2004 Writing Contest Winners
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

This year's writing contest topic was "How the MWRA Impacts Me."

Check out our 2004 Poster Contest Winners

Grades 3-5 First Place
Abigail O’Laughlin, Grade 5
Galvin M.S., Wakefield, MA
Mrs. Hogan, teacher

"How the MWRA Impacts Me!"

Did you ever stop to think,
what makes our water safe to drink?

Or how we use it in the shower,
ever at the, dinner hour

Water comes and water goes,
through pipes and sewers, I suppose

It is stored in tanks, fresh and clean,
with pumping stations, in between

I read about a new treatment plant,
for quality and protection

So no more taste of chlorine,
and no chances of infection

Preserving the land along the water,
where birds and wildlife stay

Must be done by someone,
each and everyday

For all of this to happen,
I really have to say
"All my thanks to everyone,
at the MWRA!"

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Grades 3-5 Second Place
Sinead Sinnott, Grade 5
St. Mary of the Hills School, Milton
Kelly Welch, teacher
Andrea Tavaska, principal

A Gap

What do you think of when you hear the word gap? Most of the time, when you first hear it, you think of a space between your teeth, or the store, The Gap. Those are thing that pop into my mind, too. There are other gaps too. One of the gaps is how there would be a gap in our lives if the didn’t have clean water. What would we do if all we had was mud to wash our hands, rusty water to take a shower, and salt water in our ice cubes. We would have awful hygiene.

Well, that might be what life would be like if we didn’t have the MWRA to clean our water for us. The MWRA has impacted me in so many ways. They always treat the water carefully so I don’t get sick if I drink the water. There are a lot of countries that don’t have someone to clean their water for them. Those countries probably have many people that get sick commonly. I have a dog named Holly. She is like a lot of dogs. She drinks out of the toilet. If there was no clean water in the toilet, something bad might have happened to her my now. She is really special to me, and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her.

What would everyone do if we didn’t have water to cook with. We wouldn’t be able to defrost food, cook pasta, make soup when you are sick, and worst of all, not be able to make cookies with the cookie mix! I don’t think I could live that way.

As you may know, there are so many uses for water. People take if for granted. I might not be alive if we didn’t have clean water form the MWRA. I never realized what life would be like without clean water until I did this essay. It made me think that if we didn’t have clean water there would be something missing… a hole, a space… a gap.

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Grade 3-5, Third Place
Tim Gailius, Grade 5
St. Mary of the Hills School, Milton
Kelly Welch, teacher
Andrea Tavaska, principal

Water...a Valuable Resource

Imagine a world without clean, running water! Some people think water is free, but that isn’t true. Many people have to work so that we can have water in our homes. Even though I live in Milton, the water that comes into my home comes all the way from the Quabbin Reservoir on the other side of the state. Bringing the water from the Quabbin Reservoir to my house is one of the many things the MWRA does for me.

In the early 20th century, there were four towns in a valley near the Swift River in western Massachusetts. The growing population in Boston needed to get more water. They decided to destroy the towns to make a reservoir. This decision was difficult because people had to leave their homes and businesses. Even the people who were buried in the area had to be dug up and reburied in other graves. However, I benefit today from this decision, because if they hadn’t built a reservoir and aqueducts to transport water, I might not be able to get enough water so easily. My family uses the water that comes into our home for drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning, watering plants and even for swimming in a pool or playing under the sprinkler in the summer.

Some people take our water resources for granted and waste water when they brush their teeth or take a shower. They don’t realize what life would be like without clean, running water in the house. When my grandmother was growing up in Minnesota, she didn’t turn a faucet to get water. She had to walk to a well, even in the winter, to carry water back in a pail for her family to drink. The well used a windmill to pump the water out of the ground. When there was no wind, there was no water unless someone turned the windmill by hand. She could take a bath only once a week and everyone had to use the same bath water! Fortunately, today life is different for her.

Even today, though, some people have to survive without enough clean water. My little sister Jeanna was born in Ufa, Russia. She lived in an orphanage for twelve months and drank dirty water. When she came home to us, she had parasites and had to be treated for them. These parasites made her very sick. She also had a lot of trouble with tooth decay because there was no fluoride in her water, The MWRA treats our water to make it clean and adds fluoride, a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay, to the water.

How would our life be different without the MWRA? What would we drink? How would we do our chores? How would we get clean? How would we stay healthy? The MWRA has helped us be able to do all these things easily with water from the other side of the state. I realize that MWRA has a big impact on me.

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Grades 3-5 Honorable Mention
Nakia Brown, Grade 5
Galvin M.S., Wakefield
Mrs. Fitzpatrick, teacher

I Like the MWRA

In the shower it’s a spray
I turn my hose on in a wink
MWRA lets my fill my sink
We wash my dishes really fast
MWRA makes my water last
MWRA keeps my water clean
So I can grow to be a healthy teen
Last summer we went to Nahant Beach twice
Thank you MWRA for making the water nice
Clean Water, clean harbors its great
MWRA is good for my state.

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How the MWRA Impacts Me!

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, (MWRA), uses water that is collected in surface reservoirs and uses this water for the residents of Massachusetts. This water is used by people for drinking, bathing, flushing toilets, washing dishes and many other uses.

Every day I use water for different things. Without water my life would be very hard. When I get up in the morning one of the first things that 1 do is to wash my face with water. Sometimes people take water for granted; I know that sometimes I do. My mom sometimes has to tell me to shut off the water while I brush my teeth so I don’t waste it. Water is one of our most precious commodities yet we waste it a lot.

