Infrastructure

Stormwater

Cambridge works to prevent pollutant-laden stormwater from reaching waterways like the Charles River and Alewife Brook. The City's Stormwater Management Program is designed to catch stormwater runoff before it adds pollutants to our waterways by cleaning streets, maintaining drains, building rain gardens, and educating residents. This work serves to keep Cambridge's waterways clean and the city ready for heavy rain.

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Combined Sewer Overflows

Cambridge has a combined sewer system typical of 19th century infrastructure, where both sanitary sewage and stormwater travel through a single pipe network. When a large rainstorm overwhelms a combined sewer system, stormwater mixes with wastewater (or sewage) and discharges to a nearby river or lake as what is called a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO).

CSOs serve as a hydraulic relief point that help prevent sewage backups into streets, homes, and businesses. The City has made significant investments to separate the stormwater system from the sewer system, but combined sewers still exist in some places. Major upgrades have closed many CSO outfalls and reduced overall CSO volume by 88%, resulting in measurably cleaner rivers and significantly reduced street flooding. Work and planning continue to address CSO outfalls, as climate change is expected to bring stronger storms.

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Coastal Flooding

Cambridge is preparing for coastal flooding through local planning, regional collaboration, infrastructure investments, state partnerships, and community education. The City is proactively upgrading zoning rules, mapping risks, building flood infrastructure, and participating in multi‑municipal projects to safeguard neighborhoods from future sea level rise and storm surge.

Cambridge was among the first communities in the country to complete a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, which identified areas highly vulnerable to coastal flooding, given that so much of it is built on former tidal marshes.

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Safe Drinking Water Supply

Cambridge delivers some of the safest drinking water in the country, protected from source to tap. The Water Department uses a multi-barrier approach backed by weekly testing and proactive monitoring for emerging contaminants like PFAS. This approach includes watershed protection, a state-of-the-art treatment plant, and a well-maintained distribution system. This work keeps Cambridge's water clean and safe for every resident.

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Street Lighting

In the early 2010, Cambridge conducted a detailed study of its street lighting. After analysis and testing, the City began replacing thousands of street lights with energy-efficient LED fixtures, which consume less than 25% of the energy of the previous streetlight. Cambridge is saving an estimated $500,000 per year.

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