The Boston Water and Sewage Commission has reached an important agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Conversvation Law Foundation. As the Boston Globe reported earlier this week, the settlement represents the next step in the ongoing effort to clean up the Charles River and Boston Harbor.

Under the settlement, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission must locate the sources of pollution running into the Charles and clean them up on an aggressive schedule. The settlement also provides for “green makeovers” for three Boston neighborhoods along with a renewed attack on illegal sewer connections, which mix waste water with storm runoff. Some of the illegal connections are decades old and in poor condition, and the Boston Water and Sewage Commission has already identified at least 25 trouble spots to remove and replace.

I am thrilled that the Boston Water and Sewage Commission has renewed its commitment to cleaning up the Charles, and I’m proud of the way community groups such as the Charles River Watershed Association worked with the government to fix this problem in a smart way. A cleaner Charles River means a healthier, more beautiful community for all of us, and I will work with our neighbors and the Boston Water and Sewage Commission to complete this phase of the Charles River cleanup as smoothly and swiftly as possible.