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Historic source of water preservation for Boston & area... Also an historic park, formerly boasting magnificent views from Victorian benches. Part of MWRA, the location around the towers has fallen into disrepair, unfortunately. Definitely look up the history! - Kelly

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COMING SOON: Water that Tastes Like Fuel

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COMING SOON: Water that Tastes Like Fuel

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Image from San Diego County Water  Authority

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Look to the right of this graphic. What it shows is treatment facilities purifying wastewater to drinking water quality.
California has an issue with water scarcity. Drought leaves much of southern California with little water. But scientists are working on a way to fix that: Recycling the water that flushes down the drain into drinking water.

All the water on earth is eventually cleaned naturally as part of the water cycle, What wastewater reclamation does is purify that water, just like the water cycle, but much faster, and exceeding standards for drinking water. From there, the water can be put back into reservoirs or directly to people's homes, increasing the amount of water available.

Wastewater reclamation can make cities more sustainable and less dependent on limited—and distant-- sources of water like the Colorado River. Wastewater reclamation has been used successfully on the International Space Station for over a decade.

For more information on Colorado River water rights, click there.

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COMING SOON: Who owns the Colorado River?

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COMING SOON: Who owns the Colorado River?

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This video highlights a key issue of gender equality when it comes to water access: lack of adequate sanitation facilities to attend to menstrual hygiene.

A 2021 report found that only 16% of Senegalese schools had basic sanitation facilities. Without a safe, private toilet, and nearby water and soap to wash hands, menstruating students are left embarrassed and vulnerable. Many students miss school during their period, affecting their education.

By ensuring everyone has access to safe water systems, we can create a more equitable world.

Every May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day. To learn more, click here.

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What do you think of when you hear the words “water crisis?”

It might be climate change, drought, and water scarcity. It might be pollution and water quality concerns. But did war come to mind?

In 2022, Russian troops directed missile strikes at major water supply lines for the city of Mykolaiv. Without safe water from their homes, residents had to travel to distribution sites set up by the city and Red Cross. Nearly a year later, the city is still without potable water coming from the pipes.

Traveling to collect water happens across the world for many reasons. Learn more about water collection by clicking on India.

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Water Access is a Feminist Issue: Collection

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Water Access is a Feminist Issue: Collection

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Who do you see carrying water in this photograph? Who do you NOT see?

A 2018 survey found that 40% of rural households in India didn’t have access to piped water in their homes. In areas where that’s the case, walking to a source and carrying water home is an important daily chore. Unfortunately, the task is not shared evenly among genders. The same survey found that women and girls in India spent an average of 50 minutes a day gathering water for their homes. Men spent just four minutes.

This is a trend across the world in places where people must collect water. Time spent gathering water is time women and girls can’t work, attend school, or otherwise pursue their interests. By investing in infrastructure and ensuring that all people have access to safe water in their homes, we can take a step towards gender equality.

How else might lack of access to water affect gender equality? Check out Senegal for more information.

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John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant, D'Angelo Drive, Marlborough, MA

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As this diagram shows, water goes through many processes to ensure it is safe to drink before it reaches your home. Boston's water is treated at the John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant in Marlborough, MA But there’s one typical process that Boston’s water does NOT go through. So, what doesn’t happen at the Carroll Treatment Plant?

Boston water isn’t filtered. You might be wondering if it’s safe to drink. The answer is that it is some of the safest water in the country.

How does that happen without filtration? The area around the Quabbin reservoir, called its watershed, is largely protected green space, which acts as a sort of natural filter. The water from the Quabbin reaches standards that mean the Environmental Protection Agency excuses them from needing to filter. Only a handful of other cities, including New York City, have drinking water sources that meet this standard.

While Boston’s drinking water isn’t filtered, Cambridge does filter its water. Head over to Cambridge to see what happened when their filters needed replacement in 2022.

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Like Flint Michigan, Newark New Jersey recently had significant issues with lead service pipes contaminating drinking water. Like Flint Michigan, the city is a primarily low-income city with a large community of color. Again in Newark, we can see a clear instance of environmental injustice causing a drinking water crisis.

But Newark spent money and passed laws that made it easier to replace lead pipes with copper, and hired local workers to do it. Newark’s effort to replace lead pipes has been celebrated as some of the fiercest work to combat a city’s drinking water crisis.

Did you know that the 1848 storage reservoir supplying Boston was lined with lead? Check out the Beacon Hill Reservoir to learn more.

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City of Newark Copper Pipe Installation Image

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Lake Cochituate was picked to be the first source of the Boston water system in part because of its purity. While the lake is no longer a drinking water source, it remains a place for all kinds of recreation, like swimming and fishing. In March 2023, however, Massachusetts public health officials warned people not to eat the fish they catch in it. That’s because of elevated levels of PFAS, or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are often called “forever chemicals,” because they don’t biodegrade. Elevated levels of PFAS can cause health problems.

