If you live, work or own a business in Worcester, you depend on the essential services related to water resources provided by the Department of Public Works & Parks (DPW&P). The DPW&P manages a complex network of water resource systems. These include storing, treating and delivering safe drinking water and collecting and transporting wastewater and stormwater. Approximately one-third of our systems were built before 1900. The cost of wastewater treatment has claimed a growing percentage of our sewer budget – from 18% in 2000 to 46% in 2017. This means there is less money to upgrade aging infrastructure, maintain reliable services for our ratepayers and protect our environment.
Our goal is to provide clean waters for everyone and to do so in a responsible and affordable way. We are developing a long-term plan that will help prioritize investments in our water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure for the next 50 years. This approach is called an Integrated Water Resources Management Plan (or Integrated Plan). The outcome of the Plan will be cost-effective solutions that provide the most benefit to our residents, businesses and the environment.
The Integrated Plan shapes our approach to providing improved services to protect public health and safety. The plan will balance necessary and ongoing maintenance, capital improvements and regulatory obligations in an affordable and effective way. It will foster continued economic growth and lasting investments in our community for decades to come.
Find out what we do TODAY and how we are planning for the FUTURE of your water resources.
This video provides an overview of DPW&P's drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems. It also explains how the Integrated Plan will benefit the residents, businesses and environment in Worcester.
In the coming decades, the City's water and sewer systems will face increasingly demanding state and federal regulations. Since much of the City's infrastructure is beyond its useful life, the Integrated Plan will help provide cost-effective solutions for maintenance and upgrades.
Visit the Integrated Plan page for more information.
View handouts, presentations and other materials below.
The Integrated Plan shapes our approach to providing improved services to protect public health and safety.
See the list of handouts provided to participants at Integrated Plan Community Meetings.
Find presentations about the Integrated Plan that have been shown at previous meetings.
View a list of other documents and info related to the Integrated Plan.
Check out what’s happening with Worcester's water!