The MWRA uses the water from the Quabbin and Wachusett Watersheds and Reservoirs to supply water to 2.2 million people and 5,500 industrial users. Most Americans use about 50 gallons of water every day for bathing, cooking and other uses! Most people are unaware of where their water comes from. About 88 percent of the water supply in the United States comes from community water supply systems; the other 12 percent comes from camp grounds, resorts and private wells.

All of our water starts as rainwater or snow melt. This water flows into streams and rivers. In Massachusetts this river is the Swift River which feeds the Quabbin Reservoir in western Massachusetts. The water flows into the reservoir between October and June and this takes up to four years to circulate and enter the main intake. When the water is drawn into the main distribution intakes it is chlorinated to make it clean for me to use. It is then fed into distribution reservoirs and storage tanks and smaller pipes, water meters then logs the water to different communities. In the different towns smaller pipes serve each street and take this water into homes and businesses. That is how I get water for drinking and washing.

When I visit my family in Trinidad I realize how easy I have it. In Trinidad there is a shortage of water. At my grandparents home they do not get water every day.

Two days a week the water is shut oK to their home and they must use water from large water storage tanks in the backyard. On these days I have to be careful not to use too much water and everyone takes a very short shower on these days. When I return home from these visits I realize how easy I have it, I can take long showers and every time I turn on the faucet I get water.

Without water life would be very hard, imagine not being able to flush your toilet! Not only does the MWRA supply my water but they also treat the sewage from people’s homes and businesses. The MWRA has a treatment plant on the shares of the Boston Harbor. This sewage is carried to storage tanks where the solids settle to the bottom of the water. This mix of sludge and water is settled out of the water, when this is done oxygen is then added to the water. The oxygen is used to speed up the growth of organisms that eat the wastes in the water. The water is then disinfected and returned to the water in the Massachusetts Bay.

The MWRA does many things for me that I take for granted. They provide drinking water that I could not live without. The MWRA also cleans all the water that we use so that it is safe to use again. Without the MWRA my life would be very hard and dirty. Not only does the M%RA do all these important jobs for me, it also provides electricity. When the water enters the Quabbin and Wachusett Watershed and Reservoirs power is generated from the flow of the water (about 412 billion gallons). So without the MWRA working for me things could be very difficult, my life could change. That is why I will try to not take the water I use for granted and when my mom says to shut the water off when I brush my teeth or not to take long showers I will listen.

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Grades 3-5 Honorable Mention
Maeve McCluskey, Grade 4
Lowell School, Watertown
Anthony Ducas, teacher
Marilyn Hollisian, principal

How The MWRA Impacts Me

PITTER PATTER! PITTER PATTER! I opened my eyes to see the still darkness of My bedroom. I rolled over onto my stomach very quietly and cautiously, so as not to wake my five-year-old sister, who was sleeping in the bed on the other side of the small, white nightstand that stood between our beds. I checked our digital clock, which numbers glowed red in the early morning light. The clock read 6:15. I lay on my back, wondering how I could have slept through the racket the raindrops were making on the windowpane.

I must have fallen asleep again, though, because the next thing I know, my bed’s being attacked by a little girl in a long pink nightgown that says ”Princess” in bold purple letters across the chest. Yup, it’s my sister, making a noise so loud that I thought it must have woken up half the neighborhood by now.

”What in the world are you screaming about?" I shouted over all the noise my sister was making.

’They (bounce) closed (bounce) school (bounce) because (bounce) of the (bounce) rain!” She said.

’Why in the world would they close school because of the rain’ I wondered aloud.

’I (bounce) don’t (bounce) know,’ She said like she could care less.

’Look, get off my bed before you kill the mattress,’ I said, smiling.

She got off. I looked out the window into our back yard. I couldn’t see much. The window was streaked with so much rain that you couldn’t see out of it no matter how hard you tried.

”Must be some storm,” I said, still trying to see into the back yard.

’I smell pancakes!” My sister shouted. She dashed out of the room.

’Hey! Wait up!” I called, running after her. I flew down the stairs, hung a left at the bottom, and skidded to a stop right in front of my seat at the breakfast table.

’Mom, I thought we were having oatmeal,’ I said as I sat down.

’Well, we were,’ she said apologetically. ’But since the water has gotten blocked it’s been unsafe to use.’

’Why?’

She sighed. ”It’s gotten too dirty because the MWRA hasn’t been able to clean it since the storm began. So now I can’t make oatmeal, you can’t brush your teeth, we can’t take showers, and I can’t give your little sister her juice the way she likes it- mixed with water.”

’MWRA? What’s that?”

She sighed again. ’Why don’t you look it up at the library?” She said, sounding tired.
After breakfast I hurriedly washed my breakfast dishes, then ran upstairs in to my dad’s home office to call my best friend Marissa. As soon as she picked up I said,

”Did you hear’? School’s been cancelled!

She said, ”I know. You should see our street! It’s got water in it almost up to your knees!”

’No way.’

”Yes way. Look at yours!”

I looked. ’Whoa.”

’Pretty scary huh?’

”You’re not kidding.’

’I wonder why it’s like this.’

’My mom said something about this thing called the MWRA. Let’s ask Mr. Bell about it.’

’In this?”

”What’s a little rain going to do to you7”

’This is not just ’a little rain,’ you realize. Oh, ok, I’ll come.”

Mr. Bell owned a bookstore on the corner of Main St. He always had a few steaming mugs of Hot Coco for us when we came to visit. He also knew basically everything about everything. Probably from being around so many old books.

