Press Releases

Today was a milestone for Alewife Brook. Congresswoman Katherine Clark met at the Brook with Save the Alewife Brook and our state and local delegation to see the sewage, sediment, and flooding crisis for herself. We talked with her about engaging the Army Corps of Engineers for a project to dredge, dechannelize, and restore Alewife Brook. “Protecting our environment means protecting our neighbors. I’m grateful for the incredible advocates at Save the Alewife Brook for their continued work to eliminate sewage pollution, safeguard our local ecosystem, and build the cleaner future our kids deserve. I’m looking forward to partnering with them and with leaders at every level of government to keep moving the ball forward.” Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA‑5) Joining the Congresswoman at the Brook were State Senator Pat Jehlen and State Representatives Christine Barber, Dave Rogers, Sean Garballey, and Steve Owens. From the Town of Arlington, we were joined by Town Manager Jim Feeney and Select Board members Diane Mahon and Steve DeCourcey. Save the Alewife Brook was represented by steering committee members Kristin Anderson, Gene Benson, Ann McDonald, George Laite, and Mike Lonetto. Why this visit matters A portion of the Alewife Brook is confined to a 27-foot-wide concrete channel that receives untreated sewage from six active Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) outfalls. In 2021, MWRA, Cambridge, and Somerville dumped 51 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Brook. The Brook has accumulated 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet of contaminated sediment and, according to the 2024 Inter-Fluve Sediment Study, will lose its remaining capacity as sediment continues to fill in. The public health toll is already severe. During CSO discharges, E. coli levels in Alewife Brook reach roughly 950 times the EPA safe standard. A Boston University School of Public Health study found that even living near CSOs can increase the risk of illness serious enough to require an ER visit. Roughly 5,000 residents of Arlington, Cambridge, and Belmont, many in Environmental Justice neighborhoods, live in the Alewife Brook 100‑year floodplain. — Original article HERE .