Water Authority Drops Quabbin Withdrawal Plan

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has abandoned its proposal to draw 20 million more gallons per day from Quabbin Reservoir.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Current Conditions

Wide landscape photograph of a New England reservoir at low water, with exposed pale shoreline banks, still dark water, and forested hills under a cool sky. — The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority dropped its plan on Thursday to draw an additional 20 million gallons daily from Quabbin Reservoir, which sits at four-decade lows. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority dropped plans on Thursday to draw an additional 20 million gallons daily from Quabbin Reservoir. Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, interim executive director of the authority, notified lawmakers and the state Water Resources Commission of the decision.

Why it matters

The proposal, the largest such request in 40 years, drew opposition from residents who already live under watershed restrictions without compensation. Quabbin water levels sit at four-decade lows, making any additional withdrawal a point of concern across the state.

The authority currently draws an average of 200 million gallons daily from the 27,000-acre Quabbin Reservoir, which can release up to 300 million gallons daily without running dry. The withdrawal it dropped would have added 20 million gallons per day, the largest request in 40 years.

The players

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

The state agency that supplies drinking water to much of the Boston metropolitan area from reservoirs including Quabbin.

Stephen Estes-Smargiassi

Interim executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, who notified lawmakers of the decision.

The details

The authority's February proposal to draw additional water from Quabbin drew about 130 residents to a hearing at Belchertown Town Hall at the end of September. The plan did not identify the communities that needed the water or detail any local alternatives.

February: The water authority's proposal to draw additional Quabbin water was made public.
End of September: About 130 residents attended a hearing on the proposal at Belchertown Town Hall.
Thursday: The authority dropped its plan to draw additional Quabbin water.

Seasonal Patterns

The reservoir's drop to four-decade lows places the withdrawal request in the context of the region's most significant low-water period since the 1980s. The request was the largest such ask in 40 years, a benchmark that highlights how sharply current conditions have diverged from the historical norm.

Residents in Massachusetts communities that rely on Quabbin water should monitor updates from the Water Resources Commission on future withdrawal proposals. Households can conserve water during the current low-reservoir period to reduce strain on supply.

The takeaway

The reversal shows that large reservoir withdrawals now face sharper public scrutiny when levels are at historic lows. Communities living under watershed restrictions are asking for clearer answers on who benefits and what alternatives exist before new draws are approved.