A big year for water quality in the Mystic River watershed has begun this January, first with a public meeting about Combined Sewer Overflows and now with upcoming meetings and public comment periods for two highly significant draft permits from the EPA. Resulting from a decade of hard work to better understand water quality in the Mystic, these permits will enforce stormwater pollution regulations and pave the way for a cleaner Mystic River for generations to come. Join us at the next public hearing on January 28th at 6:30 pm to support these regulations and make your voice heard for clean water.
Water quality monitors collect samples at the Malden River. Credit: Isaiah Johnson
Water quality has been at the core of MyRWA’s work for over 50 years. For much of our history, we have worked with a dedicated corps of volunteers to study water quality across our watershed, measuring different types of pollution at many sites throughout the Mystic. Since 2014, MyRWA and the EPA have issued water quality grades for each of the Mystic River’s major segments and tributaries. Despite progress in water quality since the 1970s when MyRWA was founded, with few exceptions these water quality grades have plateaued during the past ten years with many water bodies still scoring in the C, D, and F ranges.
We now know that stormwater pollution - meaning runoff from streets, roofs, and other impervious surfaces during storms - is one of the most significant barriers to further water quality improvements. When it rains, stormwater picks up pollutants such as excess nutrients from fertilizer and organic materials like leaf litter; herbicides and pesticides; salt and de-icing chemicals; car oil; pet waste; cigarette butts; and other trash. These pollutants go down the nearest catch basin and end up in our water bodies.
Solving our stormwater pollution problem will require investment and ingenuity. It will also require ambitious goals and standards. At the end of 2024, MyRWA was thrilled to see that the EPA released drafts of two permits that will set stricter limits on the amount of nutrient pollution that can be discharged into the Mystic, helping to make the river cleaner and safer for everyone. The MS4 Permit (short for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) requires municipalities to limit the amount of pollution that reaches the river through their underground stormwater systems, which are connected to drains in the street. The RDA Permit (short for Residual Designated Authority) requires certain commercial, industrial, and institutional landowners (like universities, shopping centers, and office parks) to limit the pollution coming off of their properties.
Both of these permits would require significant reductions in pollution and allow MyRWA and other organizations to work with municipalities to tackle the challenge head-on. They communicate that cleaning up our waterways isn’t just something we should do. It’s something we must do. The fact that drafts have been released is something to celebrate, but it is also a call to action for us to express our support and make sure they pass. If we are committed to the promise of the Clean Water Act - that our communities deserve boatable, fishable, and swimmable waters for everyone to enjoy - now is the time to show up.
What Can You Do?
The best thing you can do to support these changes is to show up for clean water at the upcoming public hearing for the MS4 permit on January 28th at 6:30 pm and speak up at the meeting in support of high standards for water quality! Register here.
You can also submit public comments supporting the MS4 and RDA permits. The deadlines to submit are February 20th for the MS4 and March 17th for the RDA.
What is MyRWA Doing?
MyRWA is committed to working with cities and towns to meet these ambitious goals. Through our green infrastructure program, we are helping to construct on-the-ground (and underground) solutions to help divert and filter stormwater before it reaches the river.
You can learn more about our water quality programs by visiting mysticriver.org/water-quality and by subscribing to our email newsletter.
