GROUNDWATER & UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE

What has been done?
In 1986, the Boston City Council established the Boston Groundwater Trust to monitor groundwater levels in areas of the city where foundations are threatened by low levels and to make recommendations to solve the problem. Following a slow start, Mayor Menino revitalized the Trust in 1997 by appointing a new board of unpaid trustees. These dedicated volunteers discovered pre-existing groundwater observation wells on public property from prior projects and integrated them into a monitoring network. In 2002, the Legislature allocated $1.6 million in the Environmental Bond Bill to further develop this comprehensive network.

Additionally, in 2005, both the City and State governments collaborated by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a City-State Groundwater Working Group. This partnership includes all public agencies accountable for underground infrastructure. Collectively, these agencies have committed to collaborating to identify the root causes of the issue and rectify any problems within their jurisdiction, as indicated in the accompanying video. To enforce these efforts, the City introduced a Groundwater Conservation Overlay District mandating that individuals constructing or renovating properties in the affected area prevent any reduction in groundwater levels and implement rainwater recharge systems to channel water back into the ground, steering it away from streets and storm drains.

Through the City-State Groundwater Working Group the Trust works with:

• City of Boston Environment Department

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

• Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation

• Boston Water & Sewer Commission

• Massachusetts Department of Transportation

• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

• Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

These entities are responsible for constructing and maintaining a network of sewers, drains, tunnels, manholes, and various other infrastructure (as indicated in the image below) that are integral in preventing the potential decrease in groundwater levels caused by deficiency in these systems.