachusetts are treasured by all,” Rep. Campbell said, “and we all want to be able to enjoy and respect these treasures. Their viability is critical to local economies. Our next battle will be to upgrade our sewage treatment facilities to prevent CSOs.”