The Challenge
Water service area data are fundamental to understanding and managing water-related risks. However, for a long time, Massachusetts lacked boundary data that described the sources of public drinking water sources or publicly owned (sewer) treatment. The data developed by the MassDEP’s Water Utility Resilience Program facilitates the development of high-quality maps, and the soon-to-be-published water and sewer service area data layers that will serve as a foundation for understanding water utility services across the Commonwealth. The data will advance the Department’s work in emergency management and preparedness, climate resilience, and exposure assessment as the data will enhance efforts to assess system vulnerability, plan for drought, and plan for critical service needs resulting from climate change or population growth.
Project Scope
The Water Utility Resilience Program Mapping Project (WURP) project focuses on mapping service areas for public water systems (PWS), publicly-owned treatment works (POTW), and groundwater discharge permit facilities (GWDP). With this funding, the objective is to continue mapping water service areas for which we do not have information, update/maintain existing service area data, and to improve the overall quality of the data. To complete this work, we have contracted with the U.S. Geological Survey who will make edits to service area polygons based on information collected by MassDEP staff. Additionally, the USGS will refine existing polygon data, which will enhance the data usability. Additionally, we will work with USGS to improve the PWS interconnections dataset, which can be used for climate planning and assessing water needs during drought conditions.
Metrics
Project success will be measured as follows:
Process
- Number of water utilities who confirm the accuracy of their data for Community PWS, Non-Transient Non-Community PWS, POTW, GWDP, and interconnections
Outcome
- Number of people accessing the data over time
- Use of data in grant applications, research projects, and local, state, or federal regulatory and non-regulatory uses
Results
There is on-going work to use the data to evaluate the location of private wells (homes or businesses with no PWS service area). The data could also be used to anticipate the location of septic systems (homes or businesses with no sewer collections system) and to contribute to an understanding of how we can protect water resources from water pollution in the future, including impacts of septic systems to water quality. The service area data will also be used to evaluate and train EPA models designed to predict service areas across the country.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Data literacy and access continue to be a challenge with regards to data products. We have taken steps to increase data usability by building a dashboard for MassDEP staff. Although we received feedback during the dashboard development process, continued stakeholder engagement is necessary to ensure that the dashboard and the data product meet the needs of the users.
Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions
Urgent Priority Impact: Damage to Inland Buildings. Action Topic 1: Reducing flood risk and supporting equitable restoration projects with communities: The service area maps can serve as a foundation for understanding where public drinking and sewer services exists, and those who may be impacted due to lack of services. Overlaying the EJ data can help direct resources to EJ and priority populations.
Priority Impact: Reduction in Clean Water Supply ACTION 19d: Develop a statewide database and dashboard of water resources data and ACTION 19e: Ensure resilient current and future water supplies: The current WURP dataset is a standalone dataset that will contribute to ensure clean water supply. The WURP dashboard can serve as a prototype for a future dashboard for water resources and provide an of understanding resiliency needs for water utilities.
Further Action
As we continue to experience population growth and construction, an understanding of water utility services is necessary to assess and plan for climate adaptation and water use needs. The service area data serve as a basis for this work. Continued maintenance of these data are necessary to meet forecasting, planning, and research needs in the future.
Additional Information and Resources
The WURP Drinking Water Service Areas Dashboard is available to MassDEP staff only.