The Town of Norwell was recently awarded a Sustainable Water Management Initiative Grant for $80,106 from the Water Management Act Program through the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Norwell, in partnership with the Town of Hanover and the NSRWA, will use the funds to address water management challenges in the Third Herring Brook. The project will help us better understand the Third Herring Brook and its water resources, for both the sustainability of the water supplies of Norwell and Hanover as well as its instream ecology.
This project will be a continuation of a project that began last year to look at how the brook’s streamflow is affected by different management scenarios by testing them in a model of the system. Some of the model scenarios may include the influence of additional water conservation measures on streamflow, effects of increased sewering in the watershed, and modifications to well withdrawals.
This grant also provides funding for two businesses within Hanover and Norwell to upgrade their plumbing fixtures and install rain sensor controllers for outdoor irrigation. These upgrades will be distributed through the WaterSmart Businesses program, which works with businesses in our communities to ensure that they are efficient with their water resources both inside and outside their businesses.
In conjunction with this grant, the NSRWA is also analyzing water use in the Town of Norwell so the town can understand how to best target conservation measures and get a better idea of the distribution of water use among its customers. The Town of Hanover DPW will be doing the same in their town, providing a comprehensive look at water demand on the Third Herring Brook system.