"Billions of gallons of raw sewage and contaminated stormwater surge every year into the waterways and onto the streets of New England, as a 40-year-old pledge to clean America's lakes, rivers and streams remains unfulfilled."

"That is the conclusion of a six-month inquiry by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting—the first comprehensive look at where, how often and how much sewage flows into New England waterways, and the first to map the peril. (see accompanying maps)

'I'm certain the general population is unaware that raw sewage is being discharged to their streets and rivers,' said the executive director of the Mystic River Watershed Association,  Ekongkar Singh Khalsa. 'I've walked around Wellesley or Newton after a storm, and suggested people should not let their dog walk on this. They thought I was mad.'"

Doug Struck reports for the New England Center for Investigative Reporting April 20, 2013. [2]