25 Years of Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure Investments Better Prepares City for Impacts of Climate Change

Stormwater management is an important consideration for the City of Cambridge as it adapts to climate change. The City’s large amounts of impervious cover, such as paved streets and rooftops, means that rain does not always soak into the ground, but may flow over land and into local waterways, potentially causing pollution and flooding. 

To address these concerns, the city has invested over $500 million in sewer and stormwater infrastructure over the past 25 years and has developed programs to address both the volume and quality of stormwater runoff. These strategies include increasing stormwater storage, building green infrastructure, and continuing sewer separation projects. The City has built underground stormwater storage systems, is actively building more, and is evaluating street reconstruction projects and private redevelopment activities for opportunities to implement green infrastructure. The City is also collaborating with other organizations to develop plans that manage and potentially eliminate combined sewer overflows based on future climate projections.