Health

Storms cause sewer overflows in Boston, public advised to avoid nearby waters

The Boston Public Health Commission advised the public to avoid waters near the sewer overflows for at least 48 hours.

By Susannah Sudborough

January 26, 2023

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After experiencing two major storms which brought snow and rain to the Boston area this week, some of the city’s sewers have overflowed.

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) said Thursday that the city had three sewer overflows overnight Wednesday that could pose a public health risk. Residents should avoid contact with the affected bodies of water for at least 48 hours, it said.

This often happens when a large storm overwhelms the area’s sewer system, causing rainwater to mix with wastewater and leak into a nearby body of water, the BPHC said.

The first sewer overflow happened at 2:40 a.m. Thursday where the Mystic River meets Chelsea Creek near the Andrew McArdle Bridge in East Boston. It lasted until 6:50 a.m. Thursday morning.

The second sewer overflow happened at 3:05 a.m. at the Prison Point Treatment and Storage Facility in Charlestown near the North Washington Bridge. It lasted until 6:29 a.m. Thursday morning.

The third sewer overflow happened at 4:05 a.m. at the Fort Point Channel between the South End and the Seaport at Albany Street and West 4th Street. It lasted until 6:25 a.m. Thursday morning.

State law requires local public health departments to notify the public when sewer overflows pose a public health risk.