State grant to help Fall River protect Copicut Reservoir

BOSTON – The Copicut Reservoir was one of several public water suppliers to receive state grants announced Tuesday.

Fall River's Department of Community Utilities will be awarded $200,000 to acquire 16 additional acres of woodland to provide an additional buffer as part of the Copicut Reservoir Watershed Protection Project.

The Baker-Polito Administration on Tuesday awarded $1,119,362 to six Massachusetts public water suppliers through the Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Program. The grant awards, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Division of Conservation Services, enable water suppliers to protect existing or new wells and surface drinking water supply systems, such as reservoirs and other water bodies.

“Supporting local efforts to protect critical water resources ensures that all residents across the Commonwealth have access to safe, clean drinking water,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a press release. “Our Administration is proud to award these grants and work with municipalities protect drinking water supplies and safeguard water systems for years to come.”

The Copicut Reservoir is located in the rural, eastern part of Fall River, south of the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. The reservoir serves as the city's secondary water source, after North Watuppa Pond. Boating and wading are not allowed, but shore fishing is.

Since 2004, the DWSP Grant Program has offered grants to municipal and public water systems to be used for water supply protection and land conservation purposes, such as the acquisition of land, the placing of a conservation restriction, or the assignment of a watershed preservation restriction. Land acquired through the program must be located within existing Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection-approved drinking water supply areas, in estimated protection areas for new sources, or in an area identified through an appropriate planning process as suitable for groundwater recharge to an aquifer. Projects funded under this grant program should also provide appropriate public recreational opportunities to the residents of the Commonwealth.

“This grant program provides local water suppliers the necessary financial resources to protect critical water resources and provide their residents high-quality drinking water,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “By conserving these important natural resources, we can protect both public health and the environment across the Commonwealth.”

“This grant program is essential to ensuring a supply of safe and adequate drinking water for so many communities,” state Rep. Paul A. Schmid III, D-Westport, said in the press release. “By investing in these resources now we are preserving our environment’s natural resources and safeguarding the health of our communities.”

“Protecting our water supply is absolutely vital,” state Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues, D-Westport, said in the press release. “I applaud the administration for granting funds to allow the City of Fall River to protect the Copicut Reservoir, and for their efforts toward ensuring the availability of clean drinking water across the Commonwealth.”

Other 2019 DWSP grant awardees are:

· Amherst Water Department – Kruczek Property: $41,300 grant award to preserve two parcels in the Pelham watershed for water supply protection

· Charlton Water and Sewer Commission – Buffumville Public Water Supply: $61,900 grant award to acquire a 20-acre parcel for the development of a well for the town’s public water supply

· Southampton Water Commission – Pomeroy Meadow Protection Project: $216,162 grant award to preserve 15- acres of forested land to protect the town’s critical drinking water source. This project will also serve as a catalyst for preserving the surrounding 132 acres

· Springfield Water and Sewer Commission – Fontaine Parcel Project: $300,000 grant award to preserve a 527-acre parcel that will protect the water quality in the Cobble Reservoir watershed

· Town of Gosnold – Cuttyhunk Island Wellhead Project: $300,000 grant award to conserve 20-acres of the town’s sole aquifer