When Marissa and I met on the corner of my street, we were already soaked to the skin. And Marissa was right. The water was up to our knees. As we trudged along, I felt like I was walking in mud not water, because the pressure was unbelievable.
When we got to Mr. Bell’s we ran into the bookshop at top speed. Mr. Bell looked up from the book he was reading at the desk at the back of the dark, musty shop.

”Girls!” He said, standing up and pulling over two more chairs with a flourish. ”How nice to see you both! You look frozen. Come and have some Hot Chocolate.”

As we received two hot mugs of Coco, I asked, ”Why is the water so high? It’s never been like this before.”

He leaned back in his chair. ”Well, have you ever heard of the MWRA?”

”Funny you should ask,” I said as we shook our heads in unison.

”Well, the MWRA stands for The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. It’s their job to clean the water so it’s safe to use for drinking, bathing, washing dishes, things like that. They are also involved in helping to make places like Boston Harbor safe and cleaner. The MWRA helps to keep our gutters clean too. If the gutters get clogged up with things like trash and leaves and people don’t bother to clean them out, things can get pretty ugly in a rainstorm like this. I think the reason there’s so much water in the streets is because nobody’s bothered to clean out their gutters for a while.”

”Is that why the MM/RA couldn’t keep the water clean?” I asked.

”Sounds like an educated guess to me,” he said, nodding.

Marissa and I looked at each other. Then I got an idea.

”Mr .Bell, can I ask you something?”

”Certainly.”

”Well, when the water drains enough so cars can drive through again, do you think we could do a town cleanup of the gutters? You know, help the MWRA out?”

”I think that’s a wonderful idea,” he said. ”In the meantime, I just! heard on the news that the MWRA will have the water cleaned up by tonight.”

”That’s a relief,” I say as Marissa and I pull on our raincoats.

”Bye girls! See you soon!”

When I got home, my little sister ran up to me and gave me a hug that nearly broke my ribs.

”Where were you?”

”I was at Mr. Bell’s.”

She pulls a face, ”Again?”

”He’s really nice you know, you should come with me sometime,”

”His shop smells funny.”

”You get used to it.”

”C’mon, it’s lunchtime. Mommy said we could have a tea party with my dolls while we eat as long as we don’t use any dirty water.”

This time I pull a face.

”Pleeeeeeeeeease~??” She begs.

”All right.”

And together we walk upstairs. And as we sit down at her little doll table, I’m still thinking about what my mother and Mr. Bell had said. I realized that without the MWRA, we’d be a lot less healthy then we are today. And the more I thought about it, the more thankful I was that the MWRA is there for us.

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Grades 3-5 Honorable Mention
Nicole Senior, Grade 5
Galvin M.S., Wakefield
Ms. Alexander, teacher

How MWRA Impacts Me

The rain comes down
To the ground.
In the winter comes the snow
that melts away with the rivers flow.
The rivers go
To the reservoirs below.

The MWRA cleans
The water that means
a lot to me.
I need fluoride
Which the MWRA provides
in the water that I drink.
I think
I get the purest water
In my sink.

Thanks to the MWRA
I’m healthy today.

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Grades 6-8 First Place
Christopher A. Lomax, Grade 7
Randolph Community M.S., Randolph
Ms. Murphy, teacher
Steve Zawatski, principal

How the MWRA Helps Keep Our Water Clean

The MWRA sets the hook line and sinker for water purification in the Massachusetts Bay area. They help to clean the water, which allows me to sit down and relax with a fishing pole in hand.

However, few people know that the M%RA serves 2.5 million people, in sixty one communities, with 255 million gallons of water on average every day, But for me, the one way the MWRA impacts my favorite pastime (fishing), is that they clean the water which among other important uses, allows me to beat the heat, and practice the art of catch and release.

I’ve enjoyed recreational fishing for most of my life. I have fished in many places known for their famous fish catching records. One of the places I love to fish is Hugh’s Neck.

Hugh’s Neck was once known as the founder capital of the world, just a long surf cast away from Nut Island, where many species of fish once thrived. In July 1998 the MWRA built a new sewage screening facility. This facility provides a preliminary treatment to the water that will eventually end up at Deer Island. The old Nut Island plant, which bad been in service since 1952, has been demolished ending more than 100 years of wastewater discharge into the shallow waters of Quincy Bay.

The MWRA designed a new public park with a new pier used by anglers that should, among other things bring back the fishing that Nut Island and Hugh’s Neck were so famous for in the 1960’s. So far anglers have caught Cod, Tautog, Flounder, sea Bass, Blues, and the biggest baddest bass to comb the surf of the eastern shores STRIPERS!

Now that the fish are returning to the water in and around Hough’s Neck the dedicated fisherman like myself will be able to land the big ones and set new records. The way I see it, the one important way the MWRA impacts me, is that they clean the water, allowing me to sit down with a fishing pole in hand.

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The MWRA impacts me and my life in many important ways

My brother attends UMass Amherst. When I ride out to visit him, I pass the Quabbin Reservoir. Not only is the Quabbin Reservoir nice to look at, but thanks to the MWRA, this reservoir provides Massachusetts residents with clean, high quality water. We use water to drink, flush the toilet, wash dishes, bathe, water the lawn and to fill our swimming pool.

