Polluted stormwater harming waterways

By Nancy Fyler, NepRWA outreach director

Volunteers with the Neponset River Watershed Association (NepRWA), a local environmental nonprofit, have been monitoring water quality in Canton for more than 20 years. In their most recently published report, the watershed association claims that stormwater pollution is driving the nutrient and bacteria problems observed in the town’s waterbodies.

Chris Hirsch, the association’s environmental scientist, stated, “Our 2018 results show that, across the board, bacteria and phosphorus levels in Canton’s waterways were much higher, reaching harmful levels, when it had recently rained. At one site in Canton, E.coli levels were almost 25 times higher during wet weather. At another site, phosphorus levels were four times higher following rain. This is a big deal because E.coli can make streams unsafe for recreation, and excess phosphorus can wreak havoc on aquatic habitats and the wildlife that depend on them.”

Stormwater pollution occurs when rain or snowmelt washes pollutants off of streets, yards, construction sites, etc. into local streams and ponds. “It’s a common misconception that the storm drains you see on your street lead to a treatment plant of some kind,” Hirsch said. “In reality, the vast majority of those drains are connected to pipes that transport the rainwater directly to the nearest waterbody, completely untreated.”

This misconception was made apparent by last year’s “poop gate” incident when the Canton Department of Public Works discovered a quarter-mile long blockage of bagged dog waste that someone had been dumping into the storm drain system.

The town of Canton has been working with NepRWA and neighboring communities through the Neponset Stormwater Partnership to comply with new requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce polluted stormwater runoff. Under the new requirements, which apply throughout eastern Massachusetts, the town must implement numerous pollution reduction measures, such as more frequent street sweeping, new rules for land developers, and checking for and eliminating sewer and septic leaks. Public education about stormwater pollution is another major requirement.

Canton DPW Superintendent Mike Trotta is charged with overseeing compliance efforts. “The EPA’s permit requirements are a significant step up from the last permit,” Trotta said, “but we are currently on schedule and our greater stormwater efforts will greatly benefit the residents of Canton and the environment.”

Canton Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall said the town applied to the EPA for an MS4 General permit (stormwater) in June 2018 and the permit has since been issued.

“The permit requires Canton to produce a Stormwater Management Plan, which the town is currently implementing,” Aspinwall said. “Canton has now joined with the Neponset Stormwater Partnership to implement many of the program elements. Through this partnership, Canton intends to participate in many non-mandatory programs such as water quality sampling and school education programs. The goals of our program are to provide public education, provide for public participation, eliminate illicit discharges, manage stormwater entering the MS4, and provide for good housekeeping on municipal properties.”

Hirsch added, “While pollution of surface streams and ponds can in some cases affect groundwater quality, the issues identified here do not directly affect the town of Canton’s drinking water supply, which depends primarily on local groundwater wells and meets strict treatment and testing requirements.”

For the full report on the health of Canton’s waterways, and for more information about how you can help reduce the amount of polluted runoff coming from your property, visit the Neponset Stormwater Partnership website at www.yourcleanwater.org.

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