The Marathon route will be littered with spots for runners to get oranges, cups of water and other hydration (and you’ll find the cups and rinds the next day…)
But spectators don’t get those goodies.
To quench the thirst of the cheering crowds, the MWRA will open a mobile water fountain–just bring your own container–at its Newton pump station on Commonwealth Avenue (south side of the street, between Lowell Avenue and Fuller/Evelyn Road).
Our water supply among the purest and best-tasting in the country–MWRA water just won the New England taste test, so it will be entered in the Nationals in June here in Boston. Stay tuned to find out just how high it ranks!
Additional good news–the water at the fountain will be chilled, so not only will it be tastier, it will be more refreshing.
Comm. Ave. residents may also appreciate that the fountain will not leave evidence of its presence on Tuesday–no disposable bottles, cups or other containers to clean up.
And like all water fountains in the City-this one will dispense water free.
The only thing that could make it better would be what they dispense with the water from the street-side taps in Colorado Springs: BUBBLES! But, even without (natural) carbonation, this is a great and generous idea! I’ll drink to that!!!!!
My wife and I attended a great presentation about the history of Boston’s drinking water at the Waterworks Museum last weekend, given by MWRA engineer Marcis Kempe. All of us can be thankful that there was enough foresight to develop the Quabbin watershed as the source of our water (well, all of us except the poor folks who lost their homes to eminent domain).
By contrast, imagine having to drink water that’s been used for industry and sewage outflow by every community along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River (e.g. Montreal and Quebec City) or the Missisippi River (New Orleans).
Doing a bit of research online, though, I was surprised to learn that MWRA water contains the following additives:
1) Sodium Bisulfite
2) Sodium Hypochlorite
3) Aqueous Ammonia
along with soda ash, fluoride, ozone, and carbon dioxide.
http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/watsys.htm
@Sallee – Here are some additional options for carbonated fountains, if your travels take you there…
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/09/11/sparking_water_fountains_italian_and_french_cities_have_them_can_we.html
@ Michael:
Isn’t Marcis Kempe a treasure? He knows more about the water system–and what’s in the water–than most humans, having spent nearly 40 years at MWRA and before that DCR.
It’s well worth clicking through your link to find out what all these “additives” are doing in the water–
but some clarification, courtesy of Joshua Das at the MWRA water quality division:
Sodium Hypochlorite and Aqueous Ammonia are not added directly to the water, they are combined into chloramine. This is added to ensure that the water doesn’t pick up bacteria in its trip through the pipes from the Carroll Water Treatment Plant. It dissipates on the way to your tap, but if you want to have none of it, leave the water in your fridge for a few hours.
The ozone cleans the water of pathogens, and the Sodium Bisulfite is added to remove any traces of it–so the water is clear of both by the time it leaves the plant.
The Soda Ash (aka Sodium Carbonate, similar to baking soda) is added to increase the pH of the water–before it was added, the acidic nature of our Quabbin water corroded the water mains and allowed lead, copper and heavy metals to leach into the water from the pipes (household & other).
Worried about sodium? Here’s from the MWRA website again:
“MWRA tests for sodium regularly and the highest level found was 33.4 milligrams per liter (about 7 milligrams per glass). This is considered to be a very low level of sodium by the FDA. Sodium in water contributes only a small fraction of a person’s overall sodium intake.”
http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/qual4concerns.htm
Excellent clarification, thanks very much Andreae. As you mentioned, the link actually contains some basic justifications for each chemical but Joshua’s explanation puts everything in context.
Interesting that a few of the towns in Hampden and Hampshire counties opt to add only chlorine to the water…wonder if it tastes like a swimming pool? (Just kidding!)