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 Water for the Commonwealth

 Clean, fresh water is a critical resource for the Commonwealth.  Our rivers and streams provide a source of drinking water for 6 million people. They are an economic resource for residents and tourists, bringing in $1.5 billion per year of revenue. Their waters and banks support a unique ecology with more than 100 endangered species critical to the long-term environmental health in the Commonwealth.

 We know that rivers and streams need to have water flowing through them. Since 1986, the Water Management Act has intended to ensure there is enough for all our current and future needs.

 A canary in the coal mine

 Unfortunately, today our fresh water supplies are threatened.  Unwise development, suburban sprawl and global warming all cause decreasing water levels in our rivers and streams. The Ipswich River dries up nearly every August. This increasing pressure from development has steadily eroded the standards that ensure a healthy supply of clean, fresh water. With 44 communities facing shortages to their drinking water supply by 2020, according to Metropolitan Area Planning Council, we must be proactive in our solutions. As rivers run dry, so will our drinking supply.

 Protecting and conserving our water resources

 We need to manage our water use while sustaining the amount of water our rivers and streams need to stay healthy and protect future supply. The Sustainable Water Resources Act (HB 834) establishes a process to develop science-based standards for how much water should be left in our rivers. We need to use the water we do withdrawal as wisely as possible. The act allows towns to establish a fund to be used to use water more efficiently, buffer wastewater systems, and invest in greener water infrastructure. Finally, it allows dam owners to include dam removal as an option for dealing with obsolete dams. Without a management plan for how to maintain the health of our freshwater resources, water will be in short supply.

 Groups working to pass the Sustainable Water Resources Act:

 Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Charles River Watershed Association, Clean Water Action, Conservation Law Foundation, Eel River Watershed Association, Environment Massachusetts, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Essex County Greenbelt Association, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Jones River Watershed Association, Mass Audubon, Mass Association of Conservation Commissions, Mass League of Environmental Voters, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, Merrimack River Watershed Council, Nashua River Watershed Association, The Nature Conservancy, Neponset River Watershed Association, Organization for the Assabet River, Parker River Clean Water Association, Save the Bay, Taunton River Watershed Alliance, Trout Unlimited, The Wildlands Trust.