Wachusett Aqueduct
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Wachusett Aqueduct at Northborough |
|
| Official name | Wachusett Aqueduct |
|---|---|
| Begins | Wachusett Reservoir |
| Ends | Weston Reservoir |
| Maintained by | MWRA |
| Length | 9 mi (14.48 km) |
| Conduit height | 11 ft (3.35 m) |
| Conduit width | 12 ft (3.66 m) |
| Capacity | 400 ft³/sec (11.32 m³/sec) |
| Construction began | 1897 |
| Opening date | 1905 |
| Geographical Data | |
| Coordinates | |
The Wachusett Aqueduct carries water from the Wachusett Reservoir to the Weston Reservoir. It is part of the Boston, Massachusetts public water supply system, maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Administration (MWRA).
[edit] Physical Characteristics
Water from the Wachusett Reservoir flows through the Wachusett Aqueduct to the Weston Reservoir. The Wachusett Aqueduct extends from the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton, through Berlin to Northborough, Massachusetts. This 9 mile-long (14.48 km) water system consists of 2 miles (3.22 km) of hard rock tunnel and 7 miles (11.26 km) of 11 ft-high (3.35 m) horseshoe-shaped underground aqueduct constructed of non-reinforced concrete with a brick-lined invert. It is not constructed entirely underground and there are several elevated over crossings.
[edit] Novelty
Until the 1960s, the Wachusett Aqueduct was the main conduit used to deliver water from the Wachusett Reservoir. At that time, it carried 300 million gallons of water each day. The Cosgrove Tunnel replaced it in 1965 at the primary water transmission aqueduct. Because of the construction of the water treatment facility at Walnut Hill, the Cosgrove Tunnel was shut down in 2003 in order to make the large piping connection between the new treatment plant and MWRA’s new MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel. The MetroWest Tunnel extends east 18.6 miles (29.92 km) from Walnut Hill to Weston. During that shutdown, the Wachusett Aqueduct was the primary method of transmission of about 240 million gallons (908 million liters) of water per day. It remains a backup connection to underground storage near the Massachusetts Turnpike in Weston.
[edit] References
- Metropolitan Boston water system history
- Aqueduct over-crossing on State Route 20
- Legal brief by the United States Army Corp of Engineers
- March 19, 2001 start of Wachusetts Aqueduct rehabilitation
- EPA permit to discharge effluent while repairing the Wachusetts Aqueduct
- Some details of the aqueduct’s construction and repair
- Court order and statement of facts about MWRA facilities
