Marcis Kempe, the Director of Operations Support at MWRA as well as a devoted historian, is the author of New England Water Supplies – A Brief History.

This detailed and concise paper, published in the September 2006 Journal of the New England Waterworks Association, reviews the historical development of New England water supplies by delving into the development of water sources over the years including public health issues, the evolution of water quality regulations and water treatment, and the growth of distribution systems and their components.

As Kempe illustrates, the major social, economic, and environmental developments that have occurred since the settlement of New England have had huge impacts and repercussions on the water supply, which stresses the importance of MWRA to safely and effectively provide water and sewer services to its customer communities.