Draft Updated CSO Control Public Hearing #1 (Virtual or In-Person)
This public hearing will be held virtually on Zoom (registration required) and in person at Cambridge City Hall, Sullivan Chambers, 795 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA.
Join the Cities of Cambridge and Somerville, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority for a public hearing on the draft recommended combined sewer overflow control plan for Alewife Brook, Upper Mystic River, and Charles River.
This hybrid public hearing is an opportunity to share oral public comments and have them entered into the public record.
This is one of three public hearings; the others will be on September 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM (virtual) and October 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM (hybrid).
The Draft Updated Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan was released and made available on the project website on April 30, 2026.
Written comments will be accepted throughout the entire comment period (May 1 - October 30, 2026).
The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter in your language for free. To request an interpreter, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov at least 7 days in advance of this event. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov
Draft Updated Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan Public Hearing #1 (Virtual or In-person) Thursday, September 17, 2026, 6pm-8pm Online (registration required) and in person at Cambridge City Hall, Sullivan Chambers, 795 Massachusetts, Ave. Cambridge, MA
The City of Cambridge, the City of Somerville, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) are proud to present the Draft Updated Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan (Draft Plan). With an estimated investment of $1.3 billion to be paid for by all 43 Sewer Service Area communities, the Draft Plan will dramatically reduce CSOs across Alewife Brook, the Mystic River and the Charles River and, even in the face of increased precipitation driven by climate change, is projected to eliminate CSOs in a 2050 Typical Year.
Agenda
Welcome and overview of how the hearing will work
Project context and information on how to provide public comment
Public comment
Each person will receive two minutes to share their public comment per public hearing.
For hybrid meetings, we will alternate between virtual and in-person commenters in groups of five.
Commenters will sign up at the beginning of the public hearing to share comments by raising their Zoom hand or by adding their name to a piece of paper.
