Quabbin Reservoir, Plays in Place at Historic Deerfield, Word Nerd

By Monte Belmonte,

Published July 9, 2026 at 9:42 AM EDT

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Quabbin Reservoir in western Massachusetts is one of the largest unfiltered water supplies in the United States, according to the state. It is a primary source of high quality water for Boston through the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water supply system. The 412 billion gallon reservoir covers 39 square miles with 181 miles of shoreline. Recreational activities are regulated and limited to protect 2.7 million people’s drinking water.

1 of 2 — quabbin mass gov.jpg

Quabbin Reservoir in western Massachusetts is one of the largest unfiltered water supplies in the U.S., according to the state. It is a primary source of high quality water for Boston through the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water supply system. The 412 billion gallon reservoir covers 39 square miles with 181 miles of shoreline. Recreational activities are regulated and limited to protect 2.7 million people’s drinking water.

Executive office of Energy and Environmental Affairs / mass.gov

Peter Sokolawski, at center, with Monte Belmonte at left and Kaliis Smith at right of The Fabulous 413.

2 of 2 — Peter Sokolowski (center) and the Fab 413 hosts

Peter Sokolowski, at center, with Monte Belmonte at left and Kaliis Smith at right of The Fabulous 413.

Kaliis Smith / NEPM

Today we are digging deep into western Mass. history.

Nearly 100 years ago, 4 western Mass. towns were disincorporated and their populations moved before the area was filled with water to appease the demand of people on the eastern half of the state. In the intervening years, the towns surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir have struggled to get their needs addressed by the state and this Thursday, folx from those towns have a chance to speak with the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) in person. We hear from Ed Comeau and Matteo Pangallo about the reservoir's true impact.

One of the nation’s oldest towns is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a trio of plays to bring us closer to the stories of the time of revolution. “A Stake in the Ground: 1776” is opening at Historic Deerfield, and we chat with Patrick Gabridge, artistic director of Plays in Place, and Claire Carlson, Historic Deerfield director of museum education, about this collaboration and theatrical journey back in time.

And speaking of the 250th, English has quite a few ways to go about making that marker easier to say. Our interim Word Nerd, Merriam-Webster Editor-at-Large and NEPM Jazz à la Mode Host Peter Sokolowski explains the whys of how the language treats these numbers.