MWRA Plans Buried Tank Under Magazine Beach
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority proposes a 10-million-gallon underground tank in Cambridge's Magazine Beach park to curb sewer overflows.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Utilities
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The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority plans to bury a 10-million-gallon tank 75 feet deep beneath Cambridge's Magazine Beach park. Construction would close nearly half of the 17-acre park for six to eight years.
Why it matters
The project is intended to prevent combined sewer overflows that send wastewater into public waterways after storms, a requirement tied to federal pollution rules aimed at keeping the Charles River's 80 miles safe for fishing and swimming. Residents in Cambridge would bear the cost of a $1.3 billion plan and years of park disruption.
The $1.3 billion plan would have averted only 14 of 22 overflow activations recorded at Magazine Beach since 2020, according to state data. More than $12 million has already gone toward restoring the park since its decline in the 1990s.
The players
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is a state agency that manages water and wastewater infrastructure for greater Boston communities.
Cambridge
Cambridge is a city in Massachusetts and home to Magazine Beach, the park where the tank is proposed.
Somerville
Somerville is a neighboring Massachusetts city that has partnered with Cambridge and the authority on the plan.
The details
Dump trucks removing soil for the project would travel a planned route that includes the public swimming pool area. Cambridge, Somerville and the authority have spent four years developing the plan, and an alternative site at Goose Meadow and a smaller 5-million-gallon tank have been raised by residents.
Timeline
The authority must submit its plan to federal officials by May 31.
Park closure would last six to eight years during construction.
Federal review of the plan continues through August 2029.
Industry Context
The plan is a local response to federal pollution requirements under the Clean Water Act that aim to keep the Charles River's 80 miles safe for fishing and swimming. Its $1.3 billion cost places it among the large sewer infrastructure projects that Massachusetts utilities must finance to meet those rules.
Residents who use Magazine Beach would lose access to nearly half the park for six to eight years during construction. The project's soil trucks would also pass the public swimming pool area, affecting daily park use in the neighborhood.
The takeaway
Cambridge residents weighing the Magazine Beach plan face a trade-off between years of park closure and a permanent fix for overflows that state data suggests would have addressed most past events. Tracking the May 31 federal submission will show whether the plan moves forward.
What happens next
The authority must submit its plan to federal officials by May 31, and federal review continues through August 2029.
Further reading
For more on sewer and water infrastructure, see Utilities coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Cool Down.
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Should local governments accept years of park closures for major infrastructure projects?
