Historic New England Town Faces 'Doomsday Scenario' Due to Sewage Contamination
Carlisle, a town celebrated by Henry David Thoreau, is grappling with widespread sewage leaks and contaminated wells, threatening its habitability.
Carlisle, a historic New England town once lauded by Henry David Thoreau as 'the City in the Woods,' is confronting a severe environmental crisis that experts warn could render it uninhabitable within decades. The town faces what residents describe as a 'doomsday scenario' due to widespread sewage contamination of its water supply. Residents have relied on backyard septic systems and private wells, but these systems are failing, leading to sewage leaks and the infiltration of E.coli into drinking water sources.
The town's water, used at the municipal building, library, and school, has registered contamination alarms. Susan Murcott, a wastewater expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has cautioned that the situation could become 'deadly to human beings' in the coming decades if not addressed. "It’s really disgusting. It’s bad for you," one resident told the Boston Globe.
The issue gained broader public attention when Ben and Amy Pirri, who moved to Carlisle during the COVID-19 pandemic, attempted to reopen Ferns, a general store that had been a local institution for over 180 years before closing the previous year. The couple discovered they could not safely dispose of sewage at the store and that the entire town shared the same challenge.
Through discussions with neighbors, the Pirris learned that many residents were aware of the risks, with sewage potentially seeping into their drinking water wells. The couple has now taken on the task of advocating for a solution to Carlisle's sewage problem.
However, their efforts to introduce improvements have met with resistance from some residents who fear that infrastructure upgrades could lead to increased development and alter the town's unique character. "Carlisle is the town that Carlisle is because it doesn’t have public water and public sewer," one resident commented online.
Ben Pirri countered this view, stating, "The Romans figured this out a long time ago. When you have density, you can’t put your s**t there. You gotta take it somewhere else."
A Town Hall meeting is scheduled for November, where Select Board members will consider proposals for using public funds to install new sewer pipes. A vote on the matter is set for November 16.
