During its annual conference in October, The New England section of the American Water Works Association acclaimed Boston’s tap water as the best tasting in all of New England.
The verdict came after a panel of judges blind-ranked water samples from New England public utility members on a scale of one to five based on clarity, taste, and compliance with federal rules and regulations, said Hillari Wennerstrom, executive director of the association’s New England section.
The nonprofit’s roster encompasses more than 4,300 members who supply about 80 percent of North America’s drinking water.
Where does Boston’s water come from?
Most of the city’s tap water is sourced from the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs in western and central Massachusetts that are managed by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and patrolled by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Rain and snow flow through a constantly expanding network of hundreds of thousands of acres of protected land around the reservoirs, which eventually stream and fill the reservoirs.
Boston’s winter weather allows for a stockpile of snow and ice to build, which slowly melts and helps regenerate a depleted water system, said MWRA Executive Director Fred Laskey.
“If it stopped raining right now, it would take almost six years for the reservoir to drain out,” Laskey said. “That’s a sharp contrast to some of our peers around the country, who, in any kind of warm weather, drop down into a watch zone.”
How is the water treated?
Water from the Quabbin and the Wachusett is transported through aqueducts and tunnels, where it is tested and treated with ozone, chlorine, ultraviolet light, and fluoride, according to federal regulations, and then stored in covered tanks and transported to distribution mains and smaller community pipes, Laskey said.
Ozone disinfects the water and kills bacteria, improving clarity and taste. UV light renders any pathogens non-infectious. A chlorine and ammonia compound serves as a mild, long-lasting disinfectant. Fluoride is added for dental health. Water is tested throughout the distribution process for lead and contamination.
How does the water get to Boston clients?
The MWRA’s largest partner, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, handles and distributes water from the reservoirs as soon as it hits Boston’s border, said spokesperson Stephen Mulloney.
The BWSC operates 1,100 miles of water pipe and 1,100 miles of sewer pipe, serving around 87,000 accounts and more than a million people throughout the city, Mulloney said. Thousands of miles of storm drains handle rain and runoff.
The commission maintains pipes, addresses main breaks, and resolves quality issues – such as cloudy water from sediment– among other things, like general customer service.
“There are pipes under Boston that date back to the mid-1800s,” Mulloney said. “We’re very attentive to that…and since 1977 we have replaced hundreds of miles of water pipe.
What is the “Best Taste” award?
The New England “Best Taste” award is a regional precursor to the American Water Works Association’s annual “Best of the Best” taste and “People’s Choice” awards, which involve public water utilities from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Mulloney said the sample used in the NEAWWA taste test was taken from the home of one of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission’s engineers, which, considering its success, may be used again during the national conference in Washington, D.C., next June.
The city won its first national “Best of the Best” taste test award in 2014, and has since won more than 20 regional and national awards for taste, customer satisfaction, and engineering excellence.
“People can rest assured that the water that comes out of the tap is
of the finest quality,” Mulloney said. “We feel that any tap in Boston would match that taste test champion.”
What determines the tastiest water?
It’s difficult to determine what exactly makes one water source seem to taste better than another. Laskey said that pure reservoirs and a combination of ozone and ultraviolet light make for a good taste. Mulloney agreed that a protected source and less intensive industrial treatment make Boston’s water the best.
“There’s a lot that goes into producing quality drinking water,” Wennerstrom said. “It’s not just a matter of pumping water out of the ground. For all intents and purposes, it’s kind of bragging rights.”
This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.