The Nation : Water Crisis Declared in Boston Area

Massachusetts environmental officials, citing below-normal rainfall and wasteful habits, declared a water emergency in 44 Boston area communities served by the sprawling Quabbin Reservoir. The declaration requires communities to draft stringent contingency plans that could eventually close carwashes, shut off outdoor fountains and ban lawn watering. The declaration was prompted when water levels fell to about 68% of capacity in the Quabbin Reservoir, a decline attributed to rainfall 20 inches below normal since 1984, combined with aging, leaking distribution pipes and a public attitude that has taken supplies for granted. “For too long, we’ve had an attitude in the commonwealth . . . that water was an infinite resource,” said Metropolitan District Commissioner William Geary, whose agency handles watershed management.