John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant


The John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant is a water treatment plant operated since 2005 by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to treat water bound for Greater Boston. The plant is located at the town lines of Marlborough, Northborough, and Southborough, Massachusetts.

History

CWTP is named after John J. Carroll, an original member of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority board of directors. It was constructed from 1999 to 2005, and opened in July 2005. It replaced a prior facility only used for pH control. In addition to water treatment, CWTP has five concrete contact chambers capable of storing. Its construction budget was US$340 million.

Operation

For water treatment, CWTP utilizes four ozone generators, designed to handle an average capacity of per day—although average daily consumption is lower, at approximately —and a peak level of per day. Ultraviolet light treatment was added in April 2014. A 500 kW photovoltaic array is used to harness solar energy, reducing operational cost.
, water treatment performed at CWTP consists of:
TreatmentPurpose
OzoneCryptosporidium inactivation, Giardia inactivation
Sodium bisulfiteOzone removal
Ultraviolet lightWater disinfectant
Sodium hypochloriteResidual disinfection
Hydrofluorosilicic acidDental health
Aqueous ammoniaResidual disinfection
Sodium carbonateIncrease alkalinity for pH buffering
Carbon dioxideAdjust pH level

Water for CWTP comes from the Wachusett Reservoir, primarily via the Cosgrove Tunnel, with the Wachusett Aqueduct as a standby backup. Treated water then flows towards Boston primarily via the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel, with the Hultman Aqueduct as a secondary system. The Sudbury Aqueduct and Weston Aqueduct serve as emergency backups.