I live near Wollaston Beach. Although I have not yet swam in Wollaston Beach, I am hoping that someday I will. I do use the walking and biking paths and the beach looks a lot cleaner than it used to. In the summer, the MWRA puts up flags to let us know when the water is clean enough to swim. They also make a recommendation for people not to swim within 24 hours after a heavy rainfall because runoff the sewers can cause contamination. The MWRA has greatly improved the cleanliness of Wollaston Beach in my lifetime. They have made sewer treatment plants which bring the wastewater further out to sea where it can go into deeper waters of Massachusetts Bay. This keeps a lot of the contamination away from the shallow waters of Wollaston Bay and Boston Harbor.

Every summer, I take a boat trip out to George’s Island with my family and fiends. While riding out to George’s Island I enjoy the views. I someday plan to visit Deer Island where the wastewater treatment plant is located. I know that they also have public open areas out there with trails and walkways and a view of the Boston Harbor.

So as you can see, the MWRA impacts me and others in our very survival, by providing clean drinking water and water to live our daily lives. It also affects our Recreational facilities of Wollaston Beach, the Harbor Islands, and the Quabbin Reservoir. The MWRA has done a good job of cleaning up the harbor and their efforts continue to improve the quality of our lives.

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Grades 6-8 Third Place
Hannah Furgang, Grade 6
The Jewish Community Day School, Watertown
Thomas Etre, teacher

My Story

“How does the MWRA Impact Me?
Every time your turn on a faucet, take a shower, brush your teeth, or flush a toilet, you are impacted by the MWRA and the services it provides you and your family… If you have the pleasure of enjoying a clean Boston Harbor by taking a boat trip, fishing, or swimming you have been impacted by the MWRA.”

The above paragraph pretty much says it all to me. Yes, I’m very thankful for the MWRA, and I know it affects me every day, but I feel that my point of view may be just a bit too – how shall I say it? – ordinary. What I really mean to say is that other people might have a different point of view and their stories may be a little less “ordinary” than mine. So let’s give a big welcome to Jack the fisherman, Mr. Parker the teacher, Luke, and Caitlin. And yes, maybe if I took some time to think about it, I could write a good essay, but I think their voices need to be heard.

Jack the Fisherman’s Story
I am a fisherman in the Boston Harbor. The MWRA impacts me by trying reduce the amount of toxic waste dumped into the harbor. I fish for a living, so if my fish were to be found containing high levels of mercury, they would be a threat to anyone eating them, so no one would buy them, causing my profit to go down to about 1%. Luckily, the MWRA is publicizing the New England Aquarium’s exhibit, telling people about the dangers of mercury, The exhibit, and other material from the MWRA, has helped to reduce mercury, pollution. Not only do I sell fish, I eat them and I like them to be clean!

Mr. Parker the Teacher’s Story
Being a Science teacher at a big elementary school, I’m always very busy. I teach five hours a day, 4 days a week. I am thankful for the MWRA not only for clean water, but for their teacher resources. Every now and then, I get to take a break from teaching, and show my students the Boston Harbor Project Video, or get them started on the annual MWRA student poster/writing contest. I leave it optional for K-4, but the 5th grade must enter, though most of them find it fun. My students love the book ”Dwayne the Storm Drain” (Written by the MWRA to teach kids about the dangers of polluting) and it was great inspiration for the 2002 contest (Keeping storm drains clean). Thank you MWRA.

Luke the Toxic Waste Collector’s Story
Does the WVRA have an impact on me? You bet it does, though not entirely in a good way. Ya see, I work at a toxic waste facility, and lemme tell ya, it’s not a pretty sight. It’s not too much like a normal dump. There, the smell is worse, but at least you can see the sky. No, here you’re all cooped up, with a hint of toxic atmosphere. Before the MWRA was active, everyone dumped their waste into lakes, ponds, and the harbor, giving us less work and time to enjoy a good book, eat lunch, and all that jazz. Now people listen to the MWRA’s warnings, and they choose to dump their waste here instead, so we receive waste by the pound and barely get breaks to go the bathroom. So just a note to the public: if I here can deal with all this waste, I’m sure you can tolerate just one, lousy, mercury thermometer.

Caitlin’s Story
My Story may not be the most impressive one, being a kid and all, but here goes! Before last summer, as embarrassing as it is, l had never volunteered. I always thought about it, but I never did. Then I took a tour of Deer Island, with my class. I never knew how much stuff the MWRA did, from water to toxic waste. That got me motivated. Seeing all the things the MWRA accomplished, I decided I could pitch in to do my part. So I began to volunteer at least once a month. I helped to clean up beaches and parks, and I donated some of my allowance to charity. I also entered their poster contest for the first time. I didn’t win, but it felt good to do it. And hey, there’s always next year…

Back to Me
As you may have guessed, these people are stereotypes. But as fake as they ay seem, bits of their thoughts and personalities come from me and other people I know. And just because I made up these characters, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have anything to say for my self, so I’m going to say it, right here, right now.

I’m really thankful for the MWRA for clean and beautiful water, along with clean and beautiful fish. I’m thankful for great resources, and annual contest, which I love entering. I’m thankful for the home and school free of toxic waste. And last but not least, I’m thankful for motivating me. Now I think twice before I take longer showers. Now, thanks to the contests, I’ve found a way to write and do a good deed at the same time. And this year I finally did my first big volunteer project. So from the bottom of our hears, I and all the characters would like to say thank, thank, thank, thank you MWRA.

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Grades 6-8 Honorable Mention
Caitlin Lezell, Grade 6
Beachmont School, Revere
Denise Mahoney, teacher

How the MWRA impacts me!

