Regional Water Supply Resilience Study
The Regional Water Supply Firm Yield Analysis and Systems Assessment Under Climate Change study, henceforward referred to as the "Regional Water Supply Resilience Study", is an intermunicipal partnership with the municipalities of Fall River, Somerset, Westport, Swansea, Dighton, Freetown, and Dartmouth, alongside Tiverton, Rhode Island, to better understand and manage water resources in the face of climate change within the greater Fall River area.
This study will examine the reliability of the Copicut Reservoir, the North Watuppa Pond, the South Watuppa Pond, the Somerset Reservoir, and the Stafford Pond through a computer-based mathematical model (known as a Firm Yield Study). The goal is to estimate the quantity of water that could potentially be provided to neighboring communities during future droughts and emergency situations.
This study is funded by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant, and is lead by the City of Fall River in partnership with HYSR of Dartmouth, and Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD).
Project Partners
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Outreach Events
Check here for upcoming events to provide input for the Fall River MVP Plan and Water System Vulnerability Analysis - Look for the SRPEDD Tent
Public Workshops
Fall River Inlet July 2010
Regional Emergency Water System Interconnectivity Analysis Initial Findings 2021
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The project combined the existing hydraulic models of four communities into one regional hydraulic model which was used to evaluate an area totaling 86 square miles, encompassing 480 miles of pipe, 15 water storage tanks, and 12 water sources
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The project assessed three existing interconnections and identified five potential new interconnection locations
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The project identified the potential for the existing Fall River – Somerset interconnection to serve as a catalyst for regional redundancy and resilience
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The project identified the potential to provide up to 3,400 gpm of flow across a single existing interconnection and up to 3,200 gpm of flow across a single potential interconnection in the event of a water emergency in one of the communities
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The project produced a conceptual design of a new interconnection between the communities of Somerset and Swansea
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The project produced a website for the Watuppa Reservation to educate the public about the Reservation and the role it plays in protecting drinking water resources
Why an Intermunicipal Process?
For communities that depend on limited water supply and treatment resources, intermunicipal support can be the difference between maintaining a healthy water supply and losing access to water completely. Although communities are meeting domestic water needs now, changing weather patterns could create a water shortage in the future. Intermunicipal support would allow these communities to share water in times if need using interconnections in the distribution system.
Flow Scenario Video
The flow scenario video was developed using the regional hydraulic model created specifically for assessing intermunicipal support capabilities. The hydraulic model was used to simulate flow conditions under various emergency conditions in each community. The maximum flow that could be provided between the communities in times of need was found and incorporated into the interactive tool. Just click on the video and see each possible emergency scenario and the support that each community has the potential to provide!
Fall River, MA - Water History
The 33-square-mile City of Fall River is one of Massachusetts’ ten largest cities, with five miles of shoreline exposed to open ocean at Mount Hope Bay and the remainder fronting the mouth of the Taunton River. The City is located in Bristol County and occupies portions of the Taunton River, Narragansett/Mount Hope Bay, and Buzzard’s Bay watersheds; as of 2019, its year-round population was approximately 95,000. Nearly 20% of Fall River residents fall below the poverty threshold and roughly 25% of the City is home to Environmental Justice populations located predominantly between I-195 and Route 24, along Mount Hope Bay.The City of Fall River supplies drinking water to nearly 100,000 residents from two surface sources – North Watuppa Pond and the Copicut Reservoir; a third source, South Watuppa Pond, is used for emergency supply.
The City also sells water to other public water systems including the towns of Tiverton, Westport, and Freetown. The majority of the water system infrastructure pre-dates 1930 and today consists of over 230 miles of distribution main, 7 water storage tanks, and 216 miles of pipe, most of which were installed prior to 1930 and some as early as the late 1800’s; the system also includes 2,184 hydrants for fire emergencies. The age of the water system renders it substantially susceptible to severe damage from increasingly frequent natural hazards documented in the 2016 Fall River Hazard Mitigation Plan
