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Doing Your Part to Keep Local Waterways Clean

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 4 years ago.

Charles River / Bridge - Photo by Bob Coe

Keeping Our Waters Clean

Every time you turn on the faucet, you have a local waterway to thank for the clean water that comes flowing out. And every time your kids or pets play in a river or lake, they're enjoying rainwater that landed on a home, business, street, or sidewalk somewhere upstream from your location.

When our ancestors first arrived in this area, those waterways (Charles River and Alewife Brook) were surrounded by vast wetlands and forests and the waterways were sparkling clean. But today, our waterways are surrounded by buildings, roads and parking lots. And our waterways just aren't as clean as they could be. But if everybody does their part and takes some simple steps to make a difference, our rivers could be clean and sparkling again!

Stormwater pollution occurs when rain or snowmelt washes pollutants such as oil, fertilizers, pet waste and trash over land and into the nearest catch basin, which flows directly to the nearest water body. Cambridge is working to reduce the amount of pollutants that enter our water.

You can help by following a few simple Clean Water Tips:

  • Tip #1: Scoop Your Dog's Poop
  • Tip #2: Catch Your Rain in a Rain Barrel or Rain Garden
  • Tip #3: Test Your Soil and Read Your Fertilizer Labels
  • Tip #4: Bag Your Grass Clippings/Yard Waste or Compost
  • Tip #5: In the Fall Bag Your Leaves
  • Tip #6: In the Winter Use Deicers Smartly and Sparingly
  • Tip #7: Report Illegal Dumping Into Storm Drains (CambridgeMA.gov/311)
Page was posted on 7/12/2019 10:33 AM
Page was last modified on 7/25/2023 3:39 AM
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