POLS PADDLE TO HELP SAVE THE MERRIMACK
Lawmakers kayak river’s length to highlight pollution problem
An intrepid crew of bipartisan lawmakers and environmentalists spent the last four days kayaking the 117-mile length of the Merrimack River to raise awareness about consistent sewage water pollution in the waterway.
They braved rapids, exhaustion, and — sadly — a massive wastewater spill that befouled the river midweek.
“It’s about not just talking the talk, but walking the walk,” said state Sen. Diana DiZoglio.
Or in this case, kayaking. Five other legislators joined the Methuen Democrat on the trip from New Hampshire to Massachusetts, which she hopes will highlight her goal to establish a group to meet “consistently” about finding new, creative ways to fund infrastructure updates while petitioning for federal dollars. On Friday, the goup was joined by Lowell state Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Combined sewage overflows have plagued the Merrimack for decades, with no end in sight. The overflows occur anytime heavy rainfall strikes the region: the amount of stormwater overwhelmed outdated pipes, which then release untreated wastewater directly into the river.
Aside from its recreational use, the Merrimack River provides drinking water for some 600,000 residents in five communities.
Between January and July, the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District dumped 17.8 million gallons of untreated wastewater in the Merrimack and the Lowell Wastewater Treatment Plant dumped 168.3 million gallons.
Those numbers don’t include the outfall from torrential thunderstorms that struck the kayakers Wednesday night. Wastewater plants confirmed sewage water poured into the river, but have yet to disclose how much.
Beaches along the river were closed to swimmers, but the kayakers put their boats back in the water, determined to make an example of the event.
“We’re trying to stay away from being in the water, but we’re on it, we’re
in kayaks,” the Merrimack River Watershed Council’s Dan Graovac told the Herald during a riverside break Friday afternoon. “The first day and a half we did rope swings and we’d swim, and we’d float in the river, and we certainly aren’t doing that now.”
“The fact that that happened during this trip really should serve as an opportunity for us to highlight, once again, the need to pass legislation,” DiZoglio said.
Lawmakers, environmentalists, and wastewater plant managers all agree on one thing: Massachusetts can only do so much. The communities dumping sewage water into the river can’t afford to make the repairs on their own, no matter how many state loans they get through a commission.
“It’s going to take federal dollars,” said Mark Young, executive director of the Lowell Wastewater Treatment Plant. “We can’t do it without federal funding, the cost to eliminate and mitigate costs is so expensive. You’re talking almost a billion dollars.”
Congresswoman Lori Trahan introduced the Stop Sewage Overflow Act in April, which would expand federal grants for rivers dealing with CSO problems.
But Friday, Young also expressed frustration that no lawmakers from the Granite State joined the trip.
“There was not enough participation from New Hampshire. Going forward, participation from them will be important,” he said.
The kayakers ended their journey Saturday afternoon, docking at Plum Island. But the expedition to save the Merrimack River? They’re still in the first leg of that journey.