Baker-Polito Administration Awards $900,000 for
Drinking Water Supply Protection
BOSTON – April 19, 2017 – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced almost $900,000 in grant awards to five Massachusetts public water suppliers through the Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Program (DWSP). The grant awards, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Division of Conservation Services, will enable water suppliers to protect existing or new wells and surface drinking water supply systems, such as reservoirs and other water bodies.
“State government and our local water suppliers working together to ensure safe drinking water is readily available across Commonwealth is incredibly important,”said Governor Charlie Baker. “These 2017 Drinking Water Supply Protection Grants will deliver the necessary financial resources to allow water suppliers to continue to distribute high quality water to the public.”
“Maintaining strong partnerships with municipalities and water suppliers will help protect the Commonwealth’s drinking water,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Preventing harmful pollutants from entering public drinking water supplies is paramount, and the 2017 Drinking Water Supply Protection Grants awarded to these five projects will allow the water systems to be further safeguarded for years to come.”
Since 2004, the DWSP Grant Program has offered grants to municipal and public water systems to be used for water supply protection and land conservation purposes, such as the acquisition of land, the placing of a conservation restriction, or the assignment of a watershed preservation restriction. Land acquired through the program must be located within existing Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection-approved drinking water supply areas, in estimated protection areas for new sources, or in an area identified through an appropriate planning process as suitable for groundwater recharge to an aquifer. Projects funded under this grant program should also provide appropriate public recreational opportunities to the residents of the Commonwealth.
“Land conservation continues to be an effective and beneficial water protection practice that not only safeguards drinking water systems, but also provides unique recreational opportunities for the public to enjoy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The Baker-Polito Administration is proud to provide these vital grants, and will continue to identify solutions that further ensure our public drinking water is safe for consumption.”
The Fiscal Year 2017 DWSP grant awardees are:
· Fitchburg Water Division - Northern Watershed: $162,550 grant award to protect four tracts of land abutting tributaries to the Fitchburg Reservoir in Ashby.
· Marion Department of Public Works – Branch Brook Project: $230,000 grant award to protect 146 acres of Zone II land, which contributes to a drinking water source for five towns and contains riparian wetlands, and habitat of the Eastern Box Turtle.
· Marshfield Department of Public Works – Furnace Brook Well Protection:$106,625 grant award to protect two abutting parcels that have open fields, forest, and wetlands located in the zone of contribution to the Furnace Brook Well in Marshfield.
· Southampton Water Commission - Cook-County Property: $350,000 grant award to conserve 16 acres of forest and farmland in the Barnes Aquifer watershed, which serves as a drinking water source for both Southampton and Easthampton.
· South Deerfield Water Supply District – Conway and Whately Glen Reservoirs: $50,000 grant award to preserve 15 acres of Zone-B land within the Conway and Whately Glen Reservoirs’ watershed.
“I thank the Baker-Polito Administration for supporting local efforts to preserve and protect high-quality water sources like the Barnes Aquifier, which provides potable water to thousands of residents in my district,” said State Senator Don Humason (R-Westfield).
“I want to thank the Baker-Polito Administration and Secretary Matthew Beaton for this significant grant to protect important drinking water resources in Southampton,”said State Representative Peter Kocot (D-Northampton). “They have been great government partners, and have consistently worked with my communities to deliver state resources to help complete important local projects.”
“The water supply of our state is precious and must be protected,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton). “Our communities deserve the healthiest water and the most robust safeguards. I commend local officials in Marion for their hard work in securing these funds. Massachusetts will always be dedicated to the public health of our communities.”
“This additional restricted acreage is crucial to protecting our aquifers and reservoirs, and I want to commend the Administration and each of the applicants for their work in advancing the program,” said State Representative Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett).
For more information regarding the program, please visit EEA’s Division of Conservation Services’ Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Program webpage.