While Lake Cochituate isn’t used for drinking water anymore, PFAS is a threat to drinking water sources. For more information about PFAS in drinking water, see Cambridge, MA.

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Advisory issued for Lake Cochituate fish consumption

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Cambridge Water Department, Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge, MA

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This map, found on the floor of the Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility in Cambridge, shows where the Cambridge water system can connect to the MWRA system that supplies Boston's water. Cambridge does not get its water from the MWRA system.... usually.

In the summer of 2022, water testing revealed elevated levels of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” in the Cambridge drinking water. The filters at Cambridge’s water treatment plant needed to be replaced, but supply chain issues held up materials. Luckily, Cambridge is hooked up to the MWRA system and can purchase water from them in emergencies, like this. Cambridge residents drank Quabbin water from August 2022 until November of that year.

Do you live in Cambridge? Did you notice a change in taste of your water? Comment and let us know!

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This video, taken in 2022, shows a Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) boat skimming dead plants from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. They do that to remove the decaying matter and prevent algae blooms. But why does the MWRA still maintain the Chestnut Hill Reservoir?

The Chestnut Hill Reservoir is no longer used for drinking water...usually. But it is kept as part of the emergency back-up system, and it’s been used pretty recently. In 2010, the reservoir water was sent out to Boston residents when a pipe burst caused the entire city to lose water pressure. Because this water isn’t treated to the full extent that typical drinking water is, people were told to boil their water if they were going to drink it.

To see what happens when a water system doesn’t have the robust emergency system that the MWRA has, see Jackson, Mississippi.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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What do you see? The photos above show the town of Enfield, Massachusetts over time. Enfield was the largest of four towns that were destroyed to build the Quabbin Reservoir. The story of the Quabbin Reservoir is a complicated story.

The Quabbin is a 412 billion gallon reservoir. 41% of the state’s population, including Boston, gets its water from the Quabbin today, and it is enough water to last through several years of drought.

But to build a 412 billion gallon, reservoir, four towns (Dana, Enfield, Prescott, Greenwich) ceased to exist. All their residents were forced to leave due to eminent domain (that means the government bought their homes and made them leave.)  Every structure was knocked down, and they flooded the valley where people had lived.

It is true that the Quabbin was a great project for Boston. But many people had their lives impacted and did not get the benefits of drinking Quabbin water. It’s important that we recognize the sacrifices of many people that allowed Boston to have such a safe supply of drinking water.

Do you have thoughts about the Quabbin? Share them here in the comments.

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Well, I love that dirty water, oh Boston you’re my home.

Today, The Standells song may mean a Red Sox win, but it told the truth about the state of the Charles River in the 1960s. Decades of industrial waste and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) discharges had left the water polluted and unhealthy for people and animals.

While the Charles River was never a source of water for Bostonians (down by the city, it’s too salty), it’s important to protect all waterways. In the end, they’re all connected. The work of the Charles River Watershed Association, founded in 1965, to advocate for the river’s health, has improved the quality of that Dirty Water tremendously.

What are ways you can work to protect the Charles and other local waterways? Share your ideas in the comments.

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This photo shows a rare above ground section of the Cochituate Aqueduct, which brought water to Boston from Lake Cochituate. Originally called Long Pond, this body of water was the first source for the system that came online in 1848. Lake Cochituate supplied Boston in some capacity until 1951.

Check out the Boston Common on this map to see how Bostonians greeted Lake Cochituate water. Or look to the Beacon Hill Reservoir to learn where water from Lake Cochituate ended up. Don’t forget to see our other post on the quality of Lake Cochituate water today.

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Fisher Hill Reservoir Park, Fisher Avenue, Brookline, MA

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Where Did the Water From This Building Go?

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Where Did the Water From This Building Go?

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This photo shows the Fisher Hill Reservoir, which is where the machines in this building pumped to. From the Fisher Hall Reservoir, water could flow to high elevation areas of Boston.  While the reservoir is no longer there, the site is today a Brookline park.

Have you been to Fisher Hill Park? What is your favorite thing to do there? Let us know in the comments.

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Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA

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Welcome! The museum is located in the former Chestnut Hill High Service Station. The job of this building was to pump water to a higher elevation. The station stopped operating in the late 1970's, and we opened as a museum in 2011. Today, we connect the history of our site to current day water issues.

Want more information? Our guided tours happen at 11:15, 12:30, and 2:00pm, except on Saturdays when they run at 10:15, 11:30, and 1:00pm.

Where did the water this station pumped go? Check out the Fisher Hill Reservoir!

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Standing Rock Reservation, Central Corson, SD

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The people in this photograph are Water Protectors, people advocating for safe water access. What were they speaking against?

In 2016, construction began on the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). DAPL was designed to transport crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. In the original plan for the pipeline, it would have crossed over the drinking water source for Bismark, North Dakota. This plan was abandoned because of the fear that a leak could affect the city’s drinking water.

