A turn of the faucet is the journey's end for water travelling halfway across Massachusetts to the homes of nearly 2.5 million people and over 5,500 businesses in communities served by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA).

MWRA operates an elaborate system of over 400 miles of water tunnels and distribution mains, which feed another 6,700 miles of water distribution pipes, owned and operated by individual communities. This system is in its sixth decade of service and is in great need of repair. To avert the damage that could be caused by a major break or failure and to provide the missing redundancy that this region needs for basic health and safety, MWRA is building the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel (MWWST).

Constructing this project over the next five years will enable MWRA to upgrade its water transmission system, which was originally designed in the late 19th century, to a 21st century system that will serve Massachusetts residents for decades to come.

THE HULTMAN AQUEDUCT
The Hultman Aqueduct is the backbone of MWRA's water transmission system, delivering water from MWRA's two source reservoirs -the Quabbin and the Wachusett. This surface pipeline stretches 17.8 miles from the western edge of Southborough through the Norumbega Reservoir in the town of Weston to the 1-90/Route 128 intersection on the Newton/Weston line, where it connects to the City Tunnel. Completed in 1940, the Hultman was originally designed to be the first half of a double-barreled water main, but the advent of World War II and decades of under-funding prevented the second half from being built.

As a result, Greater Boston is the only major American metropolitan area to rely on a single water supply conduit to deliver over 85% of its drinking water. Without a backup system in place, routine repairs and proper maintenance work cannot be performed, leaving the Hultman in a steadily deteriorating state. Its structural integrity is diminishing: leaks, aging valves and joints, corroding steel and concrete are just a few of its problems. The older the pipe gets, the greater the possibility of a critical break or failure with serious public health and economic consequences. According to experts, the economic impact of a water supply interruption could be $65 to $100 million per day. Moreover, the risk to public health and public safety could not be measured in monetary terms.

MWWST WILL ANCHOR THE SYSTEM
When complete in 2003, The MWWST will have an increased capacity over the Hultman of up to 450 million gallons per day. The MWWST will link MWRA's reservoirs, water treatment plants and storage facilities to the City Tunnel, local distribution pipes and the people that they serve. The MWWST Project is part of MWRA's Integrated Water Supply Improvement Program (IWSIP). The IWSIP is a system of projects designed to work together to protect source reservoirs and to ensure the safe, reliable treatment and delivery of high-quality drinking water. MWRA developed this program to ensure that the demands of our region's expanding population and technologies, which need pure, safe water to thrive, continue to be met.

The IWSIP begins with increased protection of watersheds and the water quality of source reservoirs - vast natural resources that safely yield approximately 300 million gallons water per day. A new drinking water treatment plant, expected to be complete in 2003, will be built at Walnut Hill in Marlborough. This facility will employ enhanced water treatment technology, able to treat up to 405 million gallons of water, in compliance with state and federal regulations, each day.

This treated water will be sent through the MWWST to customer communities, via the City Tunnel. The MWWST will also carry treated water to two covered distribution storage tanks in Weston. MWRA is building these tanks (in addition to three that will not connect directly to the MWWST) to replace uncovered open distribution reservoirs, which are vulnerable to contamination from airborne pathogens and algae growth. The new storage facilities will allow MWRA to maintain a protected supply of water for summer water peaks and emergency demands (such as fire-fighting flows), without resorting to putting old brick aqueducts into service.

After the MWWST is complete and tested for safety and performance, the Hultman will be taken off line and rehabilitated, providing system redundancy, further strengthening MWRA's capacity to deliver water to residents, businesses, hospitals and industries - even when the MWWST needs to be maintained or repaired.

MWWST LOGISTICS AND SAFETY
The MWWST is a 7-year, $728 million project. Costs include design, construction, inflation and a reserve for contingencies. The tunnel will traverse 5 communities: Framingham, Marlborough, Southborough, Wayland and Weston. It will be excavated through bedrock 200-500 feet below ground, utilizing at least 3 modern tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The first two of the TBMs, built by the Robbins Company, arrived in June, 1997. The third, built by Construction Tunneling Services, joined the project in April, 1998. Each TBM is valued at approximately $7.5 million. In an agreement between MWRA and the town, a Framingham Fire Department deputy chief is stationed at the site full-time to coordinate safety issues, including permits, blasting and tunnel rescue. A tunnel rescue team has been trained and is prepared if an emergency arises. Security is present on a 24 hour-per-day basis.

MWWST CONSTRUCTION: A SYSTEM OF CONNECTIONS
Construction of the MWWST began at Shaft L, Framingham, which is the main construction staging area for the Middle Tunnel Segment. Representing the project's center, Shaft L is located on 27 acres of land that MWRA leases from the New England Sand and Gravel (NESG) Company. At the Middle Tunnel Segment, mining is taking place in two directions, East and West. This segment's headings are called the East Heading and the West Heading.

The East Heading will extend 6.6 miles under Wayland and Weston, where it will connect to the Eastern Tunnel Segment, which will end at Shaft W in Weston. Along the way, the Eastern Tunnel Segment will be connected by two shafts to the new Norumbega Covered Drinking Water Storage Facility. Excavation of Shaft 5A, Weston, is complete. It will serve as the work location for connection of Shaft W to the new Norumbega and Loring Road Covered Drinking Water Storage Facilities.

The West Heading will extend 5.3 miles under Framingham into Southborough where the tunnel will connect at Shaft E. Shaft E is being excavated under the Western Tunnel Segment. The 4.7-mile Western Tunnel Segment will be mined from Shaft E continuing under Southborough to Shaft D in Marlborough. At Shaft D, the MWWST will be connected to the new Walnut Hill Water Treatment Plant. The MWWST and the new treatment plant are planned to be complete in 2003.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
MWRA has established a comprehensive, long-term public participation process for the MWWST Project to inform the public and address community concerns about design and construction activities. Working groups have been formed around three major construction sites in Framingham, Weston and Southborough. Many people with varied interests have participated in the process and their input and involvement have been invaluable.

Public participation has been instrumental in developing Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs), addressing project host communities' environmental and safety concerns. Each MWWST contractor is required to comply with these agreements. As MWRA's MWWST Construction Manager, Stone and Webster employs personnel who help enforce the MOAs by monitoring all construction activities.

Continued coordination between MWRA and working groups will help to resolve any concerns that may arise during MWWST construction. As the project progresses, meetings will be held periodically in each impacted Community. Large public improvement projects and their host communities benefit when citizen interest groups, municipal officials and other interested parties maintain an open, regularly scheduled forum for status updates. This approach facilitates communication at all levels and allows for rapid response to community concerns.

The goal of MWRA's commitment to effective mitigation measures and community agreements is to avoid or minimize any potential adverse impacts to communities or the environment.

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