Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Preserving Massachusetts Water Resources

Massachusetts is well-endowed with plentiful water in the form of streams, lakes and ponds. The State also receives an average of 44 inches of water each year that helps sustain these water bodies and our aquifers. These water resources support many of our most scenic and fragile environments and are some of our favorite recreational areas. These same resources provide the water that we use in our homes, businesses, and industry. Striking the balance between the need for water by humans and our natural environment is the goal of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs' (EOEEA) water policies.

In November 2004, EOEEA developed the Commonwealth’s first Water Policy. Recognizing that current utilization patterns of the Commonwealth’s water resources are frequently not sustainable, and that economic growth and our quality of life depend upon a sustainable water supply, the Water Policy established a number of policy objectives for agencies and citizens alike to embrace. The EOEEA’s Water Policy team implements the Massachusetts Water Policy through various projects at EOEEA and our agencies.

To continue to provide the legacy of sufficient water and water resources to many generations, EOEEA along with its agencies is pursuing five overall objectives:

• Protect and restore the natural flows of our rivers and the natural waters of our ponds, lakes, and wetlands.
• Identify and protect future water supplies.
• Protect and restore the water quality of our surface, ground, and coastal waters.
• Provide safe, good tasting, affordable drinking water to the residents of the Commonwealth.
• Accomplish these objectives by building partnerships, building the capacity of others to protect the environment, and undertaking collaborative problem solving and decision making.