About MRVWSPAC
We Started Over Forty Years Ago
Back in 1980, worrying about having enough water for the four towns from our aquifer for the near and distant future, concerned officials took action with help from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). Together, we created a committee with a common goal – to protect the Mattapoisett River and its watershed.
We Were the First in the Commonwealth!
We’re proud our advisory committee was the first in the Commonwealth, joining four towns together to protect our common water supply. We formalized the committee’s function with a set of by-laws to govern its activities, jurisdiction and duties. Next, we had special legislation enacted in 1983 (Chapter 407), ensuring our committee would play an ongoing role in monitoring, measuring and protecting the health of the watershed for the future.
For forty plus years, through water resource planning, conservation actions, public education and keen oversight, we have met this critical goal!
How We Operate – one penny per one hundred
While we receive a number of state and federal grants, that is not a stable source for funding our work. So we came up with a better way.
For as little as one penny per one hundred gallons pumped from the Mattapoisett River Valley, we fund the bulk of our committee’s work, each town funding its proper share based on usage. The monies are collected into a “Water Supply Protection Fund” and can only be used for activities to protect the watershed such as land or easement purchases, engineering or other studies, public education purposes and water conservation programs and plans.
What We Do
The prevention of adverse impacts to our aquifer is our first priority because preventing a problem from happening avoids damaging our watershed in ways that could be difficult, or worse, even impossible to reverse. We do this by reviewing new development projects for each town’s planning board, looking for potential water impacts and insuring storm water and wastewater are properly handled. Our committee also identifies and purchases available land parcels that are critical for the protection of wells within the watershed.
We hire engineers and scientists to conduct appropriate studies to ensure our current water supply is maintained at optimal levels, their testing:
- Measures both ground water and surface water
- Monitors what farmers and other businesses draw down
- Ensures there is adequate supply for fire protection
From an environmental standpoint, we make sure the Mattapoisett River is clean because a number of mammals, birds and fish species depend on it.
Photo credit: John Phelan
Another initiative is educating the public, creating programs about water conservation and best practices, developing teaching materials and getting the message out:
When it comes to water: Conservation Works!
Our Mission Unites Four Communities for a Single Purpose:
To ensure there is a safe and abundant supply of drinking water for generations to come.
