Take Action

Like newspaper and plastics, water can be safely and cheaply recycled after it has been used. Just as the recycling movement began with ordinary citizens convincing their municipal officials to act, you can help build a “Keeping Water Local” initiative that would make a huge difference. BUT HOW DO WE AS CITIZENS DO THIS? IS THERE LEGISLATION, OR DO WE WRITE/TALK TO OUR MUNICIPAL REPS? WHAT IS WAA DOING IN THIS REGARD?

1) Treat wastewater locally and discharge it back to the ground or to surface water upstream of the water supply wells or reservoirs it came from. New public wastewater treatment plants, and those wishing to expand their capacity, should be required to discharge their treated “effluent” strategically so that it replenishes water supplies and adds to stream flows. Sewers leading to large, centralized treatment plants should rarely be extended. A better alternative is “spot sewering,” where wastewater from malls, office parks or entire neighborhoods is sent via small sewers to a nearby “package treatment plant” for local disposal. For homes, wastewater can also be safely treated and returned to the aquifer by using well-maintained septic systems (assuming adequate yard size and proper soil conditions); in the long term it’s usually much cheaper than paying sewer bills.

2) Recycle wastewater for additional uses. Treated wastewater — particularly “greywater” from showers and sinks — can also be used to irrigate lawns and plants or as “cooling water” in air conditioning systems. Even wastewater from urinals in large buildings can be cleaned and used again (as it is at Gillette Stadium and at the Wrentham Mall, among many others).

3) Encourage local officials to fix infiltration of groundwater and inflow of rainwater into old sewer pipes. Infiltration is groundwater that enters a sewer system through cracked, crushed or leaky pipes, joints and manholes. Inflow is rain or surface water that enters the sewer system, generally through illegal connection of things like sump pumps and roof drains. Infiltration and inflow (known as “I/I”) not only steal huge amounts of water from water supplies and waterways, it reduces sewers’ carrying capacity so that in big rainstorms raw sewage may spill out into streets, lawns, basements and waterways. People living in communities with I/I also pay far more than they need to in sewer bills.

Once a natural area is paved or a building is put up, 16 times as much rain runs off into rivers and streams, causing a rapid storm surge and sometimes flooding, instead of gradual replenishment (“recharge”) of groundwater. If adequately recharged, groundwater is slowly but steadily released into rivers and streams over the course of the year. During dry periods, the entire flow of a river may be from groundwater.

waterquality1

Many watershed associations are working to get towns and cities to adopt strong stormwater management bylaws (either as a state requirement or as a local option) and you can help them do this in your town! Talk to your local watershed association about what is happening in your community. Here are the efforts you can ask about:

Encouraging Low Impact Development (LID) and other “Smart Growth” techniques that emphasize.
1) minimizing impervious surfaces such as road widths;
2) keeping natural drainage contours instead of leveling a site before construction;
3) making impervious surfaces drain onto adjacent ground and not into storm sewers;
4) “clustering” houses to maximize natural areas on building lots; and
5) directing stormwater to small water quality treatment areas such as rain gardens located throughout the property. And LID almost always costs less so developers actually like it!

Towns need to:

1) Adopt a municipal stormwater bylaw that applies DEP’s wetland stormwater treatment and groundwater recharge requirements to non-wetland areas (uplands).
2) Amend any existing municipal zoning and other bylaws which discourage Low Impact Development. For example, some towns require unnecessarily wide subdivision roads, mandate connections to storm sewers, ban “cluster” zoning” or treat stormwater treatment swales as “structures” that must be set far back from property lines.
3) Regularly inspect locally permitted projects to make sure stormwater systems are properly operated and maintained. “O&M” should be part of every local stormwater permit.
4) Be sure local rules make redevelopment projects improve currently inadequate stormwater treatment to the maximum extent possible.
5) Establish a “Stormwater Utility,” placing a fee on new development and redevelopment projects to fund munipal stormwater upgrades that will offset the additional stormwater coming from the new development.
6) For existing development: In areas like southeastern Mass that are already fairly densely developed, regulating only new development (and then only if it is located in or near a wetland or floodplain) is not going to get us the groundwater recharge or pollution reduction we need. Requiring proper management of stormwater from existing developments places the costs of stormwater treatment on those who are primarily responsible for it. It also reduces municipal (and thus taxpayer) costs if stormwater from private development is treated before being discharged into municipal storm sewers which must comply with federal water pollution requirements.
7) Require existing malls, stadiums and other sites with lots of paved surfaces to upgrade currently inadequate stormwater systems.
8) Make existing developments properly operate and maintain stormwater management systems.
9) Have adequate funding for their DPW to properly manage stormwater from municipal storm sewers.

As the fastest growing region in the state, demand for water can only increase. PLEASE PROVIDE INFO/STATS ON LACK OF WATER - E.G., WATER LEVELS REDUCED BY X%?... THIS, COMBINED WITH A POPULATION GROWING AT X%, PLUS INCREASED DEMAND...

Constructing new wells and treatment plants can cost multiple millions, and in most cases only means putting another straw in the same underground “aquifers” that are already running dry. More pumping does not provide “new” water, but it further reduces stream flows and harms critical natural habitats. Reducing water demand by increasing water efficiency and eliminating waste will cost far less and be more environmentally sound.

There are actions we can all take to help maintain our drinking water supplies and ensure that rivers, streams and ponds have enough water for fish, wildlife and boating.

EXPLAIN WAA'S ROLE IN THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS...

Nearly all our communities are now placing restrictions on outdoor watering in the summer.

The state is being asked to require strict outdoor lawn watering restrictions (odd/even watering is practically useless) whenever streams and ponds are unnaturally low. Towns can do this themselves through adoption of an ordinance. Talk to your local watershed association to find out if they are doing this.
Many towns discourage wasteful water use by making people pay more for excessive water use. The Town of Sharon, for example, charges four times as much for excessive water used in the summer than it charges average homeowners with moderate water use. Talk to your local watershed association to find out if this is an initiative in your region.
Many towns also give rebates for purchasing water-efficient appliances. Talk to your local watershed association and find out whether your town does this.
Twenty-year state permits for water suppliers in southeastern Mass come up for renewal in 2010, which presents watershed associations with a unique opportunity to demand stronger water conservation efforts. Please join their effort.

Towns need to:

Our Mission

Watershed Action Alliance Organizations