Quabbin towns continue press for fair compensation for water stewardship

A portion of the Quabbin watershed that was once part of Pelham features land that today could be ripe for development.

In a small community with limited opportunities for building new housing and pursuing more commercial activity, the need to protect this drinking water supply for Boston means Pelham is losing out on possible new revenue, says Pelham Select Board Chairman Robert Agoglia.

That’s one reason why Pelham officials and those from the 11 other communities in the watershed have said for some time that they are being shortchanged by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the public authority established by the Legislature in 1984 to provide wholesale water and sewer services to both people and more than 5,500 large industrial users in 61 metropolitan Boston communities.

After efforts last year to seek better compensation for communities in the Quabbin for their roles in protecting the watershed were dismissed, these municipal leaders are taking their case directly to the people of eastern Massachusetts in the form of a letter. The hope is that highlighting the benefits water users receive from the Quabbin might serve to push state officials to begin addressing the issue.

“We do know that we and the other towns have lost potential for growth,” Agoglia said. “There’s a variety of commercial uses that can’t happen here because of potential contamination.”

Yet these communities receive no financial compensation from the state and also don’t have access to any of the water from the Quabbin.

Joined by Lexi Dewey, who previously served on the Pelham Planning Board, New Salem Select Board Chairwoman Susan Cloutier and Ellen Anderson, who has chaired Petersham’s Board of Assessors, the authors of the open letter to the people of eastern Massachusetts informs them that while they benefit from the presence of the Quabbin, it is the communities that surround the body of water — created in the 1930s on top of four lost towns — that are paying a price.

In sending the letter as the Quabbin Watershed Stewards, the letter states that “roughly 200 million gallons of pristine, world-class water flow from west to east each day, enabling booming economic growth for upwards of 2.7 million people in the eastern part of Massachusetts. In a world where fresh water has become a threatened resource, the metro Boston area has one of the cleanest and most delicious supplies of water in America — or anywhere.”

It goes on to give a description of the natural environment that has been maintained.

“The reservoir is surrounded by trees, streams and swamps — that keep the water clean and clear in a way that no treatment plant could. The Quabbin region leads the commonwealth in the employment of these nature-based solutions, as well as in the prioritization of land-based ecosystem services and we’re proud of it.”

For Dewey, the purpose of the letter is to get better information to those in power.

“What’s really important is the longstanding and profound disconnect between the eastern and western communities,” Dewey said. “That disconnect is something we need to work on.”

The letter also supports the Quabbin watershed and regional equity bill filed by Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and Rep. Aaron Saunders, D-Ludlow. The bill was reported favorably from the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, and is currently being considered by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. Specifically, the letter appeals for “residents and lawmakers across Massachusetts to stand with the Quabbin communities.”

Last year, a memo was released, titled “Quabbin Watershed Communities Unite: Asking for Respect and Recompense for Their Service” and was sent to Secretary Rebecca Tepper, of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, who also chairs MWRA’s board of directors.

A response to that appeared to be dismissive toward the Quabbin communities. The MWRA Advisory Board doubted the watershed communities’ current work to protect the Quabbin Reservoir while also stating that the towns were sufficiently compensated, and urging MWRA’s directors to oppose the legislation, with the board president writing, “This legislation places a disproportionate financial burden on MWRA ratepayers under the false flag of fairness.”

One of the ideas embedded in the legislation is the Quabbin Trust Fund, which would be created as a way to provide financial support to the towns in the watershed. But it could mean imposing higher costs on the ratepayers for water in Boston and the other communities that get water from the Quabbin.

Comerford posted the latest letter to her website and helped disseminate the communication in other ways, offering full support for its contents.

In an email to the Athol Daily News, Comerford wrote that members of the Quabbin Watershed Stewards “are deeply dedicated and tireless about their stewardship of the region, and hell-bent for regional equity and fair recompense for their ongoing service and sacrifice.”

Another issue for local communities is that water restrictions are often imposed in area cities and towns during dry periods and droughts, with Northampton and Amherst regularly being mandated to do this. Attached to the letter is a photo of the shore of the Quabbin, estimated to be 10 feet below capacity as of Jan. 6, and exposing areas that have been long below the water.

“It would seem fair that when we are under drought conditions, water users should also be taking steps to safeguard the water we are sending east,” the letter reads. “Today, our communities face a deepening water crisis. Western Massachusetts municipalities have been forced to issue water use restrictions to protect dwindling supplies, even as eastern Massachusetts communities continue to receive their full allocation.“

Agoglia said the Conservation Commissions in each community are diligent about protecting wetlands, vegetation and water resources. For Pelham, where almost all residents depend on private wells, there is also protection for three reservoirs that can supply drinking water to Amherst and one reservoir that is a back-up supply for the city of Springfield.

In looking for some degree of recognition, there has been limited dialogue with MWRA, which has one representative from the Connecticut River Valley.

“Voices are not heard and the limited information held by state agencies is outdated, so the status quo continues,” Dewey said.

The letter goes on to state that “in spite of our stewardship and continued sacrifice, we receive a pittance relative to the magnitude and value of our work for the residents of the commonwealth and the economic boon of eastern Massachusetts, made possible by Quabbin water. The cruel irony is inescapable: our people cannot drink the Quabbin water that we protect. Private wells throughout our region are dry or are tainted with PFAS, leaving our residents without reliable access to clean water. Meanwhile, we are often unable to fully fund our schools, police or fire departments, or maintain our roads, bridges, and public buildings.”

Dewey said a lot more work needs to be done. “It’s critical for our voices to be heard, we should be invited to the table,” Dewey said.

There is appreciation for Comerford’s work.

“She has just been incredibly involved and knowledgeable and passionate about this issue,” Agoglia said.

In addition to Comerford, the letter will be shared in other ways and kept at the forefront of discussions. “We hope that it gets fairly widespread distribution,” Agoglia said.