Why conserve water in Massachusetts?

The simple answer: so we have enough when we need it. By conserving water, we minimize those periods when water scarcity is a problem. This ensures there is enough water for our people, wildlife and the environment – now and in the future.

Table of Contents

The Water Cycle and Humans' Impact on It

Natural and impervious cover diagrams EPA

Credit: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. "Protecting Water Quality from Urban Runoff." Document No. EPA 841-F-03-003. 2003.

Water is constantly in motion, moving across the land, through the atmosphere and back down to the ground as rain and snow. It is also stored below our feet as groundwater. This ongoing motion is called the water cycle.  

Human activities impact this natural cycle. As this image shows, buildings, roads and other impervious surfaces lead to more runoff and less water being infiltrated into the soil. It’s important to shift development practices so we can get to a more sustainable system that more closely mimics nature, even in urban areas. 

Six Reasons Water Conservation is Important

six reasons water conservation is important

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