| Boston is surrounded by the fresh waters of the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset rivers and the marine waters of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay. Boston Harbor’s severe levels of pollution eventually resulted in a federal court case and the mandated “Boston Harbor Cleanup” — among the nation’s largest-ever wastewater infrastructure upgrade projects, taking nearly 20 years and $4 billion to complete. Ensuring revival of the rivers and continued use of harbor resources will help round off that investment.
How are we doing?
The US EPA has set a goal of a swimmable Charles River by 2005. Between 1995 and 1999, clean-up efforts led to a dramatic increase in the number of days the Charles was safe for boating and swimming. The EPA’s grade for the Charles rose from D to B. However, since 1999 water quality has fluctuated, with few clear improvements.
Selected swimming beaches in Boston are tested by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) for enterococcus, a pathogen that is strongly correlated with swimming-associated disease and is now the required indicator organism for determining contamination at marine bathing beaches in Massachusetts. DPH reports a violation if enterococcus is found in colony-forming units beyond a certain level. Malibu, Tenean, and Savin Hill Beaches on Dorchester Bay all exceeded the standard on more than 20% of the days tested in 2003. All the other beaches tested had violations on fewer than 10% of days tested. In 2004, only Tenean and Constitution Beaches exceeded enterococcus standards between 10% and 15% of all days tested; all other beaches had levels over the standards on fewer than 10% of the days on which they were tested.
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Click image to enlarge chart "Charles River water quality: percent of days meeting standards for swimming and boating"
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Click image to enlarge chart "Exceedances of safe swimming standards at Boston beaches"
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