Protecting the Merrimack: A Community Talk on Water Quality and Solutions

On November 20, 2025 Curt Rogers and Jose Tapia from the Merrimack River Watershed Council presented at the Newburyport Senior/Community Center. Their presentation offered a clear, data-driven look at the challenges facing the river—from the scale of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the impacts of increasingly intense rainfall driven by climate change. They also shared early findings from MRWC’s real-time monitoring sensor placed in Newburyport, which provides valuable on-the-ground insight into bacterial conditions following storm events.

The speakers outlined the decades-long, federally mandated infrastructure projects underway across the watershed and explained why major reductions in CSOs require significant state and federal investment. They also highlighted practical actions residents can take now to help protect water quality, including reducing stormwater runoff, staying informed about CSO notifications, and supporting ongoing advocacy efforts.