Water, water everywhere…
The other day at work, a person asked me if the water coming out of the water fountain was filtered. I was taken aback for a moment before I remembered that so many places in the world do not have good tasting water even with filtration. Boston, however, is incredibly lucky that our favorite beverage (no it isn’t beer! haha) comes from a special place called the Quabbin.
In recent taste and quality tests, Boston’s water has scored either in the top or as the best in terms of its water. Apparently, the reason why is exactly what you don’t really see in the city: TREES!
“Boston’s secret ingredient? Watershed protection. The Quabbin and Wachusetts reservoirs to Boston’s west are the sources of Boston’s largely pristine water. Standard practice is to treat water contaminants with a cocktail of chemicals in a filtration plant. Conserving the forests around Massachusetts’ reservoirs means that Boston’s water requires only minimal treatment with ozone and ultra-violet, per Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) standards.”
Unique spaces, amazing beauty
Not only is the water delicious and safe, it comes from a very unique place: the Quabbin Reservoir. This is one of the largest man-made water supplies in the United States and was created by destroying. Measuring 39 square miles, it can hold 412 billion (yes, BILLION) gallons of water. Because of its large size, 4 different towns were relocated and wiped off the map. Businesses, homes, roads, railroad lines, and even 34 cemeteries were either moved or destroyed for this project.
One would hope that the source of their drinking water was well taken care of, but the Quabbin is absolutely beautiful. The shoreline is lined with rocks and sand, but because of the protected watershed, there are trees extending almost down to the water. With 181 miles of shore, most of it accessible by foot, there are endless possibilities of spots to sit by the water and write, take photographs, or search for animal tracks.
The rest of the area is chock full of trees, some of which have secrets under them. Not all of the foundations of the buildings were removed – some still exist. Scattered throughout the forest, these spots provide tons of cool places to stomp around and play hide and seek.
There is something for everyone at the reservoir; not only can you hike and bird watch, there are limited opportunities to fish and hunt in season. In the winter, snowshoeing throughout the forest provides a great way to get outdoor exercise in the winter.
Things to Know Before You Go:
- The Quabbin is pack in/pack out. Learn about Leave No Trace practices here
- Do not swim or wade
- Dogs are not welcome in the park, so leave Rover at home
To Get There:
Quabbin Visitors Center
485 Ware Road (Rte. 9)
Belchertown, MA 01007
413-323-7221
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13 thoughts on “Water, water everywhere…”
I’ve lived in MA and NH my whole life and I didn’t know that! I haven’t been there yet- will have to check it out! Thanks for the info!
I knew about the water, but I had never been until late last year. It is really beautiful and is surrounded by some amazing foliage.
Woooow! This made me curious about the taste of their water. Amazing 🙂
This water is delicious 🙂 Hopefully yours is too!
Okay, now I want to come and try the water over there! Haha, it’s so strange how something so simple can taste so different because of the processes it goes through. I know our water over here in the UK can taste different depending on where it’s come from and the different minerals dissolved in the water.
I refused to try the water in Bath after smelling it. So weird what people will do! haha
Come to Massachusetts for the water, stay for the awesome everything else 🙂
412 billon gallons of water? Wow, it’ s even hard to imagine 😉
The area seems beautiful – I guess it is also because of the autumn colours!
The fall colors definitely help. Its also in the middle of the state where there are fewer people so surrounded by hills/mountains and great vistas.
I have no idea how to even conceptualize 1 billion gallons of water…it boggles the mind
The trees really make a whole lot of difference that’s why it is such a shame that people cut them down with abandon. It’s good to know that at Quabbin, the trees are dense and helping in the watershed protection.
Seriously.
Trees are beautiful, provide great shade, give us delicious maple syrup (totally going to a sugar house this spring), AND filter our water? Gold star 🙂
Super interesting, I’d definitely give it a try! It also looks like such a great spot for the snowshoeing like you mentioned!
It would be! There are nice long “roads” behind each of the many gates and those would be a perfect place for a novice to start learning how to snowshoe. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe sometime soon.
I had no idea! thanks for sharing, I learned something! We have extremely delicious water in Boquete, Panama, straight from the mountains and streams. 😉