State Senator Ed Kennedy and State Senator Bruce Tarr appeared as guests on the popular local television show, THE LOWELLIAN. The LTC show was hosted by Carolyn McCarthy and produced by Wednesday Klevisha. The topic discussed on THE LOWELLIAN was the ongoing challenge of removing combined sewer overflows during periods of heavy rain from the Merrimack River.
Senator Kennedy and Senator Tarr and co-chair a bipartisan working group consisting of state and federal elected officials and stakeholders from Massachusetts and New Hampshire charged with lifting the combined sewer overflow problem to the top of the federal agenda. The solution will require substantial resources and take years to complete.
Before the Clean Water Act of 1972, both stormwater and sewage were discharged directly into the Merrimack River. As a result of the Clean Water Act, five sewage treatment facilities were constructed along the Merrimack River in Manchester, Nashua, Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill. A sixth sewage treatment facility was constructed in Fitchburg along the Nashua River, which flows into the Merrimack River. Today, the Merrimack River is much cleaner, except during periods of heavy rain. During heavy rainstorms, the rainwater overwhelms the sewage treatment facilities, and sewage drains into the Merrimack River. The solution is to create a dual system in each of the cities along the river that will separate stormwater from sewage.
The Merrimack River is an important resource for the entire Merrimack Valley and provides drinking water for more than 600,000 people. The bipartisan working group will meet again in March.