Water Demand Crisis

In Massachusetts, due to high population densities the per capita water availability is less than that of Nevada. MAPC predicts that 52 metro Boston communities will exceed their allowable water withdrawal limits by 2030. As consumers of over 80 million gallons of water a day, communities of Southeastern Massachusetts can’t afford to ignore the issue. Projected population increase in will increase daily water use by 7.8 million gallons a day. Considered the fastest growing region in the state, many communities are looking to increase supply by adding wells and applying for increases to groundwater withdrawal limits. Constructing new water supplies can cost multiple millions, and in most cases only gets a new straw into the “glass”. It does not provide “new” water, but reduces stream flows and critical natural habitats even further. Where will that water come from and what will the impact be on our ground water that is so critical to sustaining surface water flows? The Mattapoisett and Jones Rivers are already stressed and some of the smaller tributaries throughout the region are notably impacted by municipal well water withdrawals.

Developing Budgets for Watersheds

Understanding the impact that water supply withdrawals and the unnatural displacement of water via stormwater and wastewater systems has on the natural hydrology of our watersheds and their aquatic habitats is critical to sustaining the vitality of our aquatic habitats. Generally, it is not sustainable to withdraw water from one location, use it at a second location, and discharge it to a third while throwing away rainfall as polluted stormwater.

Many communities (Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Plymouth) are expecting to expand the capacity of their wastewater systems that discharge water into or adjacent to the ocean and reduces the amount of water recharging the aquifer.

The State Executive Office of Environmental Affairs is conducting a study that will assess the current and potential water supply capacity and water demands in communities throughout the commonwealth. The assessment is intended to provide a framework for long-term public water supply planning and protection of essential ecosystems.

All aquifers are at risk, and of particular concern is the lack of protection for the Plymouth Carver Aquifer, the primary public water supply for seven south coastal communities and second largest aquifer in the sate. A recent study indicated a two-fold increase in water withdrawals from the PCA since 1985, and a USGS study is underway to develop and apply a new ground-water-flow model of the region to evaluate the effects of the future ground water withdrawals on our watersheds. The flow model will be used to delineate areas contributing recharge to supply wells, streams, selected ponds and coastal resources, and will be used to develop water budgets and withdrawal tolerance levels for each watershed in the aquifer based on groundwater boundaries.

Water Conservation Efforts

Setting the Standard

Reducing water demand by investing in water efficiency and conservation efforts will be more cost-effective and environmentally sound than developing a new source. If each of us used 65 gallons of water per day, (in 2004, 232 communities reported a range of 34 to 134 gallons per day per person), and improved the efficiency and effectiveness of our lawn and gardening systems (outdoor use accounts for 50-70% of total household water use) we would be well along our way to finding “new” water. Nineteen metro Boston communities would be able to meet their projected 2030 water needs if they did these two things as well as reduced commercial water use by 10 percent.

Recently, the state incorporated water efficiency and conservation standards into water withdrawal permitting policy. These standards are critical to protecting the natural aquatic resources of each community.

The Water Conservation and Efficiency Standards are on-line at http://www.mass.gov/envir/mwrc/pdf/Conservation_Standards.pdf.

Sustainable Water Withdrawal Permits

All water withdrawal registrations state-wide will expire on January 2008. The reauthorization of these withdrawals presents an opportunity for watershed associations, municipalities, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Environmental Protection to define the hydraulic balance and environmentally sustainable withdrawal levels of watersheds. This will require the commitment of the communities and the people who value are rivers to ensure that this information is included in the water permitting process. Call your state representative and senator and let them know that you support water conservation and water budget criteria in water permits.

Recycling Water

There are many benefits of recycling water applicable to the Southeastern Massachusetts Watersheds. Water reuse provides an increment of supply for growing communities, reduces or eliminates treated wastewater discharges into sensitive waters, decreases the diversion of freshwater from sensitive ecosystems, provides a mechanism for wetlands and aquifer recharge and reduces the need to transport water from expensive distant water suppliers. Most of the water reuse applications allowed in Massachusetts are for commercial water reuse including irrigation of golf courses, landscaping, recharging zone II aquifers in distressed areas or areas with low stream flow, and toilet flushing in commercial properties. Effluent treated to the tertiary level can be used for groundwater recharge in stressed river basins.

DEP has permitted a handful of commercial projects across the state on a case-by-case basis including Gillette Stadium, Wrentham Premium Mall, Bayberry Hills Golf Course in Yarmouth and Indian Pond Estates, in the South Coastal community of Kingston. Kingston, faced with constraints for subsurface disposal, chose to use part of the treated effluent for irrigation at the proposed golf course with the rest going to a leaching field that helps recharge the aquifer. As of this writing, the effluent reuse plan has yet to be implemented.

Changing the Way We Landscape

The rate of water consumption in the summer in suburban communities increases dramatically due to irrigation demands. A Seattle study found that suburban properties consume nearly 16 times more water than traditional urban houses with smaller lawns. EPA estimates one third of all water used by households occupying such large homes is devoted to outdoor activities such as lawn and garden watering. The common misconception that most of the applied water percolates through the soil and recharges the groundwater is completely false. Depending on the irrigation system, 50-75% of the applied water is lost to the atmosphere.

During dry summer months there is almost no recharge and streamflow and recharge are in a delicate balance. In areas with high demand, this balance is offset by water withdrawals causing stream draw down, increased water temperatures, and concentrated pollution. Water usage increases in Southeastern Massachusetts communities nearly doubles in the summer. The Alliance calls for the development irrigation bylaws that: require irrigation systems with soil moisture sensors, limits the size of lawns in new developments, and encourages the use of indigenous plants with less intensive water needs. For more information on sustainable landscaping click go to http://www.nsrwa.org/greenscapes/.

What We Can Do Now

Develop water budgets for sub-watersheds in which habitat needs, water supply capacity availability and water management actions are defined and implemented to protect stream flow. Pass the stream-flow bill that ensures a scientifically sound method for measuring stream-flow.
Develop locally integrated wastewater, water supply and stormwater management plans based on sub-watershed budgets and incorporate such budgets into the WMA and DEP permitting decisions.
Hold communities accountable to water conservation standards that reflect the sustainable capacity of each watershed.
Define the sustainable yield for the Plymouth Carver Aquifer and implement a water use and recharge budget for each community accordingly.
Evaluate feasibility of recycling WWTP effluent for irrigation purposes in development and redevelopment projects and for the irrigation of community golf courses and recreation fields in each community.
Implement Landscaping Bylaws that promote the conservative use of water by defining guidelines for irrigations systems with soil moisture sensors, limiting the size of lawns for developers, and encouraging the use of indigenous plants with less intensive water needs.