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Environmental Officials Call For Continued Water Conservation Efforts As Drought Conditions Cause Drop in River and Lake Water Levels
Patrick Administration Announces $662,397 to Fund 21 Projects Targeting Drinking Water Losses
Despite some recent rainfall, the Commonwealth declared a Drought Advisory yesterday in four regions of the state following an exceptionally dry August and September, which has caused rivers, streams, lakes and ponds to be well below their normal levels for this time of the year.
The Drought Advisory and the stream flows that in some areas of the state are less than 5 percent of their normal flows emphasize the need for both consumers and water suppliers to continue to implement water conservation and demand management measures until the situation abates and rainfall returns to normal levels. Citizens are asked to abide by water restrictions imposed by their public water supplier.
The delayed drought advisory may also signal the success of water conservation measures, particularly out-door water use restrictions, imposed in many communities during the summer months.
To assist communities in their efforts to conserve water, state environmental officials today announced that 21 projects totaling $662,397 have been awarded grant funding to reduce drinking water losses as part of the 2008 Water Conservation Competitive Grant Program.
"Reducing demand on our streams and the groundwater that feeds them continues to be a challenge," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. "These grants are another step forward as part of the Patrick Administration's comprehensive effort to sustain the unique character of the Commonwealth and ensure that it remains the kind of place where people want to live, work and raise their families."
"It is critical for the health of our natural resources and our economy to better manage our public water supplies, especially within our most stressed watersheds, and to reduce the attendant energy used to pump and treat that water," said Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Commissioner Laurie Burt. "These grants will help drinking water systems and municipalities to implement projects that will directly benefit watersheds by reducing the demand on our aquatic resources and the resulting demand on our local budgets."
Due to the lack of rainfall and low water levels, 78 municipalities informed MassDEP this year that they instituted outdoor water use restrictions to conserve water. Last year, MassDEP received information on water bans in just 25 communities.
MassDEP indicated that approximately two-thirds of the state's public water suppliers are meeting the appropriate performance standards for their watershed. Two communities doing a superior job with their water conservation efforts are the towns of Sharon and Franklin.
From 2006 to 2007, Sharon's May-through-August water use increased a mere 3 percent, even though rainfall for the same period was 16.7 inches (45 percent) less, demonstrating that the town's outdoor water use restrictions have effectively controlled water demand during a dry summer season. In Franklin, which also has a proactive outdoor water use control program, water use from June through August increased only 5 percent from 2006 and 2007, again demonstrating that effective controls can keep water demand relatively constant regardless of dry weather conditions.
But more still needs to be done statewide to conserve water and protect aquatic resources.
The 21 Water Conservation Grant projects will help to protect water resources by supporting water conservation education and outreach programs, water audits, leak detection surveys of drinking water systems, and rebates for low-flow devices. Recipients include public water systems and municipalities.
Receiving the grant funds in this round are: Hadley, Wareham Fire District, Concord, Norfolk, Middleborough, Haverhill, Holden, Sharon, Pembroke, Danvers, New Bedford, West Boylston, Lexington, Hopedale, Freetown, Shrewsbury, Bridgewater, Pepperell, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, and the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA).
The Massachusetts Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund provides money for the grant program in support of the water policies approved by the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission (WRC), MassDEP, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Qualified proposals were selected on a competitive basis with priority given to those water systems with withdrawal points located within stressed basins, a significant environmental concern that would benefit from a reduction in demand, an identified issue where the water system cannot meet water demand, a Water Management Act permit undergoing a five-year review, or with an existing water loss prevention/water conservation program.
2008 Water Conservation Grant Recipients
List of Projects - 2008 Water Conservation Grant Program
A 25% match is required for all projects
Project applicant: Town of Hadley
EOEEA Watershed: Connecticut
Grant Funding Up to $34,600; Project Total $64,200
Project applicant: Wareham Fire District
EOEEA Watershed: Buzzards Bay
Grant Funding Up to $40,000; Project Total $53,700
Project applicant: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)
EOEEA Watershed: Chicopee
Grant Funding Up to $40,000; Project Total $60,000
Project applicant: Town of Concord
EOEEA Watershed: SuAsCo
Grant Funding Up to $34,375; Project Total $44,440
Project applicant: Town of Norfolk
EOEEA Watershed: Charles
Grant Funding Up to $37,125; Project Total $49,500
Project applicant: Town of Middleborough
EOEEA Watershed: Taunton
Grant Funding Up to $32,380; Project Total $48,180
Project applicant: City of Haverhill
EOEEA Watershed: Merrimack
Grant Funding Up to $40,000; Project Total $56,900
Project applicant: Town of Holden
EOEEA Watershed: Nashua and Blackstone
Grant Funding Up to $18,450; Project Total $24,600
Project applicant: Town of Sharon
EOEEA Watersheds: Taunton and Neponset
Grant Funding Up to $44,000; Project Total $68,299
Project applicant: Massachusetts Department of Corrections
EOEEA Watersheds: Taunton/Buzzards Bay/Nashua/Charles
Grant Funding Up to $23,600; Project Total $31,400
Project applicant: Town of Pembroke
EOEEA Watershed: South Coastal Basin
Grant Funding Up to $20,000; Project Total $45,100
Project applicant: Town of Danvers
EOEEA Watersheds: Ipswich and North Coastal
Grant Funding Up to $30,000; Project Total $40,000
Project applicant: City of New Bedford
EOEEA Watershed: Taunton Basin/Buzzards Bay
Grant Funding Up to $43,298; Project Total $55,370
Project applicant: Town of West Boylston
EOEEA Watershed: Nashua
Grant Funding Up to $39,000; Project Total $49,000
Project applicant: Town of Lexington
EOEEA Watershed: Water purchased from MWRA
Grant Funding Up to $22,500; Project Total $32,500
Project applicant: Town of Hopedale
EOEEA Watersheds: Blackstone and Charles
Grant Funding Up to $28,000; Project Total $40,500
Project applicant: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)
EOEEA Watershed: Chicopee
Grant Funding Up to $40,000; Project Total $50,000
Project applicant: Town of Freetown
EOEEA Watershed: Taunton
Grant Funding Up to $35,000; Project Total $45,000
Project applicant: Town of Shrewsbury
EOEEA Watersheds: Blackstone and SuAsCo
Grant Funding Up to $23,069; Project Total $30,674
Project applicant: Town of Bridgewater
EOEEA Watershed: Taunton
Grant Funding Up to $19,000; Project Total $29,000
Project applicant: Town of Pepperell
EOEEA Watershed: Nashua
Grant Funding Up to $18,000; Project Total $24,000
MassDEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.
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