Water system Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

1 water system

1.1 water sources
1.2 eastbound water flow
1.3 westbound water flow
1.4 water storage facilities
1.5 redundancy
1.6 electrical generation

water system

the massachusetts water resources authority , massachusetts department of conservation , recreation (dcr) own , operate collection, treatment, distribution, , storage facilities supply drinking water forty municipalities in metropolitan boston area. water system design based upon purchase , subsequent protection of entire watershed. design assures water remains pristine possible. however, modern regulations require supplies of drinking water chemically treated regardless of source. additions mwra water system throughout history have resulted in redundancies allow major sections of water system shut down repair or maintenance.

water sources

primary sources:

quabbin reservoir - 412 billion gallons (1.56×10 m) storage capacity
wachusett reservoir - 65 billion gallons (250,000,000 m) storage capacity
ware river (during high flow only)

backup sources:

sudbury reservoir - 7.2 billion gallons (27,000,000 m) storage capacity
foss reservoir, a.k.a. framingham reservoir #3 - 0.5 billion gallons (1,900,000 m) storage capacity

eastbound water flow

water bound greater boston flows mwra s main storage facility, quabbin reservoir in central massachusetts, through quabbin aqueduct wachusett reservoir in , around boylston , clinton. tributary rivers , streams comprising wachusett watershed, 108 square mile (280 square kilometer) drainage basin, feed wachusett reservoir. cosgrove tunnel carries water there carroll water treatment plant, located @ town lines of marlborough, northborough, , southborough, massachusetts. plant replaced 1 used ph control. comprises 4 ozone generators diffusers , 5 concrete contact chambers volume of 11.3 million gallons (43,000 m). plant has capacity of 275 million gallons (1,040,000 m) per day, on average day or 405 million gallons (1,530,000 m) per day, @ peak level. cost us$340 million.

the metrowest water supply tunnel (mwwst) carries water further east, passing norumbega reservoir, schneck s pond, , norumbega covered storage in weston. near route 128 , charles river, splits in two, feeding regional distribution lines @ loring road tanks , interconnection city tunnel passing newton. in chestnut hill area, city tunnel splits city tunnel extension (northeast) , dorchester tunnel (southeast), act backbones smaller distribution mains , feed various regional storage tanks.

westbound water flow

the chicopee valley aqueduct carries water quabbin reservoir western massachusetts communities of chicopee, wilbraham , south hadley (fire district no. 1). passes through ware water treatment facility , nash hill covered reservoir in ludlow.

water storage facilities

the major mwra water storage facilities outside of source reservoirs listed below. covered storage facilities (242.7 million gallons (919,000 m) total capacity) in primary use, , surface reservoirs used backup only. (uncovered reservoirs cannot store potable water without need later treatment).

redundancy

the wachusett aqueduct older parallel conduit cosgrove tunnel, , still available standby transmission moving water wachusett reservoir carroll treatment plant. used purpose during tunnel shutdown in 2003.

the hultman aqueduct begins @ carroll treatment plant , parallels metrowest water supply tunnel (which replaced in 2003). after mwwst s completion hultman aqueduct underwent major reconstruction project, lasted 2009 2014, goal of maintaining standby alternative mwwst. completion of refurbishment in 2014 returned standby status use in event mwwst unavailable.

the wachusett aqueuduct open channel extends past carroll treatment plant , connects underground portion of wachusett aqueduct sudbury reservoir. before hultman , cosgrove aqueducts built served primary method of transmission water wachusett reservoir. although no longer used purpose maintained emergency transmission. in emergency can used feed untreated quabbin , wachusett reservoir water emergency source reservoirs.

the backup weston aqueduct runs sudbury reservoir in framingham, running loring road storage tanks in weston via weston reservoir (a backup surface storage reservoir). hultman aqueduct , mwwst connect sudbury reservoir , weston aqueduct.

the sudbury aqueduct runs foss reservoir (framingham reservoir #3) in framingham directly chestnut hill reservoir, parallelling mwwst. sudbury reservoir , foss reservoir connected surface waterway. framingham reservoirs #1 , #2 downstream on sudbury river #3, , no longer designated emergency water supplies.

construction on redundant barrel of chicopee valley aqueduct substantially complete in 2008.

during failure of interconnection between mwwst , city tunnel in may 2010, mwra drew water chestnut hill reservoir, spot pond reservoir, , sudbury reservoir via sudbury aqueduct. hultman aqueduct unavailable backup undergoing reconstruction @ time.

in emergency, water can treated sodium hypochlorite @ point in system deploying mobile disinfection units - trailer-mounted units mwra has stored @ strategic locations throughout system. emergency chlorination used during main break of may 2010, not enough prevent need boil-water order; part of delay need follow-up testing.

electrical generation

the system includes 3 hydropower stations (one inactive) , 2 wind turbines, total capacity of 19.8 mw. water released swift river flows through winsor station below winsor dam turbines damaged in fire , have not been reactivated. water transferred quabbin wachusett can pass either through turbines @ oakdale or through bypass pipes when flow requirements exceed turbine ratings. water released wachusett cosgrove tunnel passes through cosgrove turbines. 4 original turbines in wachusett gatehouse, located @ start of wachusett aqueduct, have not been used in on 40 years. 1.54mw turbine being installed @ dam. turbine @ southborough @ start of weston aqueduct has been inactive long period.

the quabbin aqueduct connects 2 reservoirs, , relies upon gravity accommodate 3 separate operational needs. first, diversion of water ware river quabbin reservoir uses aqueduct. second, water transfer quabbin reservoir wachusett reservoir, through hydropower station or bypass pipe, uses well. bypass valves non-regulating valves, , when opened, head in quabbin reservoir , physical characteristics of aqueduct govern flow. because turbines flow limited, bypass mechanism permits transfer rates twice high possible through turbines. operationally, single aqueduct fulfills 3 purposes, 1 operational mode possible @ given time.