Upgrading Stormwater Systems Protects Boston’s Drinking Water Supply
In the conclusion of this three-part series, author Carol Brzozowski describes how upgrading stormwater systems and preserving the space surrounding Massachusetts’ Quabbin Reservoir maintain water quality standards for Boston’s primary source of drinking water. The following project description in one of several stormwater management profiles that Brzozowski has previously illustrated in the greater scope of stormwater BMPs.
Stormwater Detention and Treatment (Part 3, Conclusion) By Carol Brzozowski
Quabbin Reservoir
The Quabbin Reservoir is one of the largest manmade public water supplies in the United States and is the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts. The reservoir, built between 1930 and 1939, is the primary drinking water supply to the metropolitan Boston area, servicing nearly 2.2 million people. When full, the Quabbin holds approximately 412 billion gallons of water.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Division of Water Supply Protection has stewardship of about 81,000 acres of protected lands surrounding the reservoir, managing the undeveloped tracts of land to preserve the Quabbin Reservoir’s high water quality.
Stormwater Detention and Treatment (Part 3, Conclusion) By Carol Brzozowski
Quabbin Reservoir The Quabbin Reservoir is one of the largest manmade public water supplies in the United States and is the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts. The reservoir, built between 1930 and 1939, is the primary drinking water supply to the metropolitan Boston area, servicing nearly 2.2 million people. When full, the Quabbin holds approximately 412 billion gallons of water. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Division of Water Supply Protection has stewardship of about 81,000 acres of protected lands surrounding the reservoir, managing the undeveloped tracts of land to preserve the Quabbin Reservoir’s high water quality. [text_ad] The reservoir also serves as a site for passive recreational pursuits for visitors, protected habitat for wildlife, and the preservation of the historical significance of the communities lost during the original creation of the reservoir. The Quabbin Administration Building and Visitor’s Center is staffed and operated approximately 360 days annually, typically serving 60,000 visitors, including students who take in programs on topics connected to drinking water, Quabbin history, watershed management, and wildlife. The administration building also serves as a DCR headquarters facility, housing administrative staff, two 10-stall garages behind the main building for vehicles, maintenance machinery, and work areas for equipment upkeep. A hangar that was originally intended to house amphibious aircraft to patrol the reservoir is now used to store boats and vehicles. In 2012, a need arose to reconstruct deteriorated paved roads and parking areas around the hangar service area. The project also presented an opportunity to make stormwater improvements. A Stormceptor treatment unit, STC 900, was selected by DCR engineers for its high pollutant removal efficiency and small footprint. Its ability to provide oil/water separation and hydrocarbon spill containment was a plus because of the close proximity of the existing outfall to the reservoir. The Stormceptor system is a water-quality-treatment device used to remove total suspended solids and free oil from stormwater runoff. It takes the place of a conventional junction or inlet structure within a storm drain system. It is manufactured with precast concrete components and a fiberglass disc insert in accordance with AASHTO and ASTM standards. The Stormceptor, licensed by Imbrium Systems to Rinker Materials, was manufactured by Rinker Materials’ Concrete Pipe Division in Westfield, MA, and installed by Warner Brothers of Sunderland, MA, under contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The DCR also implemented an emergency shutoff in the downstream piping for extra protection to protect the drinking water supply in the case of a significant accidental spill.The reservoir also serves as a site for passive recreational pursuits for visitors, protected habitat for wildlife, and the preservation of the historical significance of the communities lost during the original creation of the reservoir.
The Quabbin Administration Building and Visitor’s Center is staffed and operated approximately 360 days annually, typically serving 60,000 visitors, including students who take in programs on topics connected to drinking water, Quabbin history, watershed management, and wildlife. The administration building also serves as a DCR headquarters facility, housing administrative staff, two 10-stall garages behind the main building for vehicles, maintenance machinery, and work areas for equipment upkeep. A hangar that was originally intended to house amphibious aircraft to patrol the reservoir is now used to store boats and vehicles.
In 2012, a need arose to reconstruct deteriorated paved roads and parking areas around the hangar service area. The project also presented an opportunity to make stormwater improvements.
A Stormceptor treatment unit, STC 900, was selected by DCR engineers for its high pollutant removal efficiency and small footprint. Its ability to provide oil/water separation and hydrocarbon spill containment was a plus because of the close proximity of the existing outfall to the reservoir.
The Stormceptor system is a water-quality-treatment device used to remove total suspended solids and free oil from stormwater runoff. It takes the place of a conventional junction or inlet structure within a storm drain system. It is manufactured with precast concrete components and a fiberglass disc insert in accordance with AASHTO and ASTM standards. The Stormceptor, licensed by Imbrium Systems to Rinker Materials, was manufactured by Rinker Materials’ Concrete Pipe Division in Westfield, MA, and installed by Warner Brothers of Sunderland, MA, under contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The DCR also implemented an emergency shutoff in the downstream piping for extra protection to protect the drinking water supply in the case of a significant accidental spill.