New York and Boston have archaic sewer systems that back up when it rains. Fixing them could cost billions
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As heavy rains overwhelm aging pipes, the two cities are choosing very different paths forward.
At the end of July 2023, 3.07 inches of rain fell on Boston in a single day. The city’s sewer systems were overwhelmed, resulting in a discharge of sewage into Boston Harbor that prompted a public health warning. The summer of 2023 would turn out to be Boston’s second-rainiest on record.