About
The Boston Harbor and its surrounding rivers are a huge staple in the community. Over time the Harbor has become so polluted that even the residents can't enjoy a day in the harbor, Boston decided to seriously invest in cleaning up. In recent years Boston has started the cleanup of its harbor including the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset rivers. They are filtering out as much pollution as they can as well as trying to prevent pollution in the first place.
Each year the rivers are given what is called a report card, it is a part of the ongoing effort to clean up the rivers using data collected by local watershed groups. The EPA takes this data and calculates a letter grade based on the level of bacteria found. Progress has been slow but effective, a large part of each river receives either an A or a B which means people are safe to boat and swim in it. There are still some areas receiving D’s and F’s, but they are being highly monitored to figure out how to fix the problem. The efforts to clean up the Harbor and its surrounding rivers have cost the city of Boston billions.
The official Boston Water and Sewer Commission website outlines how everyone can do their part preventing storm water pollution. When it rains all that excess water goes into the storm drain system which then flows into the waterways untreated. The storm water picks up pesticides, fertilizers, pet waste, trash and debris, automotive fluids, and motor oil on its way to the storm drain. The residents can play their part by not using pesticides when rain is forecasted, if they spill anything cleaning it up with a towel instead of washing it off into a storm drain. Sweeping up any loose trash, and collecting leaves and sand so they can’t flow into the drain. Businesses can properly dispose of the pollutants they use, keep their public areas clean, and place plenty of trash bins around to prevent littering.