The One Behind The Scenes

Many of us take things for granted and we don't know just how lucky we are. We should have more gratitude for the little things in life that help us more than we know. In Massachusetts, many of us don't have to worry about having clean water or wastewater treatment because the MWRA takes care of it for us. With their help, we can take a shower, use the bathroom, brush our teeth, wash our hands, and even be able to make our dishwashers work without having to worry about how the water comes and leaves our houses. During this time, what they do help us even more than we give them credit for. When they give us clean water, we’re able to wash our hands and wipe down surfaces something essential to help lower the spread of covid. By giving us clean water, they’re practically helping us and the people around us be safe. And many of us have never heard of them even though they’re so vital.

So who are the MWRA? The MWRA stands for Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and they make sure that we all have clean drinking water and/or proper wastewater treatment. Many people overlook the importance in what they do, but you should make sure you don’t too. On their website they said, “MWRA’s mission is to provide reliable cost-effective, high-quality water and sewer services that protect public health, promote environmental stewardship, maintain customer confidence, and support a prosperous economy.” And I for one think they are doing a fantastic job, for they help me with clean drinking water and wastewater treatment. But how do they do it?

Let’s first learn where they get the water for us to quench our thirst. The water we use is drawn from the Quabbin and Wachusett Watersheds and Reservoirs. Fun fact: the Quabbin Reservoir and the Wachusett Reservoir are the 2 largest bodies of water in the state of Massachusetts! The watersheds are filled with water from rain and snow and during the process of the water traveling to the reservoirs, they are naturally filtered. Since the lands around the watersheds are mostly forest and wetlands and haven’t been built on, it helps keep the water clean and clear. And for safety, the streams and the reservoirs are tested very often (over 1600 water samples per month) and are patrolled daily by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Since they’re so well protected, the water is also very high quality. All of these factors ensure that we could get the best possible water!

During these steps, they also generate electric power as the water both enters and leaves the reservoirs. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. They’re providing us drinkable water and making electricity at the same time. When they use natural resources to produce electricity, they aren’t using nonrenewable resources, therefore they are not contributing pollution, a major problem for the whole world. So they’re helping us in so many more ways than just giving us water.