On the final day of the 2019-20 legislative session, the House and Senate gave final approval to An Act promoting awareness of safe recreation in public waterways, filed by Representative Denise Provost (D-Somerville), Senator Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville) and Representative Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen).

The bill addresses a major problem for many areas of the commonwealth with antiquated combined sewer overflow (CSO) systems that combine sewer and rain water during substantial rainfalls, a combination that sends raw sewage directly into public waterways. Every year in Massachusetts, nearly 3 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage is discharged into Massachusetts rivers through CSOs when there is heavy rainfall. The legislation would institute a statewide notification system so that Massachusetts residents know within 2 hours of CSO discharges if their rivers are unsafe for recreation or public use.

“It is standard medical advice to avoid contact with water containing sewage,” said Representative Provost. ”People in Massachusetts deserve information about discharges of sewage into recreational waters, so that they can protect their health and that of their families.”

 “People who kayak or boat or fish in our rivers need to know when there are discharges, so they can avoid exposure to the bacteria, parasites and viruses – including COVID 19 – in that sewage,” said Senator Jehlen.  “This bill will ensure that residents will be notified when there is a discharge. The EPA says people should stay away from sewage-contaminated water for 72 hours, and this law will give them the information so they can stay safe.”

The Mystic and other major rivers that wind through the commonwealth serve as valuable recreational resources used by tens of thousands of residents every day. Residents presently have no way to know when raw sewage discharges render these rivers unsafe for boating and swimming.

“Rep. Denise Provost worked on this bill with me for years, because of concern for the Mystic River,” said Sen. Jehlen. “She recruited many allies inside the legislature and out. This session Rep. Linda Dean Campbell from the Merrimack River joined us as a lead sponsor, along with over 80 other legislators. Forty-seven major environmental groups gave crucial support to the bill.”

“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!”

“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, the leading advocacy organization for the bill. “Mass Rivers appreciates the leadership of the bill’s sponsors, Senator Jehlen, Representative Campbell, and Representative Provost on this issue, and we are thrilled to see it approved by the legislature. 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.”

The bill now rests with the governor where the constitution allows him ten days to sign the bill into law.