Communities of Color Get 4.4x More Sewage Discharge Than White Communities

Research from the Mystic River Watershed Association and academic studies has documented a stark environmental justice disparity in sewage overflow exposure. If a watershed has twice as many people of color, it will have 4.4 times as much sewage discharge. If a watershed has twice as many people in poverty, it will have 3.4 times as much sewage discharge. This is not a coincidence but a direct result of historical and structural inequities in infrastructure investment. The health consequences are severe and cumulative. Low-income communities and communities of color near CSO discharge points experience higher rates of waterborne illness, greater exposure to polluted waterways, and limited access to clean recreational water. Children in these neighborhoods, who are most vulnerable to pathogens like E. coli O157:H7, have the highest exposure risk. Meanwhile, wealthier neighborhoods in the same cities often have separated sewer systems or newer infrastructure that does not overflow. The financial burden compounds the injustice. When sewage backs up into homes in these communities, residents on limited incomes face cleanup costs they cannot afford, often lack the insurance endorsements that would cover the damage, and cannot easily relocate. Property values in neighborhoods with recurring sewage problems decline further, trapping residents in a cycle of environmental harm and economic loss. This disparity persists because of the legacy of redlining and racially discriminatory land-use planning. Communities of color were historically zoned near industrial areas with the oldest, most neglected infrastructure. When cities prioritize infrastructure upgrades, wealthier neighborhoods with more political influence tend to receive investment first. Federal consent decrees and EPA enforcement have not specifically addressed the disparate impact on communities of color, treating CSO remediation as a citywide engineering problem rather than an environmental justice crisis.