Clean Rivers Campaign
Every time it rains in Hartford, Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee—whether it’s a pounding storm or spring shower, water backs up in antiquated combined sewers, mixing raw sewage with storm run-off. That pollution spills into basements, or flows, untreated, into local streams. Bacteria counts skyrocket; toxins spike in waterways where unknowing kids swim and parents fish, kayak, and cool off pets. Nearly 3 billion gallons of this untreated effluent enters our rivers each year. Unhealthy conditions linger for days, and currents spread the polluted plumes up to 30 miles downstream. The situation is intolerable.
Stop the Sewage
A Hartford victory proves it doesn’t have to be this way. Sewer upgrades, water testing, and stringent enforcement can turn this picture around. After a 2006 public education campaign spearheaded by CRWC and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), the citizens of Greater Hartford decided they wanted change. They voted in fall elections to overhaul their antiquated sewage system. Today, Hartford is cleaning up neighborhoods, the Connecticut River, and Long Island Sound, for future generations. CRWC serves as the Regional Representative on the MDC's Clean Water Project’s Citizen Advisory Committee for the Greater Hartford region.
But children, and our rivers, remain at risk in Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, and elsewhere. The communities mentioned still have no overall plan for controlling sewage overflows or meeting water quality standards. We have the right-to-know about the quality of our community water. These risks will continue until communities demand change from our lawmakers and city, state and federal agencies.
Let’s stop the sewage. Press your legislators and local officials to invest public money into innovative solutions and upgrades for aging sewer infrastructure. Help your community conserve water and recharge stormwater into the ground, so that less wastewater needs to be transported and treated.
We have the right to know when raw sewage is being dumped into our rivers. Help push wastewater treatment plants to: (1) monitor for sewage overflows, (2) inform the public and health agencies when human health is threatened, and (3) file a report with protection agencies documenting the size and duration of the pollution event. We also expect communities with sewage overflows to develop plans for controlling pollution--and to comply with the Clean Water Act.
Learn about CRWC's Volunteer Water Quality Testing Program and Lab.
View maps of combined sewer overflow locations and estimated discharge volumes in Springfield, MA (PDF 0.4MB) , and Holyoke/Chicopee, MA (PDF 0.4MB) .
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Photo credits (above): CRWC Staff
Image Credits at Right - Illustrations: Bill Singleton; Photos: ©Al Braden www.albradenphoto.com, CRWC Staff.
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