In our continuing series highlighting drinking water plants that use ozone for water treatment we are travelling to the greater Boston area. The Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) runs the water system for the Boston area.
The MWRA gets its water from the massive Quabbin reservoir. The reservoir which holds a 5 year supply of water is protected by a large area of restricted land that acts as a natural filter.
The water is drained off relatively slowly, so it stays in the reservoir for a long time, which allows sediments to settle and allows the sun’s ultraviolet rays to work on the water to destroy some bacteria.
Then the water flows to a state of the art treatment plant in Marlboro. Over 200 million gallons a day on average come to the Carroll treatment facility where it is treated primarily with ozone. The ozone is generated on site using ozone generators.
Besides disinfecting the water, the ozone also removes naturally occurring organic matter dissolved in the water. When this water gets to the home it’s one of the cleanest and best tasting tap waters in the country.