Newton Officials Break Ground on Project to Address Flooding (Press Release)
Underground storage project will store 100% of neighborhood’s untreated stormwater runoff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 13, 2025
Contact: Stefan Geller
Phone: 617-540-5650 X 1094
Email: sgeller@crwa.org
NEWTON, MA – City officials broke ground today on an underground storage project along Cheesecake Brook by Albemarle field, which will store all of the untreated stormwater runoff from the six-acre neighborhood and help mitigate flooding. A second phase beginning this summer will establish nearly an acre of native bank plantings and correct drainage issues along Albemarle Road
“This project is a terrific example of how nature-based design can bolster flood prevention and improve aquatic health,” said Max Rome, senior stormwater manager at Charles River Watershed Association. “Once complete, this system will help prevent pollution from entering the Charles River and reduce flooding in Newton – a win-win.
An urbanized stream and tributary of the Charles River, the once meandering Cheesecake Brook and its surrounding wetlands were filled, straightened, and channelized in the 1800s and 1900s. Today, the tributary flows through a masonry channel and suffers from poor water quality, poor habitat for aquatic species, and episodic stormwater flooding.
Since 2020, CRWA has worked with Newton residents to create a vision plan for a restored Cheesecake Brook. The ultimate goal is to create a naturalized green corridor that is an amenity for neighbors, resilient to flooding, supports local biodiversity, and is contiguous with the Charles. These projects are an exciting and important step toward that vision.
Construction fencing went up in January and excavation has already begun for a large subsurface storage system to collect stormwater flows (which currently discharge untreated into the brook). This system is designed to redirect and store 100% of the stormwater runoff generated by a 6-acre neighborhood. The infiltration system resembles a series of milk tanks sandwiched between layers of gravel of geo-textile, and has a volume of nearly 50,000 cubic feet, meaning it can store enough stormwater to fill more than half of an Olympic swimming pool. This system was designed to store all of the runoff generated by up to a 25-year storm, slowly releasing rainwater into the ground where it will be filtered before entering the brook as baseflow.
By mid-August, the installation of this system will be complete and capped beneath a new athletic field. While the system will be largely invisible, its impacts will be felt with each storm, as it silently improves water quality, reduces the severity of flooding and balances flow during periods of drought.
Work will begin on the “mitigation area” by late summer, which involves replacing nearly an acre of mowed turf riverbanks with native plants and improved stormwater transport. Ten asphalt gutters which carry runoff directly into the brook will be replaced with filter “turrets” to spread runoff into planted areas where smaller storms can soak into the restored banks.
CRWA and the City of Newton will continue exploring additional projects within the Cheesecake Brook “subwatershed” to get additional flood mitigation and water quality benefits. CRWA will also install monitoring equipment to track how these projects change water temperature and flow patterns within the brook.
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Charles River Watershed Association’s mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the Charles River and its watershed through science, advocacy, and the law. CRWA develops science-based strategies to increase resilience, protect public health, and promote environmental equity as we confront a changing climate.
