Deval L. Patrick
Timothy P. Murray
Ian A. Bowles
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Governor Deval L. Patrick |
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Lt.
Governor Timothy P. Murray |
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Water Quality
Water quality sampling and watershed monitoring make up an important part of the overall mission of the Division of Water Supply Protection. These activities are carried out by Environmental Quality Section staff at Wachusett Reservoir in West Boylston and at Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown. Annual Water Quality Reports are produced for both the Wachusett Reservoir and the Quabbin Reservoir & Ware River watersheds. These reports detail the results of sampling performed in the tributaries and the reservoirs for bacteria, nutrients, conductivity, temperature, turbidity, algae, hydrogen ion activity and giardia/cryptosporidium. The Surface Water Treatment Rule requires filtration of all surface water supplies unless several criteria are met, including the development and implementation of a detailed watershed protection plan. The Division and the MWRA currently have a joint waiver from the filtration requirement and continue to aggressively manage the watersheds in order to maintain this waiver. Water quality sampling and field inspections help identify tributaries with water quality problems, aid in the implementation of the Division’s watershed protection plans, and ensure compliance with state and federal water quality criteria for public drinking water supply sources. Bacterial monitoring of the reservoir and its tributaries provide an indication of sanitary quality and help to protect public health. The Division samples to better understand the responses of the reservoir and its tributaries to a variety of physical, chemical, and biological inputs, and to assess the ecological health of the reservoirs and the watersheds. The MWRA also has an extensive sampling program throughout the metropolitan Boston drinking water system, conducting tests on water sampled at the source reservoirs (source or raw water) and also on water after treatment sampled from MWRA or community lines (treated water). The MWRA produces a monthly newsletter describing the status of six general indicators of water quality: microbial; turbidity & algae; corrosiveness (pH and alkalinity); disinfectant residual; >disinfection by-products; and >mineral analysis. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Division of Water Supply Protection, operates streamflow monitoring gages near the mouths of both the Stillwater and Quinapoxet Rivers, the two major tributaries to the Wachusett Reservoir. Data recorded by instrumentation at the gages are used by the DCR to monitor flow rates, water temperature (in degrees Celsius), and specific conductance (in microsiemens per centimeter). At the Stillwater River station, cumulative precipitation (in inches) is also recorded. All of these factors have a significant effect on the overall quality of water within the reservoir. Real time data from these two gages are available from a USGS website. Annual Water Quality Reports:
(These reports are available in .pdf format) Monthly MWRA Water Quality Report Real Time Water Data for Wachusett Reservoir Tributaries Nutrient and Plankton Dynamics in Wachusett Reservoir For more information, please contact: Bob Bishop Pat Austin
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