The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has withdrawn its request to transfer 20 million more gallons of water per day from the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoir system, State House News Service reported in a story published Nov. 6 by WBUR. The move followed opposition from communities near the Quabbin and from western and central Massachusetts lawmakers.
Related: Quabbin Water Transfer: Comments Due Oct. 28 as Lawmakers Push MWRA to Withdraw.
What the MWRA said
MWRA Interim Executive Director Stephen Estes-Smargiassi cited “concerns about the analysis and the process surrounding it” in a letter to Vandana Rao, executive director of the state Water Resources Commission, according to WBUR. He wrote, “It is clear that the use of that regulatory option added to confusion and concern, rather than allaying it.”
The authority said it will return to considering the donor basin and receiving communities at the same time under the Interbasin Transfer Act, the letter said. Each community’s application to join the system will include its own donor basin analysis, the letter said, as quoted by WBUR.
The reports differ on the date of the letter. State House News Service described it as a Tuesday letter, in stories carried by WBUR and NBC10 Boston. CommonWealth Beacon reported that Estes-Smargiassi wrote to the commission on Thursday.
Why the request drew opposition
The request would have equaled 10 percent of average annual demand and was by far the largest in the agency’s history, CommonWealth Beacon reported. The authority serves 61 municipalities, mostly in and around Greater Boston, and wanted to meet demand from communities such as Weymouth and Wayland that are looking to join the system, the outlet reported.
The MWRA sought approval of the donor basin side separately, before any receiving basin requests, for the first time in state history, according to CommonWealth Beacon. Critics said the 1983 Interbasin Transfer Act requires a distinct receiving community before a transfer is approved, WBUR reported.
More than 1,000 public comments were submitted on the proposal, an official with the state Office of Water Resources said in a statement Thursday, according to WAMC.
What lawmakers and officials said
Sen. Jo Comerford of Northampton called the decision “a powerful recognition of the significant concerns raised by Quabbin watershed constituents and communities,” according to WBUR. Rep. Aaron Saunders of Belchertown said, “It was the right decision by the MWRA.”
Gov. Maura Healey had urged the agency earlier this year to meet the needs of the watershed communities, CommonWealth Beacon reported. Healey won a second term Tuesday, according to the outlet. Rao said in a statement that the commission had received the withdrawal and would continue to review the comments, WBUR reported.
What happens next
Jonathan Gulliver, the MWRA’s incoming executive director, will take the top job in January, CommonWealth Beacon reported. The letter said he supports “pursuing a more focused submission that addresses the demonstrated needs of the communities currently seeking admission to the MWRA system,” according to WBUR.
The decision does not end the agency’s interest in expansion, CommonWealth Beacon reported. For more, see the Boston News hub and the Massachusetts Election Tracker.
Sources
- WBUR (State House News Service): MWRA drops Quabbin water transfer request in face of local opposition
- CommonWealth Beacon: MWRA pulls largest water transfer request in history after drawing backlash from Quabbin communities
- NBC10 Boston: MWRA drops Quabbin water transfer request
- WAMC: Mass. officials withdraw Quabbin Reservoir withdrawal proposal after public feedback
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