Last summer, I went on a boat with my father and our friends to go fishing in Boston Harbor. The water was clean, we caught a lot of fish, we saw tons of birds, and we saw people on all of the beaches. We went right past Deer Island and I saw the laboratories and walkways, but I didn’t know what they were. Without the MWRA, none of that would’ve been possible.

I never knew about the MWRA or what bad shape Boston Harbor was in until recently. My parents never let me go swimming in Boston Harbor, but I never asked why. Now my dad fishes near Deer Island every summer, and sometimes I go with him. It’s hard to believe that such a clean harbor used to be so dirty. I can’t imagine how much work the MWRA must have done and is still doing.

The MWRA has more of an impact on me than just fishing. I wouldn’t be able to brush my teeth or take a shower every night, and my mom wouldn’t be able to do the laundry if the MWRA didn’t work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for us. Now I’m proud to be from Boston because we have such a clean harbor and such hard-working people.

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Grades 6-8 Honorable Mention
Hoa Nguyen, Grade 7
McCormack M.S., Dorchester
Amy Brogna, teacher
Dr. Leonard, principal

How Does the MWRA Impact You on Your Life?

Everyone knows that rainwater falls from the sky, but do you know where the water you use comes from? Well, I can tell you that. The water you use comes from the MWRA also known as the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. Even if you know where it comes from, have you ever thought of how it impacts you and your life? 1f you read on then you’ll know how the MWRA has impacts my life.

Let’s start at home, at home the MWRA helps me when I wake up and go to the bathroom and use the toilet. It also helps me when I brush my teeth and take a bath or a shower. It helps my body conserve water because my body is 75% water. Without it my body would dehydrate. On Saturdays when I stay home with my brother I always wash the dishes, and in order to do this I need water from the MWRA. On Tuesdays, my mom goes and washes the families clothes. Without water, my clothes wouldn’t look clean and I wouldn’t be able to smell fresh. My culture is Vietnamese, in my culture dinner is very important. Family members must sit together and one food we must have is soup. In order to have soup, we need water to cook it.

In my school we have six-day schedule. Every six days we have gym twice, during gym we run and do a lot of sports. In order to have the energy to do this we need water. We don’t only need water for gym but we use water for lunch. Our lunch mothers cook for us. In order to cook anything they need water either to cook it or clean it. I use water in school whenever I have home economics class and we have to cook in there. In the summer, I usually go to the beach and ocean to swim. At the beach and ocean, I’m using water, too. When we go to the par k I usually drink water from the fountain.

The MWRA helps young people and old people stay alive. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be living at all; from inside of us to outside. You may not think about it but when you do remember to appreciate that the MWRA has done not only for you but for your family members too! Those things are how the MWRA impact me on my life; there’s a lot more that I haven’t discovered yet!

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Grades 6-8 Honorable Mention
Tyler Rosati, Grade 6
Beachmont School
Denise Mahoney, teacher

How the MWRA impacts me!

The MWRA impacts Boston Harbor, many communities, and you in many ways. You may ask “How?” When you brush your teeth, “Bamm!” you are impacted by the MWRA.
Have you ever wondered were the water from the sink or toilet goes? It goes to the Deer Island Sewage Plant. This sewage plant makes the water pure. It eliminates all of the things that kill and pollute the water and animals.

Sad to say this whole thing is not all computerized. Certain people have to work at this plant. It is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for three hundred sixty-five day a year.

So, you must thank the people that work at Deer Island for the clean water at Boston Harbor. Without it you wouldn’t be able to fish, swim, or enjoy a wonderful day at the beach.

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Grades 6-8 Honorable Mention
Komal Sheikh, Grade 6
Beachmont School
Denise Mahoney, teacher

How the MWRA impacts me!

Have you ever wondered where we get our water? We get our water from the MWRA, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. The MWRA just doesn’t give us fresh water; it also cleans the Boston Harbor, which used to have bad water.

Now the harbor is so clean people go there and have fun swimming, having picnics, and doing a lot of fun stuff. I have been to the Charles River and taken a boat ride. The water there looks pretty healthy and clean. I have also been to the aquarium. The fish in the harbor near there swim in clean water. When I was in fifth grade, I went fishing with my family and the harbor was so clean and shiny!

Because of the MWRA, I get water to brush my teeth, take a shower, or drink fresh water. It is really amazing how when we turn on the faucet, water suddenly comes out. Imagine how long the water has to travel just to get to tour house.

I appreciate the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s expertise when I take a shower. I would like to tanks the MWRA for giving us fresh water for everyday use. Thank you!

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Grades 9-12 First Place
Stephen Ellis, Grade 10
Archbishop Williams High School, Braintree
Gersham Gray, teacher

How The MWRA Impacts Me

When first given the opportunity to enter the MWRA’s writing contest, I was a little tentative. First of all, how was I supposed to write on how the MWRA impacts me, when I do not even know what the MWRA is? Secondly, I felt I could not write a good essay without being interested in the subject. Let’s be honest, how many teenagers are enthralled with the subject of water?

I pretty much put the essay oh the back burner until I heard an agitated scream from my father in the kitchen. He had a measuring cup full of water that was white. My dad asked me if I knew what was it that made the water white, then return to the normal clear state. I told him no, but I would find out.

I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and go to the MWRA web site to see if any information could be found. There on the side of the web page was a set of water glasses gradually getting clearer. This seemed like the problem my dad was concerned about, so I clicked on the picture. This link took me to a question-answer form as I was looking for.

