How Clean Is The Charles River?

Courtesy of Lily Moy, Charles River, Massachusetts.

The Charles River flows from Hopkinton to the Boston Harbor has been a key waterway was named by King Charles I of England upon the first colonials moving to the area in Massachusetts.

The 80-mile river has been utilized for all kinds of purposes over the past 400 years. But with every passing year, the river continues to suffer from the negative effects of urbanization. The roots of degradation started in the 1600’s when people
started to inhabit areas surrounding the river.

The Charles River faces three main threats to its cleanliness. The first is unlawful sewage entering the storm drain system. This is a danger to this vast river because all items that end up in storm drains do not flow to a wastewater treatment system to get cleaned; they are dumped directly into the river. As a result, discharge such as sewage, bacteria, viruses, surfactants, and other toxic pollutants end up in the river and never get cleaned out. The Charles River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, so essentially, land waste also make its way to the ocean.

The second threat to the health of the Charles River is a result of flooding after heavy rains. Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) occurs when there is heavy rainfall or melting snow that overflows the municipal sewers. Boston’s sewer system is designed to carry sewage to a wastewater treatment plant, but when water levels get too high for the treatment plant to handle, they have installed a safety valve to allow overflow to go directly into the river. This excess sewage in the river creates an imbalance in the amount of nutrients in the river. For example, too much phosphorus is the main cause for the dramatic algae blooms when the weather gets warm.

The third source of damage to the Charles River comes directly from humans. Stormwater runoff will pick up trash, oil, chemicals, and debris and discharged it directly into the nearest body of water. Trash left on the shores of the river finds its way into the river after a storm if not properly disposed.

Events by the river’s side are also not helpful for preserving its cleanliness. While going to the Charles River for the 4th of July fireworks is an enjoyable way to celebrate, not many people think about how this event affects the river. According to Boston CBS, more than 500,000 people attend this annual event. The result? Beer bottles, soda cans, cigarettes, and packaged foods are all left behind. Not only is the trash almost impossible to keep track of, but so are the 450 portable bathrooms that need to be cleaned up and hauled away.

While there is a team called the Department of Conservation and Recreation that helps with the aftermath of the 4th of July celebration by the riverside, there’s no way for them to collect every piece of trash that hasn’t been disposed of properly. They reported that the confetti around the Hatch Shell was quite difficult to clean up, but will damage the environment if left behind. Fireworks are harmful to the environment, according to the Keep Omaha Beautiful project, because they contain
toxic pollutants such as metals, sulfur-coal compounds, and other poisonous materials that are released into the river. Firework debris must be disposed of properly to ensure no toxins are present. There is no telling how many of the thousands of fireworks were not disposed of properly and are now on their way to the ocean.

The Charles River also suffers from the CO2 emissions from cars and industries nearby. Major roads like Memorial Drive and Storrow Drive that run parallel to the river increase the amount of CO2 that dissolves in the river, making the water acidic. This acidic water that flows from the Charles into the Atlantic contaminates the ocean too.

The Clean Charles Initiative has aimed to make the river fishable and swimmable. They have identified contributors to the poor quality of the water and have used advanced technology to prevent it from continuing to enter the river. They have reduced the amount of sewage that flows from the storm drains to the river since the year 2005 and have seen great improvements in the quality of the water. They still struggle with the excess amounts of nutrients that enter the river, especially phosphorus. However, thanks to their efforts, they claim that the river is swimmable 70% of the time. They take samples annually to track their progress and use that data to determine how safe the water is for boaters and swimmers.

Many other rivers, not just the Charles, are being treated in a similar fashion. Something that you can do to help your local river is pick up any litter you encounter. Just the smallest actions are a huge step towards maintaining the beauty of our rivers.

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