Lawmakers and advocates press for deadline to end combined‑sewer overflows into Massachusetts rivers

Lawmakers, environmental groups and residents urged the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to back legislation that would require large reductions in combined‑sewer overflows into Massachusetts waterways and set timetables for doing so.

Advocates told the committee that millions to hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated or minimally treated sewage still flow into small urban streams and larger rivers when storms overwhelm older combined systems. ‘‘These discharges are not just an environmental nuisance. They are a public‑health crisis,’’ said Patrick Karen, executive director of the Mystic River Watershed Association.

The bills discussed include House Bill 1031 and companion Senate Bill 608 (targets and timetables for the MWRA service area) and House Bill 1046 (a broader House measure introduced by Representative Greg Schwartz). Supporters said the bills establish accountability, require plans and set a 10‑year target for large parts of the system to reach a 25‑year storm level of control — a level…