Boston Harbor Project: A Story of Recovery and Hope

“Everyone get ready, the bus is here,” the teacher exclaimed. Julia could hardly talk about anything else but the upcoming field trip for the past week. The class was going on a field trip to the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant to study where the waste from human households and industries go. Julia’s mind was racing with questions throughout the bus trip. Does the treatment plant clean only waste from my house? How big is the treatment plant? Why even there was a need for this treatment plant? Julia could not wait to get the answers to her questions.

When they arrived, the class got off the bus. Julia got an answer to one of her questions, the wastewater treatment plant was HUGE! Julia and her class got in a line and went inside the treatment plant. There were so many pipes. While Julia was looking around an MWRA staff person appeared. Hello, my name is Brooklyn and I am an MWRA employee. I am going to show you around the facility. The main thing the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant does is to clean the waste before it is disposed of in the Massachusetts Bay near Boston Harbor. Brooklyn pointed out to the egg-shaped containers and asked, “Can anyone guess what these are?” Julia’s hand went straight up, Brooklyn pointed to Julia. “The eggs are to store contaminated water,” Julia said. “Close, it’s not water, it’s sludge. The eggs are to treat sludge that can hold 3 million gallons in 14 stories.”

While touring the facility, Julia had another question for Brooklyn, this time related to Boston Harbor which she, along with her family visited last week. Julia asked, “The Boston Harbor is so clean, has it always been this way?” “That is a great question,” Brooklyn said. “No, you will be surprised to know that the MWRA was born to clean up Boston Harbor in the year 1985. About 40 years ago, Boston Harbor was the dirtiest harbor in America. The newspaper, The Boston Herald, even called it ‘Harbor of Shame’. It was so polluted that it was not only unsafe, but also unpleasant to walk around the harbor. The foul-smelling waste, also called ‘Black Gold’ killed the whole ecosystem. The situation was getting so toxic that in 1982 the City of Quincy sued the State for violating the Clean Water Act.” Brooklyn continued, “to better appreciate the role of this facility, you should understand our sewerage system. The major components of the plant are 24 pumping stations: 48 clarifiers: three batteries of secondary treatment mixers, reactors and clarifiers: twelve distinctive egg-shaped anaerobic digesters; air scrubbers; disinfection; and a 9.5-mile-long effluent discharge outfall tunnel. The system was built as a two-separate system, north and south systems. Bringing the sewage from the south and the west of the city to Deer Island and required a tunnel be bored beneath Boston Harbor. And then another tunnel to transport the cleaned wastewater deep into Massachusetts Bay away from the harbor. The tunnel was the largest single entrance tunnel ever dug in the history of this country. The treatment plant treats about 361 million gallons per day and is the second largest treatment plant in the country. Along with MWRA, thousands of people joined to clean the harbor, did you know that this project was a 4-billion-dollar project?” “WOW,” everyone said.

“Finally, in the year 2001, Boston Harbor was declared clean. People, animals, and plants benefitted from the clean-up of Boston Harbor. People can fish and swim again. Sensitive marine species were back again at a site that was once considered contaminated.”

“This is a wonderful story of recovery and hope. Because of this project, the harbor is rejuvenating itself.” As Brooklyn finished, Julia said, “Thank you Brooklyn and all the MWRA staff for all you have done to restore and clean Boston Harbor.” As she got on the bus, Julia knew this was one of the best field trips ever! All her questions were answered and now she knows who takes care of wastes from, not only her house, but also from 43 greater Boston communities.