Reporting to my dad, as if I knew this information on my own, that the cloudy water or ’white’ water as it is called occurs due to two things taking place. During the winter months water leaves the cold reservoir and becomes heated on its trip to the tap. As explained in greater detail on the web site, the air ”comes out of solution because it is no longer soluble.” Also occurring during the phase in which the water travels through the transmission and distribution pipes, the water becomes pressurized. This means more air is being held. When the water comes out of the tap it is not under pressure and the bubble solution comes out. This is safe to drink and use, but wait until bubbles naturally disappear. After hearing my synopsis my father thought I was smarter than I actually was and, more importantly, I learned something.

Over February vacation I took a ten-minute shower, which was met with my brother’s yelling that I used all the hot water and that I was wasteful in using to much water. I remembered how the MWRA web site helped me solve my dad’s question so I tried to see how much water I was wasting. On the web site it says 3-7 gallons per shower are saved when a 5 minute shower replaces that of a ’marathon shower’. I decided to use this portion of the web site to my advantage with my brother. Whenever he did anything careless, like leave the water running while brushing his teeth, I reminded him of the water being wasted. After relentless days of scrutinizing my brother’s water habits, he finally protested and apologized for pointing out my error of taking a ten-minute shower. Though I used the MWRA to make my brother apologize, we both learned what activities that we do waste water, and how much water is being wasted.

These are just two examples of how the MWRA helped me in the last two months since I discovered what the MWRA is. Two similarities I noticed in both stories is the outcome: I learned something. The MWRA does a lot to help make people conscience of the problems surrounding their water, but it also teaches the community on various water- related issues. Also maintaining sewage overflow, and other sewage problems and concerns is a dirty job that is taken care of by the hard-working people of the MWRA. I for one, appreciate the services the MWRA does, and I will ember to not be so bored about a topic that seems dull, especially about one I know nothing about.

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Grades 9-12 Second Place
Samantha Hale, Grade 10
Archbishop Williams High School, Braintree
Gersham Gray, teacher

How The MWRA Impacts Me

Living in a house with my mother and brother, much sewage water every day is transported from our house. Three people washing their faces, brushing their teeth, and flushing the toilet uses more water than one would like to imagine, and its only six o’clock in the morning. Off to a hard days work and school we then go, my mother to Canton, my brother to Weymouth, and me to Braintree. In each of these three towns, thousands of people are creating wastewater with out thinking of it. Then at two thirty home I go to start the dishwasher and washing machine. Three people soon make dinner, take showers and go to bed.

Thanks to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority 2.5 million people each day can live their lives like mine with as little worry as possible. The MWRA allows over 850,00 houses like mine to wash dishes, flush toilets and take showers, and gives 5,500 businesses the ability to work without care. If the MWRA was not around to supply people with 255 million gallons of fresh water each day, and to take their 390 million gallons of waste away each day, many people would not be able to live as they do. In many countries, waste builds up in the streets and backyards, and is only washed away by heavy rainfalls. The United States would not be able to function as smoothly and as problem free as it does today if it were not for organizations like the MWRA.

So when I am asked the simple question of how the MWRA impacts my every day life, I must take a step back and think. Millions of people around the world do not have the luxury of clean water, or even the luxury of having their wastewater transported from their houses, and I do. I then must take into consideration the work that the Deer Island Plant does to clean my sewage. It is settled, separated, and heated. All this is done just to make this waste safe for disposal. Then pellet fertilizer is manufactured from the remaining sludge. This is a very smart move, end benefits the community tremendously.

Not only do I get my sewage handled by the MWRA, but also when I garden I am using a product created by the very same organization. I am very lucky to be able live in the town that I do, and most of all I feel privileged to have a company like Massachusetts Water Resources Authority working for my benefit and comfort. The MWRA does so much for society; it keeps its customers clean, happy and healthy. Even when I visit my friends and relatives, I am once again in the hands of the MWRA.

I now realize the extremity that the MWRA has on my life, They provide my friends and family with clean water, and they take away our sewage. They ensure the happiness and cleanliness of the 69 communities combined. The water that is eventually released into the ocean is very clean and environmentally safe, and the sludge separated from the water is converted into a useful and helpful product, fertilizer. Now when someone asks me the impact that the MWRA has on my life, all I will be able to say is you have no idea how important, they are to me.

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Grades 9-12 Third Place
Katie Martell, Grade 11
Wilmington High School, Wilmington
John Wood, teacher

MWRA Essay

Each day, residents of Massachusetts quench their thirst, bathe, flush toilets, do the dishes, water their lawns, and wash their dogs with water drawn from the MWRA water system. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority ensures that this water complies with national drinking standards. It also provides sewage systems that not only protect public health, but also promote environmental awareness.

The sewage system provided by the MWRA is used by nearly half the state’s population. Over 2 million people send sewage to the MWRA treatment plants at Boston Harbor. The MWRA provides preliminary, primary, and secondary treatment to the sewage.

Wastewater flows at the Deer Island Treatment Plant Sewage is piped from communities to headworks where bricks, logs, and other large objects are screened out. The sewage is pumped through deep-rock tunnels under the harbor to Deer Island. Mud and sand settle in a grit chamber, and this is later taken to a landfill for environmentally safe disposal, providing an example of the MWRA’s consideration of the environment. In primary treatment, 60% of the solids in the waste stream settle out as a mixture of sludge and water. In secondary treatment, oxygen is added to the wastewater to speed up the growth of micro-organisms that consumes the wastes and settle to the bottom of the secondary settling tanks. After this secondary treatment, 80- 90% of human waste and other solids have been removed. Toxic chemicals are also removed by this process. The sludge is processed in sludge digesters, where it eventually becomes a pellet fertilizer for use in agriculture, forestry, and land reclamation.

