Boston's Charles River Gets A- For Water Quality

A new report from the federal government shows the Charles River is the cleanest it's been in 20 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency's report card on cleanliness for last year gives the river an "A-" for water quality, its highest grade since a cleanup program started nearly two decades ago.

The EPA said in its report card released Wednesday that the river in 2013 was safe for swimming 70 percent of the time and safe for boating 96 percent of the time.

By contrast, in 1995 the Charles was deemed safe for swimming and boating only 19 percent and 39 percent of the time respectively.

Regional EPA administrator Curt Spaulding said people can now use the river for a variety of activities without worrying if they'll get sick.

The report card is based on bacterial sampling done by the Charles River Watershed Association.

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