“Dirty Water, Dirtier Surface: How Combined Sewer Overflow Impact Communities”

Keywords: EJ, CSO, GIS, Environmental Justice, Combined Sewage Overflow
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

This poster will explore the overall impacts that CSOs (Combined sewer overflow) have on communities in & around greater Boston, especially the Mystic River Watershed. The Mystic Watershed is one of the most urbanized watersheds in New England covering 76 square miles and 600,000 residents. (MysticRiverWatershed,2021) With such a high population density and aging infrastructure, CSOs have become a greater problem for the public health and safety of residents with the spread of viruses, and bacteria, from the raw sewage flooding out into rivers, parks, and cities throughout Massachusetts. Approximately 700 communities in the United States have combined sewer systems and experience combined sewer overflow discharges. These communities are mostly located in the northeast, Pacific Northwest, and around the Great Lakes. The map below shows CSO outfall locations throughout the United States. MA alone has 194 CSOs, mostly in old industrial cities and many are in lower-income neighborhoods. Boston has the most at (36), followed by New Bedford (26), and Springfield (23). Using GIS technology I will be able to present the surrounding factors of remaining CSOs, and new green infrastructure that can mitigate or remove these CSO site areas. Green infrastructure has been used extensively around the United States and abroad to cheaply and effectively limit CSO discharges. Using Esri ArcGIS software, allows access to analyze the potential benefits of green infrastructure in terms of runoff reductions, land use types, tree planting, and absorption to mitigate CSO impacts on an area of environmental justice.