The water system of the MWRA delivers drinking water which meets national standards and is safe, healthful, and appealing. The MWRA also takes steps to improve river and harbor water quality. 2.2 million people and 5,500 industrial users have one of the most abundant and high quality water supplies in the world thanks to the MWRA. Bacteria is everywhere in the world, but the MWRA takes steps to eliminate harmful types in the water supply. Communities regularly take water samples, which are then analyzed in laboratories for bacteria counts. The MWRA also protects area reservoirs against contamination from birds, dogs, other animals, even swimmers. Massachusetts Bay and its largest estuary, Boston Harbor, host priceless wildlife, recreational, and scenic resources. The wastewater collection and treatment system operated by the MWRA for Metropolitan Boston is vitally important to protecting this ecosystem.

The MWRA’s slogan of ”Drink with confidence, flush with pride,” sums up what they do for not only me, but for the rest of Massachusetts as well. They provide the assurance that our drinking water is safe, and that our wastewater is handled in a safe, environmentally sound manner.

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Grades 9-12 Honorable Mention
Jake Endres, Grade 11
Archbishop Williams High School, Braintree
Gersham Gray, teacher

How the MWRA Impacts Me

The MWRA plays a very important role in many people’s lives. It is the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. MWRA is a Massachusetts authority, established in 1984 to provide water and sewage services to 2.5 million people in Metropolitan Boston communities. The MWRA was responsible for the clean up of the famous Boston Harbor. They are continually working to make our water better and safer. M serves 890,000 households, mine being one of them.

The MWRA affects me in many ways every single day. I wake up and take a shower and brush my teeth, using the water that the MWRA supplies my house. Everyday I trust that my water is clean and healthy. I have never thought about it before, but everyday I put my life in the hands of many different people, the MWRA being one of them. I then go to school, use the bathroom and wash my hands with water provided by the MWRA. I then go to lunch and eat the food that was made with dishes washed by MWRA water. When given the topic of this essay I thought to myself, ”I don’t even know what the MWRA means, I’ve never heard of it and I doubt it affects me.” I never knew that I was so oblivious of something so important in my life. The MWRA helps me, my family, and friends live a healthy and safe life.

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Grades 9-12 Honorable Mention
Nicole Fiduciary, Grade 11
Wilimington High School, Wilmington
John Wood, teacher

How the MWRA Impacts Me

Many people may just think of the MWRA, or Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, as the company that treats wastewater. However, looking deeper into it, they do much more than that. Providing water to 2.2 million people, treating sewage, and teaching people about water treatment are only a few of the many tasks that would not be possible without the MWRA.

If you think about how many times you use water each day, you may be surprised. Not only is it needed for drinking, but also for bathing, cleaning, cooking, and flushing. The system starts when runoff flows into reservoirs, being either the Quabbin or the Wachusett. After about eight months, the water travels through pipes, having fluoride and other chemicals added to it along the way. Local pipes carry the water into towns, and eventually to buildings and homes. This process allows families to use water for their sanitary and health needs. Without that water, it would be extremely difficult to live. Although that’s an important job, the MWRA also has other jobs to do that impact
me.

In order to sanitize the bacteria-filled sewage that is produced in Massachusetts, the MWRA needed to conduct a $3.8 billion dollar project. Now, they are equipped with a sludge-to-fertilizer facility, a Treatment Plant located on Deer Island, a tunnel that ties together North and South sewage systems, and an additional tunnel to dispose of wastewater deep in Boston Harbor, rather than having it in shallow waters. This whole system impacts me because it makes the ocean water cleaner and it gets rid of waste that would otherwise be occupying space on land. If this system had not been created, Boston Harbor would be continually polluted. With polluted waters, fish and marine life would die. An effect of that would be shortages of seafood, which is critical to the diets of some people. Also, with polluted waters, people would not be able to swim at beaches in that area. So by treating sewage in places such as Deer Island, the MWRA is impacting me by helping the environment.

A final impact that the MWRA has on me is the education that they provide. With tours of their Deer Island treatment facility available to schools, the MWRA teaches children about how to conserve water. More interestingly, they teach about the processes involved in treating sewage and distributing water to millions of people in the state of Massachusetts. This is important because if water and sewage was not sanitized the way it is with the MWRA, it could lead to illnesses among the people whose water was dirty. That would be due to the bacteria and the parasites found in unsanitary water. This aspect is essential to the health of people, and it impacts me.

As shown through these responsibilities and actions of the MWRA, one can easily see how much it affects people daily. Each time anyone washes their dishes or waters their lawn, the MWRA is involved in it a great deal. They not only provide water for many, but they also keep the environment clean and teach people about the importance of water treatment. And that is how the MWRA impacts me.

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Grades 9-12 Honorable Mention
Nathaniel Neary-0rne, Grade 9
Revere High School, Revere
Ms. Makoba, teacher

The MWRA [Massachusetts Water Resource Authority] effects me because of the ongoing tax rate increase, and because of the sewage cleanup project only being 90 percent complete.

The MWRA is now being poised and quite possibly forced into taking it the additional and necessary 10 percent. Many communities in and around the Boston Harbor still exist on an old infrastructure and in some cases have combined sewer and run off pipes. These pipes are known to feed through the combined sewer overflow.

The combined Sewer overflows activate when heavy rains do occur and exceeds the sewer system capacity. The floodgates will then open allowing untreated water to enter the receiving body of water, in our case the Boston harbor and more specifically the Fort Point Channel.

