Good news for Charles River cleanup

EPA says Charles River pollution must be cut - The Boston Globe

Federal environmental regulators have concluded that phosphorus pollution washing into the Charles River needs to be cut by 54 percent, a policy that could lead to major changes in the design of sewers, streets, and parking lots and potentially restrictions on some homeowners using lawn fertilizer.

Phosphorus pollution comes from sources ranging from septic tanks and leaking sewers to leaves and grass to the residue of gasoline exhaust that gets washed by the rain from streets into the river. Once in the Charles, excess phosphorus can cause problems including toxic algae blooms that make the river unsafe for swimming or boating, inadequate oxygen levels for fish, and growth of plants that slowly choke off the river.