Forty years after efforts to clean up the Charles River began, we still cannot safely swim in its waters. The only swimming in the Lower Basin — between Watertown and Boston Harbor — occurs through special permits, and these events are often canceled due to poor water quality.
Now, we have a chance to change that. The EPA has proposed a new permit requiring large commercial properties with an acre or more of pavement or roofs to control their stormwater runoff, the main source of pollution degrading the Charles, as well as the Mystic and Neponset Rivers. When it rains, water flows across these surfaces, collecting pollutants that are then dumped untreated into our rivers. This fuels toxic algal blooms, harms habitat, and makes the river unsafe for recreation.
Currently, Newton and other municipalities bear the financial burden of stormwater pollution reduction. This new permit would require large private property owners—businesses, industrial sites, and universities—to do their part by reducing impervious surfaces or implementing green infrastructure like bioswales and green roofs. These measures not only clean the river but also help prevent inland flooding.
The EPA is accepting public comments on this proposal through March 17. If you care about making the Charles River swimmable again, tell the EPA we need this regulation because we need a clean Charles River now. Submit comments at www.regulations.gov and learn more at crwa.org/advocacy-center. More information on submitting written comments can be found at crwa.org/advocacy-center.
Public beaches once lined the Charles in Boston and Cambridge. Let’s ensure that one day, Newton residents can once again cool off with a swim in a clean and healthy Charles River.
Emily Norton
Newtonville
Emily Norton is Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association.