On Monday, Massachusetts announced it awarded more than $420,000 in grants to help 13 communities with water system interconnection and water mitigation projects.
The grants are part of the Water Management Act (WMA) Grant Program, an effort by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to maintain healthy rivers and streams and improve degraded water resources over time.
The funding will aid the City of Leominster, the Towns of Auburn, Avon, Hadley, Littleton and Westford, and a consortium of seven Ipswich River Basin communities.
“The effects of climate change are impacting our environment and our local communities, making conservation and protection of our water resources vital to the well-being of cities and towns across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These grants will help our local partners to implement projects that will protect water quality, mitigate the impacts of water withdrawal, and better prepare for Massachusetts’ future needs.”
The WMA Grant Program, now in its ninth year, helps water suppliers by providing grants for watershed planning projects, demand management, and minimization and mitigation activities for water withdrawal impacts. The program guides water management for both the long-term water needs of communities and the protection of the aquatic ecosystems.
“The Water Management Act program ensures that local communities have ample water to meet their health and safety needs, while carefully balancing the needs of the local environment,” said EEA Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “These grants will also leverage an additional $130,000 in project work, bringing the total expenditure to more than $550,000, increasing the positive environmental impact from these key local projects.”
“As we continue to experience the impacts of climate change on our natural resources, these grants provide practical help to local communities and water suppliers,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “This funding will support projects that help improve the ecological condition of local watersheds and reduce demands on local water systems well into the future.”
The following communities and water suppliers were awarded WMA funds:
- Auburn Water District – $70,676
The grant will be used to conduct a rate study and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) integration for implementation of a proposed water interconnection with Worcester. - Town of Avon – $44,200
The grant will be used for meter reading hardware and software. - Town of Hadley – $69,950
The grant will be used for an alternative source study for the rehabilitation of the Mt. Warner Wells. - Town of Hamilton – $107,615
The grant will be used for regional evaluation to improve water supply resiliency within the Lower Ipswich River Watershed (involving Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Topsfield, Essex, the Salem-Beverly Water Board, and the Ipswich River Watershed Association). - City of Leominster – $80,832
The grant will be used for planning and preparation for a Leominster-Clinton-Sterling-Lancaster Regional Water Interconnection. - Towns of Westford and Littleton – $47,304
The grant will be used for the continuation of the Stonybrook Restoration Project.
