Downtown Haverhill. (Photo by Jonathan Berk)

AS MASSACHUSETTS PREPARES to celebrate the Fourth of July enjoying our rivers and beaches, communities along the Merrimack River are instead checking water quality advisories after a devastating accidental sewage leak.

Last Friday, heavy rain induced a major sewer line break in Haverhill, sending millions of gallons of wastewater into the river and to the surrounding beaches on the coast where it empties. This event is a reminder that clean water depends on infrastructure most of us rarely think about until it fails, and serves as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to protecting this vital resource.

The 100-degree heat wave now arriving is a reminder that public beaches provide us with more than just places to swim. They provide cooling sites, recreation for children on summer break, and much-needed free gathering spaces for communities. When beaches close because wastewater enters our waterways, impacts extend far beyond a missed day at the shore. They extend to the community’s public health, local economy, and environment all at once.

On top of these impacts, the recreational value of our waterfront to the Massachusetts economy is growing. The state’s outdoor recreation sector generated $14.6 billion in 2024 and grew nearly 7 percent in a single year, the fastest growth rate in the country, with waterfront activities at the forefront. A holiday beach closure isn’t just a missed afternoon. It’s a direct hit against one of the fastest-growing parts of the state’s economy.

Those of us who remember Boston Harbor before its cleanup know exactly what happens when we neglect infrastructure. Clean water did not happen by chance. It was the result of decades of public investment, political will, sound environmental policy, and persistent advocacy.

Massachusetts has already proven what is possible. Once colloquially referred to as the “harbor of shame” and known for its dirty water, Boston Harbor underwent a dramatic transformation, beginning in the 1980s, from one of the most polluted harbors in America to the clean and swimmable waterfront it is today.

Now, millions of people swim, boat, and enjoy the waterfront at some of the cleanest urban beaches in America. A Boston Globe story earlier this week spotlighted what once seemed unimaginable – anglers gushing about Boston Harbor as a premier fishing destination.

It took legal advocacy, the creation of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, elected officials who cared, and, in the words 40 years ago of Globe columnist Ian Menzies, a “barely restrained intelligent mob” of community advocates to push for the $5 billion public investment to clean up the harbor. The public chose to make clean water a priority.

Massachusetts has spent decades investing in cleaning up our waterways, but we have not invested enough in maintaining and modernizing the infrastructure that keeps them clean. As climate change brings heavier rainfall and extreme weather, we need sustained investment in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, along with dedicated leadership to ensure these systems are maintained before they fail, as happened in Haverhill.

Across the Commonwealth, millions of gallons of wastewater move through treatment plants, pump stations, and collection systems every day. These systems quietly protect public health, support local economies, and safeguard the rivers, beaches, and harbors that define our quality of life. Most of the time, they work as they should.

Massachusetts must continue investing not only in modern wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, but also in the dedicated public agencies and staff responsible for maintaining it. Infrastructure does not protect public health on its own, people do. Giving stormwater and wastewater infrastructure the attention it deserves is essential if we want to avoid more preventable failures in the future.

The Mass Ready Act is currently making its way through the final stages of the legislative process, authorizing up to $3 billion in environmental bonds for capital climate infrastructure projects.

There is considerable money on the table to reduce combined sewer overflows and non-point source pollution, as well as the modernization of wastewater, stormwater, and drainage infrastructure across the Commonwealth. We must ensure funding for this infrastructure not only gets authorized in the final version of the Mass Ready Act, but that it gets allocated towards these projects to prevent failures before they happen.

And as vital as this bond bill is, clean water is not a one-time investment. The climate crisis will continue to bring more intense storms and greater pressure on our waste and stormwater infrastructure over time, and we will need continued public demand to match that pressure.

We know what is possible because we have done it before, and Boston Harbor stands as proof. At Save the Harbor, we see our community enjoy the benefits of the $5 billion public investment in Boston Harbor every day.

The question we face now is whether we will continue making that choice before the next infrastructure failure reminds us why it matters.

Chris Mancini is the executive director of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, region’s leading voice for clean water and continued public investment in Boston Harbor, the region’s public beaches, and the Boston Harbor Islands.