BELCHERTOWN — Western Massachusetts residents and legislators flooded a state hearing on Wednesday to voice opposition to a plan to withdraw an additional 20 million gallons of water per day from the Quabbin Reservoir, arguing the application violates state water policy.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, a state organization that oversees the use of the Quabbin Reservoir water, withdraws an average of 200 million gallons a day from the reservoir to supply water to 3.1 million people and more than 5,500 businesses in 61 communities in eastern and central Massachusetts.
The MWRA recently applied for state approval to withdraw an additional 10% of water from the Quabbin each day to supply new communities. The authority contends the system can handle the additional demand.
More than 200 people attended the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission’s public hearing at Belchertown Town Hall to push back against this claim. Speakers questioned the fairness of asking communities that surround the reservoir to steward more water withdrawal when there are no requirements on the communities receiving the water or explanation as to why the extra water is needed.
Lawmakers took it a step further. They argued that such a proposal violates the letter and spirit of a 1984 state law that governs the transfer of waters between communities.
“Theoretical capacity is not demonstrated demand, and without demonstrated demand, there is no actual transfer,” said state Rep. Aaron Saunders, D-Belchertown.
Massachusetts regulates all water movement between its 28 water basins through the Interbasin Transfer Act of 1984. The Water Resources Commission enforces this law by reviewing applications to provide and receive water between these basins. The commission has not announced when it will vote on the MWRA application, and public comment remains open until Oct. 7.
To win approval, any “donor,” in this case the MWRA, must prove that further water extraction will not impede current and future needs during both normal and drought conditions. Communities receiving the water must show no other viable water sources and a track record of conservation efforts.
“Our decisions are quite weighty,” Water Resources Commission Chair Vandana Rao said. “They have a lot of conditions, and they describe the thinking of the commission as they come to that decision.”
Saunders argued that the commission cannot adequately evaluate the donor application without understanding the transfer’s purpose and location. He said the law requires the MWRA to identify who will receive the water, but the authority has only stated the water is for future use.
“MWRA is looking for approval for a slush fund,” said Orange resident Jane Peirce. “They want a bank of water that they can just hand out later on without bothering to give you any of the information.”
The Quabbin currently sits at 77.6% capacity, which is considered “below normal” on the MWRA drought plan. The reservoir has hovered in this category throughout 2026, which does not trigger water restrictions for the municipalities receiving it. Many stewarding towns, speakers pointed out, have been under a water ban all summer to preserve not only their own water supplies, but the Quabbin as well.
“Hopefully this is something that you’re aware of with the current drought condition, but we in New Salem are seeing this receding waterline,” New Salem Town Coordinator Emily Hill said, gesturing to an image on display of the Quabbin 12 feet below capacity.
Without a destination, speakers speculated that the water will be used for future growth in eastern Massachusetts. Belchertown Selectboard member Lesa Lessard Pearson noted that Gov. Maura Healey pledged to build 222,000 homes by 2035. The MWRA is currently waiving the $5 million system entrance fee for new member towns until 2027, Hill said.
Stephen Garabedian, a Belchertown resident and hydrologist, said Weymouth is looking to redevelop its former naval base into a 6,500-unit housing development, which Healey supports.
“As a hydrologist, one of the first things you learn is that water flows down,” he said. “Well, the other axiom is that water flows toward money.”
But as water flows away from western Massachusetts, so do the stewarding towns’ chances of economic development. Cheryl Dutton, who serves on the Belchertown Economic Development Industrial Corporation, said water remains a limiting factor in the redevelopment of the former Belchertown State School, but the town cannot pull from the Quabbin Reservoir.
“The MWRA’s proposal points to substantial projected economic growth in the communities that would receive this water over the coming decades,” said state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton. “While the communities surrounding the Quabbin, though beautiful, continue to confront a very different future: chronic population decline, inadequate infrastructure, limited water sewer capacity and a dearth of economic opportunity.”
As Comerford left the podium, her face flushed red and hands shaking, she acknowledged the whispered appreciation from her constituents at the meeting. During a 15-minute break, Comerford noted that none of the commissioners besides Rao attended in person. The commissioners’ lack of presence concerns Comerford, who speculated that the transfer was “a done deal.” But she affirmed that her work would not be over until this ended.
“We’re scrappy out here,” Comerford said. “We fight hard, and they have not even seen one fraction of the fight we’re going to bring.”
