Water Restrictions Not In Belmont's Future

Despite the extremely wet spring this year, the wave of heat and dry weather has created what is becoming a summer tradition in many locations in eastern Massachusetts: municipal-imposed water restrictions or outright bans of outdoor water use.

As of last week, nearly 60 towns and cities are under bans for the foreseeable future.

As rivers and wells begin to dry out, communities such as Weston, Lincoln and Reading are telling residents to shut off their outdoor faucets and pull in their hoses.

In Chelmsford and Wellesley, the water bans are leaving lawns the color of wheat and have burned delicate annuals in their beds.

It appears to be a dreary summer for gardening and simple outdoor water use.

That is, unless you live in Belmont and the 59 other communities that have become partners with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

As water sources dwindle in other locales, until just a few weeks ago, the main source of Belmont's drinking and gardening water, the Wachusett Reservoir "was spilling over its banks," said Ria Convery, MWRA spokeswoman.

Unlike communities that rely on a finite number of well or a river as their primary source which tend to rapidly deplete during relatively moderate dry spells and during heat waves, the MWRA has an embarrassment of riches when it come to water, according to Convery.

Today, the system that includes the 412 billion gallon capacity Quabbin Reservoir and the 650 million gallon Wachusett is at 95 percent capacity, well above any worries of rationing.

"Put simply, that's a lot of water," Covery noted.

In fact, it will take an extended drought of upwards of five years without much measurable rainfall before the Authority calculates wide spread water rationing for the 50 communities.

"But we do have plans in place and have used them," said Convery.

The overwhelming capacity in the MWRA system is both a natural asset – the water is continuously replenished – and the combination of changing social and personal behavior.

Convery said that over the past 20 years, the combination of extensive personal conservation – educating customer and providing them with easy-to-use devises such as low flow washers and shower heads – a change in state plumbing law that mandated water conservation systems and raising the cost of water – the MWRA premium is as much as 25 percent in comparison to towns not on the system - has dramatically reduced water usage in the MWRA system.

"Just the cost alone has helped," said Convery. "I remember when people would wash their driveways with a spray hose in the afternoon. I bet you don't see that today in Belmont."

Twenty years ago, the system was using 340 million gallons of water a day; today, that amount is 196 million gallons. 

And the MWRA conservation mandates and federal and state environmental laws will require Belmont to revise its water and sewer rates so that people who use the services more will pay an increased share.

the average homeowner would pay $22 more each quarter in their water and sewer bills; a $115 increase a quarter for homes using a larger-than-normal amount of irrigation; and approximately an additional $44,000 a year for McLean Hospital.

"The bottom line is that Belmont is not looking at any rationing like some of towns close by because the system is geared to conserving and keeping what we have," said Convery.

"That is unless someone can tell me when the next 10 year drought is about to come."