Friday, October 23, 2026

20 Million More Gallons a Day from Quabbin?


Photo by Ed Comeau | quabbinequity.org/20-million-gallons-more

As towns around the Quabbin struggled over the last year with a water ban and the rising costs for stewardship of the watershed for a resource they can't use, local officials sought compensation, cooperation, equity, and representation from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) earlier this summer.
 
In August, the MA Water Resources Commission (WRC) accepted an application submitted to the MWRA in February to pull an additional 20 million more gallons each day from the already-low Quabbin despite the effects of the drought. Some 200 million gallons a day are presently pumped to Boston and surrounding communities. A hearing on the proposal was held September 30 at Belchertown Town Hall, where a room full of area residents and leaders still waiting for equity had plenty to say about the request for more water and the lack of specifics about where it would go. 

SUBMIT COMMENTS BY 5:00PM on WED, OCTOBER 28 TO:
Vandana Rao, Chair, Water Resources Commission <Vandana.Rao@mass.gov>
Sec. Rebecca Tepper, MA EOEEA <rebecca.l.tepper@mass.gov>

The additional loss of water affects communities throughout the larger Connecticut River watershed. See our latest newsletter for a statement from Connecticut River Conservancy and other information. 
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