10-million-gallon tank plan could close nearly half of a Massachusetts park for up to 8 years

A plan to bury a massive water tank beneath a shoreline park in Massachusetts has drawn pushback from residents concerned about losing access to a community space that took years to restore. Facing strong opposition, state officials appear to be backing down on some of the plan's more controversial aspects. 

Here's what to know

Under the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's plan, construction for the proposed project would close nearly half of Cambridge's 17-acre Magazine Beach for six to eight years, raising questions about whether the benefits justified the disruption, according to the Cambridge-Somerville Independent.

The project was intended to prevent combined sewer overflows, which send wastewater into public waterways after storms. The MWRA plan was to prevent those discharges with a 75-foot-deep tank capable of holding 10 million gallons of water.

The MWRA did soften some aspects of its plan in response to public pressure. Permanent closure of the 2.3-acre sports area was taken off the table, but problems remained for project opponents. 

Ken Carson, president of the nonprofit Magazine Beach Partners, pointed out that a public swimming pool area was a planned route for trucks removing soil for the water tank project.

"Are we really going to have our little children scurrying to the swimming pool between dump trucks?" Carson asked, per the Independent. "I don't think so. So people are pretty upset." 

More background

More than $12 million had already gone toward restoring Magazine Beach after its decline in the 1990s, pointed out Cathie Zusy, a Cambridge city councilor, who had led the park's restoration prior to joining the city council. Zusy expressed concern that the proposed construction would disrupt the park's restoration, according to the Independent. 

Beyond the loss of park access, residents have questioned how much the tank would accomplish. State data indicated that the proposed tank could have held enough water to avert only 14 out of 22 overflow activations recorded there since 2020. 

Cambridge, Somerville, and the authority have spent four years developing the $1.3 billion plan, which has drawn criticism for failing to keep pace with worsening climate conditions, according to the Independent.

What's being done?

A smaller, 5-million-gallon tank was one option Zusy asked the authority to assess. Another alternative under discussion involved placing tanks beneath nearby surface parking lots or Goose Meadow, potentially avoiding the proposed disruption at Magazine Beach.

Another option was to dig a deep underground tunnel that would carry water from Cambridge to Boston for treatment. Mike Connolly, a Massachusetts state representative, said the tunnel could be worthwhile if designed to limit construction impacts, while acknowledging the enormous scale of the undertaking, per the Independent. 

In developing its plan, the water authority must abide by federal pollution requirements aimed at ensuring the Charles River's 80 miles are safe for fishing and swimming, Zusy said, according to the Independent. The authority must submit its plan to federal officials by May 31, with review continuing through August 2029.

"One of the things staff made very clear, there is an enormous amount of different alternatives. In terms of the actual implementation mechanisms, we're at a very conceptual level," Connolly said of the authority's position, per the Independent. 

Where can I learn more?

Questions about land use and water protection have also been driving infrastructure debates elsewhere in Massachusetts.

• In Massachusetts, 500 residents opposed an Eversource reliability project involving a 278-acre clear-cut.

• In Lowell, Massachusetts, residents have been pushing to ban future data centers in every district.

• Eversource faced demands to justify its Springfield pipeline, three years after Massachusetts requested answers.

• Massachusetts neighbors wanted a school turf field closed over concerns about PFAS in wells.

• Massachusetts lawmakers called MWRA's Quabbin water supply expansion bid a "blank check" for additional withdrawals.

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