Late on January 12, Governor Baker signed H.4921 into law! This is an excellent step in protecting public health, water quality, and a first step towards upgrading our aging water infrastructure!
This is a huge victory for our community. Many organizations, legislators, and individuals have worked on this over the years. We would especially like to thank the bill’s tenacious sponsors, Representative Linda Dean Campbell, Representative Denise Provost, and Senator Patricia Jehlen, for getting the bill through the legislative session. Representative Provost and Senator Jehlen are tireless advocates representing the Mystic River watershed and we couldn’t be more grateful for their efforts.
H. 4921 requires 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 journey of updating and replacing aging combined sewer systems with modern systems that are cleaner and safer for our communities. The Department of Environmental Protection will now work with sewage operators on establishing a public notification system for sewage spills in local waterways.
You can learn more about the history of H.4921 and hear from MyRWA in this 2019 WBUR story, and a recent 2021 WBUR update.
“Combined Sewer Overflows may not be the first thing on many people’s minds when they head to one of the Commonwealth’s many beautiful waterways, but right now, public health is on all of our minds,” said Senator Jehlen. “We need this notification system so everyone can make informed decisions, protect their health, and safely enjoy our natural resources.”
“Passage of this bill could not be more timely,” said Representative Provost. “When people utilize our rivers and ponds, they deserve to be informed about the lurking health hazards from germ-laden sewer outfalls. Especially given the scientific uncertainty about the infectiousness of solid waste containing excreted coronavirus, we should be enabling the people of Massachusetts to make informed decisions about when it’s safe to go in the water.”
“It is a relief to know that the public health is protected and residents in Massachusetts will finally have the awareness that municipalities are discharging sewage into their rivers," says Patrick Herron, Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association "and this would not have happened without the leadership of Senator Jehlen, Representative Campbell, and Representative Provost and the tireless advocacy of Mass Rivers Alliance!”
Last but not least, thank you, MyRWA members, for calling and emailing your legislators, for staying on top of the issue, and for advocating for a cleaner future.
