The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Board of Directors will vote on whether to approve the recently published plan to address Combined Sewer Overflows for the next few decades at its board meeting on November 19th. MyRWA opposes this plan, and we are asking that you show up to the meeting to pressure the MWRA to change course.

Though it’s unlikely that public comment will be allowed, the more people who show up, the more it shows the MWRA that community members care about the fact that their proposal will allow for the continued discharge of sewage into the Mystic and Charles Rivers and Alewife Brook for the next generation.

When: Thursday, November 19th from 1:30-3:00pm
Where: Hybrid - virtual via Webex (link to follow), in person at MWRA's Deer Island Reception/Training Building, Favaloro Meeting Room, 33 Tafts Avenue, Boston, MA 02128.

MWRA is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors, who are appointed by the Governor or directly or indirectly by elected officials in MWRA customer communities. The board is chaired by Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Rebecca Tepper.

Write a Letter

If you can’t make the meeting, please write to Secretary Tepper and the MWRA Board to demand that the recent plans be rejected. Email:

• MWRA - Kristin.MacDougall@mwra.com, ask.mwra@mwra.com, jeremy.hall@mwra.com

• Secretary Tepper - env.internet@mass.gov

What to Say

A self-crafted statement that is specific to your perspective and your experiences is the most likely to have an impact. You can use the outline below to craft your message:

• Introduce yourself with details relevant to who you are emailing

• Ex: My name is Isaiah Johnson, and I am a resident of the City of Somerville living in Ward 6.

• Describe why you are writing

• If you are writing directly to MWRA, you can mention the upcoming November 19 Board meeting, at which the board will vote on the proposal.

• Ex: I am writing to you about your upcoming vote at the November 19 Board meeting on a recommendation from MWRA staff that would allow higher levels of sewage discharges into the Mystic River in the future. As a concerned citizen who cares about the health of the Mystic River watershed, I strongly urge you to reject this recommendation.

• If you are writing to a councilor or other elected official, you can keep it more general.

• Ex: I am writing to express my grave concern about the recent plan presented by the MWRA and the Cities of Cambridge and Somerville, which would allow for the continued discharge of raw sewage into the Mystic River and the Alewife Brook in perpetuity.

• Mention how this impacts you and your personal experience

• Ex: I regularly paddle on the Mystic River; I bring my children to the river to fish; I walk to work every day on the Alewife Brook path.  Mention any concerns you have about your health and the health of family, friends, and neighbors who come into contact with untreated sewage. 

• Close by stating the following:

• I am dismayed to see that city and MWRA staff are recommending a plan for the Mystic River and Alewife Brook that would not only reduce the least amount of sewage discharges into the Mystic River, but would allow the increase in the volume of discharges in coming years, thanks to the larger storms from climate change.

• Furthermore, I vehemently oppose reclassifying the Mystic River from Class B to Class B (CSO).

• I ask that you reject this plan.