Buzzards Bay Swim Cancellation; Combined Sewer Overflows an Ongoing Threat to Bay Health

In a decision that was heartbreaking for our swimmers, volunteers, and staff, the 31st Annual Buzzards Bay SWIM, scheduled for June 22nd, was cancelled. The call was made based on the projected rain hours before the event, rain that would trigger one or more of New Bedford’s combined sewer/stormwater pipes to discharge directly into the Outer Harbor where the SWIM was scheduled to take place.  

It was the right decision for the safety of our participants, as a water sample taken from the SWIM course around the time the event would have taken place exceeded the EPA’s enterococci standard for a waterbody to be considered safe for swimming. 

The City of New Bedford has invested nearly half a billion dollars in the past 29 years to upgrade and improve its wastewater system, and while the Harbor is dramatically cleaner than it was when we began the SWIM in 1993, the problem persists and needs even more significant investment to ensure that these discharges never occur again. To that end, we are actively advocating on strategies – including working with the community of current and past swimmers on a letter to the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation – to call attention to this problem and the need for increased federal funding to address it. 

And while we are committed to the SWIM remaining at its iconic New Bedford Harbor course, we are also focused on identifying a back-up location.  While this was the first cancellation in 31 years due to combined sewer overflow discharges, the frequency and potency of storms is increasing, and the likelihood of our encountering this issue again – until a permanent solution to the CSOs is in place – increases every day.  

While the SWIM itself did not take place, the overflows highlighted the fragility of Bay health and the need for continued action to protect it. We are grateful for the partnership of each of the swimmers and their donors in that mission, including those who earned our top fundraising awards: 

1st Place Fundraiser, Chris Parks, with a NEW RECORD of $26,220  

2nd Place Fundraiser, Larry Fish, with $17,200 raised   

3rd Place Fundraiser, Steve Johnson, with $14,400 raised   

Top Fundraising Team, For Emma, with 38 members and over $22,000 raised   

In addition to our top fundraisers, the following Swimmers were feted for reaching key milestones: 

Six Mile Award (Fifth Swim): Jonathan Barratt, Katherine Erickson, Michelle Farrow, Jeannine Louro, Grace Pietsch, Timothy Reason, Tyler Sjahfiedin, Natasha Southworth, Megan Titas, and Patrick Tyndall. 

Cuttyhunk Award (Tenth Swim): Melissa Dyer.