Mass. Lawmakers Urge MWRA to Withdraw Quabbin Water Transfer Request

Four regional Massachusetts lawmakers are pushing the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to withdraw its pending application to transfer 20 million more gallons of water per day from the Quabbin and Wachusett system, citing fierce public opposition and legal inconsistencies in the proposal, the Boston Herald reported.

Massachusetts Lawmakers Demand MWRA Pull Transfer Application

The temperature in western and north central Massachusetts is red hot over the utility’s expansion request, according to Northampton Sen. Jo Comerford. Comerford joined Sen. Jake Oliveira of Ludlow and Reps. Aaron Saunders of Belchertown and Susannah Whipps of Athol in sending an Oct. 21 letter to the MWRA demanding the agency pull the plug on the transfer application.

The legislative push escalates regional resistance beyond previous efforts. Lawmakers argue the stakes require every possible action to prevent the approval from moving forward. The agency has stated it is still mulling over the application.

Critics point out that no named party, city, or town is currently waiting on the water as part of the pending application.

Legal Hurdles Under the Interbasin Transfer Act

At the center of the dispute is the 1983 Interbasin Transfer Act. Lawmakers reiterated in their correspondence that the MWRA proposal violates the statute. Critics maintain that the law demands a distinct receiving community before any large-scale transfer receives authorization.

The current proposal would greenlight a massive volume of transferable water before matching it with approved transfer locations. Comerford argues that the Water Resources Commission should heed public outrage and recognize that rejecting or withdrawing the application harms no one, given the lack of a waiting receiving municipality.

Next Steps for the MWRA

The MWRA has not yet issued a formal timeline for its decision on whether to withdraw the application or proceed with the controversial review process. Regional stakeholders and municipal leaders continue to monitor the agency’s next moves as public pressure mounts across the affected counties.