This overflow of untreated flow into the waterways causes high bacteria counts on our beaches and that causes our beaches to be unsafe to swim. This meaning that families and fiends can not have a fun and recreational day at the beach because the water is contaminated and unsafe. Studies have proven that the Fort Point channel is not safe for human contact for more than 100 days out of the year.

This last major piece to be completed is a necessary step to ensure the commitment to return our waters to a safe place for recreational purpose. Knowing that with every step taken to ensure clean waters; we can be assured that another rate increase is just about as much a guarantee.

Because of the loss of state assistance for the Boston Harbor cleanup, the tax rate has increased for the third time in eleven years. ”Effective since January 1, 2004 Boston’s water and sewer rates increase 5.8%” on top of the already unbelievable cost. During the eleven years, the rates have increased anywhere from approximately 2.1% to 5% a year.
This seems to me to be an excessive amount of money to be charging for clean waters when some of our beaches off the Boston harbor are closed for as much as 16 percent of the swimming season. This would be a clear reason as to why the MWRA has to be the authority to take our waters to the 100 percent that everybody expected under the clean waters act of 1996.

The average monthly bill for a family of four in Boston and surrounding cities using 180 gallons per day will increase less than $4.00 a month. The water and sewer rates reflect costs of cleaning up Boston Harbor (over $3.5 billion) replacing aging water and sewer pipes citywide and the implementation of $1.5 billion of improvements to the treatment and transmission of drinking water. The elimination of the state debt service assistance program shifted all the costs of these programs directly to the ratepayer. This means that the taxpayers such as parents and many other adults have to pay much more. I live in a family of six people so you can imagine how much water we go through. On our last bill, from September 29 to January 5, my family consumed 28,910 gallons. Our bill was $271.17, and this was in the winter time, imagine our bill in the summer time when we have pools, water fights and all other recreational activities that take place on the dog days of summer.

Because the beaches are becoming cleaner and the quality of the water is becoming even more acceptable, many sea creatures that at one time swam the waters and beaches are now returning. There have been many sightings of porpoises and seals at Chelsea Creek, many sightings of fish and jellyfish on occasion. After large coastal storms, some folks in my neighborhood have gone down to Rocky beach, a small residential beach near Winthrop, and have picked up a few good size lobsters, large crabs and sea clams that make for great dinners. In addition, Arthur McDonald, the Assistant Harbormaster of Revere has picked sea horses out of his lobster traps, which is definitely a good sign because sea horses only swim in clean waters.

Every day we have the pleasure of being able to view the benefits of the MWRA from our own back porch as the seals take refuge in the large rocks south of Revere’s Breakwater just off Elliot Circle. These seals have been growing in numbers over recent years and are an obvious sign of cleaner waters. The seals come here for specific foods t4t only survive in a healthy body of water. Only the MWRA can take credit for these magnificent creatures much anticipated return but unfortunately, it all comes at a cost.

I know how important it is to continue moving forward with the MWRA and there plans to improve the quality of our water. I just do not know why there was not a fairer way to share the cost of this problem made by generations before us.

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The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority: Building a Community

When I used to think about an island, the first term that came to my mind was isolation. I thought islands were distinct landmasses with little influence on nearby lands. However, when considering Deer Island, nothing could be further from the truth. Deer Island, the central command of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, acts as a beacon of light in the midst of the national struggle for a cleaner environment. With the most technologically advanced water purifying systems, it is clear that Deer Island will continue to exude a positive influence in Boston. Thus, Deer Island reveals that a sense of community does not depend on physical proximity; instead, it depends on the passionate conviction of humanity. This is precisely the message the MWRA conveys to Massachusetts residents.

The MWRA provides people with the knowledge to make more environmentally sound decisions. By educating young children, the MWRA can impress upon our nation’s future the importance of a clean environment. With the development of the internet, the MWRA reaches more and more people. The organization can specifically discuss the operation of the Deer Island Treatment Center, and even if people do not fully understand its complex workings, they can walk away with a greater appreciation for the MWRA’s endeavors.

After working to make a better environmentally educated public, the MWRA then stresses each individual*s responsibility, as inhabitants of this earth, to protect our natural world. Due to my experiences with the MWRA, it is clearer to me than ever before, that I have a duty to be considerate of my surroundings and to encourage other people to attain such an attitude. I firmly believe that man does not have to conquer nature, but can live in harmony with it. Once more people recognize this fact, we can make even greater strides as a state, and consequently, as a nation, in purifying our environment.

Additionally, the efforts of the MWRA emphasize the interconnected nature of man. Our entire globe maintains a very delicate balance. A tragedy does not have to be as immediately devastating as an oi1 spill to pollute the environment. Over time, even the smallest mistakes, such as throwing bottle caps over a bridge, take their toll on the environment. The death of one organism due to man’s carelessness is one death too many. With species rapidly becoming extinct, man can no longer dominate the earth. We need to understand that, collectively, the population’s detrimental behavior cannot be tolerated. The MWRA supports this view as it works to protect the environment while continua11y taking into consideration our human needs.

The MWRA has a major impact on all of our lives. Not only does it help to physically improve our environment, but it also enhances our sense of community. The MWRA includes everyone in its mission to purify the environment by calling for a united passionate effort. Neighbors work hand in hand in MWRA projects, and people all across the state receive the same information regarding environmental issues. Though we wi11 continue to face many struggles in the future, I am confident that, with the assistance of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, citizens all over the state will unite as a community to overcome them. Together, all together, we can be great.

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