Residents of communities that steward the Quabbin Reservoir packed into a board meeting last week [Fri] for the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. The agency is responsible for piping water from the Quabbin to the eastern part of the state, where it serves as a water source for dozens of cities and towns.
The communities that manage the Quabbin say the money they receive from the state to maintain the reservoir pales in comparison to their costs — all while they struggle with a statewide drought and their own budget pressures.
State Rep. Aaron Saunders, D- Belchertown told the board it's time to renegotiate.
"We are protecting this watershed by foregoing any type of economic development. Which is a cornerstone of providing the basics of education, public safety," he said. " it's time for a change, and not an incremental one."
Quabbin communities including Shrewsbury, Belchertown, Orange, and Pelham have all passed resolutions calling for major changes to the the state's payment program, and the establishment of a Quabbin Trust Fund to help them pay for municipal services.