Where was the pipeline moved? To just north of the Standing Rock River Sioux reservation. And if the pipeline failed there? It would affect the tribe’s drinking water. Plus, the construction was going to take place through sacred Sioux sites and burial grounds.  Like many other instances on this map, the choice to locate the DAPL pipeline near an indigenous community is a clear case of environmental racism affecting drinking water safety. While the people of the Standing Rock River Sioux tribe spoke up against this planned pipeline, it was still built.

In many demonstrations, Water Protectors chanted “Mni Wiconi,” which translates to “Water is life.” How can you be a water protector? Share your ideas in the comments.

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Video from Molly Minta, Mississippi Today

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Does this look like water you’d want to shower with? What about drink?

After a complete loss of water pressure to Jackson, Mississippi in August 2022, water gradually returned. But when it did, this is what many people saw coming from the taps. Mississippi state officials issued a boil water notice but told Jackson residents that the water would be perfectly safe to shower with—if they kept their mouths shut.

The Jackson Water Crisis in 2022 was the culmination of decades of neglect to the water system in the city, a clear example of Environmental Injustice. It is not a coincidence that these water issues happen in cities like Flint Michigan, Newark New Jersey, and Jackson Mississippi, which are all lower income communities of color.  The people in power had neglected the health of the people in these communities.

What happened in Boston when there was a lack of water pressure in 2010? Go to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir to find out.

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Jackson Water Molly Minta Mississippi Today

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A Song for the Merry-Making on Water Day

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A Song for the Merry-Making on Water Day

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On October 25th, 1848, a celebration was held at the Boston Common to celebrate the introduction of water from Lake Cochituate. A fountain erupted from Frog Pond, and songs were sung to celebrate the water. Below are some of the lyrics from A Song for the Merry-Making on Water Day:

Cochituate, inspired of late

By something like ambition,
Left its still home to hither roam

Upon a blessed mission:

It passed along with gladsome song,
The meadows smiled to greet it;

And as each day it neared this way,
Our spirits sprang to meet it.

Its journey passed, 'tis here at last,

And hailed with acclamation ;
And every tongue shall swell the song,

Whate'er its rank or station.

The thirsty mart feels through its heart

The mighty current quiver.
Through streets and lanes, in iron veins,

A subterranean river.

Unseen it comes to all our homes.

To cheer the high and lowly ;
Like gifts from heaven, iinknown when given,

But through their influence holy.

Exuberaixt force impels its course,

It rushes wildly onward ;
Its fountain spray darts high away

In jets fantastic sunward.

Hail, hopeful stream ! from thy bright gleam

Our hearts reflect the omen.
That water's want no more will haunt

The thirsty man or woman.

Bostonian's in 1848 were grateful for a waterworks system. Today, we can often take it for granted. Leave some lyrics in the comments expressing your gratitude for the waterworks system.

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Massachusetts State House, Beacon Street, Boston, MA

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Water from Lake Cochituate ended up at this large stone above ground reservoir. See those stone tablets alongside the walls? You can see them outside our building today.

Not so fun fact: the entire reservoir was lined with lead. In 1848, people didn’t know as much about the harmful effects of lead exposure. Lead was a common fixture in many waterworks.

For more information about current water issues with lead exposure, see Flint, Michigan or Newark, New Jersey.

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Photo by Min Tang & Kelsey Pieper for Flintwaterstudy.org

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What do you see? This is an example of a corroded, or worn down, pipe. And unfortunately, pipes like these have caused a lot of drinking water problems in Flint Michigan.

In 2014, the city manager decided to switch the source of Flint’s drinking water. The new water was highly corrosive. Lead had been a common additive in water pipes up until the 1980s, and when that corrosive water traveled through old pipes, those metals leached into the drinking water, causing the water to be brown, and many negative health effects.

At first, the government ignored Flint residents’ concerns about the water. Unfortunately, people in power often invest in infrastructure upgrades unfairly, ignoring communities of color and low-income communities. They also tend to place hazardous and polluting industries in these communities. We call this Environmental Injustice, which is exactly what happened in Flint.

In Flint, environmental justice advocates worked to make sure people knew about the lead crisis, and put pressure on the government to address it. Thanks to the work of activists in Flint, the city had to pay for bottled water and water filters for Flint residents and begin to replace the old pipes.

While there is still much work to be done, activists have continued to make sure people don’t forget about Flint. What is a way you can advocate for safe water? Let us know in the comments.

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Min Tang and Kelsey Pieper Flintwaterstudydotorg

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Image source: Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center

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How Wood You Like Your Water in These Pipes?

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How Wood You Like Your Water in These Pipes?

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This map shows the route of wooden pipes that delivered water from Jamaica Pond to paying customers of the Boston Aqueduct Company, founded in 1795.  This first water system for Boston was expensive, and a luxury that most people could not afford.

Look downstairs to see a wooden pipe like the ones used in this system!