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28-645: The Wachusett Aqueduct is a secondary aqueduct that carries water from the Wachusett Reservoir to the John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant at Walnut Hill in Marlborough, Massachusetts . It is part of the public water supply system for the communities of Greater Boston that are served by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), which manages the aqueduct. The aqueduct serves as

56-581: A Manager who runs day-to-day operations. In fall of 2016, Sterling Municipal Light Department broke ground on the "first utility-scale energy storage facility in Massachusetts", which can, in the case of an electric outage, power the emergency dispatch center and police station for up to twelve days. The battery storage also helps the town save money on peak power charges from the grid operator. The award-winning project has generated considerable interest, attracting international visitors from Europe and Asia. In

84-678: A brick-lined invert. It is not constructed entirely underground and there are several elevated sections. The final portion of the aqueduct, taken out of service in 2005 with the opening of the treatment plant, is an open channel running from near the treatment facility to Sudbury Reservoir . Until the 1960s, the Wachusett Aqueduct was the main conduit used to deliver water from the Wachusett Reservoir. At that time, it carried 300 million US gallons (1,100,000 m) of water each day (13 m/s). The Cosgrove Tunnel replaced it in 1965 as

112-747: A large amount of runoff such as during snow melting, the flow from the Quabbin is shut off and water from the Ware River flows backwards down the Quabbin Aqueduct into the Quabbin Reservoir for storage. In 1897, the Nashua River above the town of Clinton was impounded by the Wachusett Dam ; 4,380 acres (17.7 km ) were flooded in the towns of Boylston , West Boylston , Clinton, and Sterling . Work

140-589: A standby backup to the Cosgrove Tunnel . The Wachusett Aqueduct extends from the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton , through Berlin and Northborough , to the John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant at Walnut Hill in Marlborough, Massachusetts . This 9-mile (14 km) long water system consists of 2 miles (3 km) of hard rock tunnel and 7 miles (11 km) of 11-foot (3.4 m) high horseshoe-shaped underground aqueduct constructed of non-reinforced concrete with

168-466: Is bordered by Leominster to the north, West Boylston to the south, Princeton and Holden to the west, Lancaster to the northeast, and Clinton and Boylston to the southeast. Sterling borders Boylston on the Wachusett Reservoir . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 7.985 people and 3,248 households in the town. The population density was 260.8 inhabitants per square mile (100.7/km ). The median value of owner-occupied housing units

196-634: Is fed by the Quinapoxet and Stillwater rivers, along with the Quabbin Aqueduct , which carries water from the Quabbin Reservoir. It is part of the Nashua River watershed, forming the headwaters of the river. Because it is an intermediate storage reservoir, its water levels are kept relatively constant while the Quabbin Reservoir fluctuates based on precipitation and demand. At times when the Wachusett Reservoir becomes high due to its own watershed producing

224-558: Is one of only two locations in Massachusetts to support lake trout , a North American native trout species which has been known to reach 20 plus pounds in Reservoir. In addition stocked rainbow trout are known to "holdover" (live through multiple summers) in Wachusett. Rainbow smelt are also present although their numbers are greatly reduced when compared to many years ago. Lake trout are a major draw to fishermen and women. Approximately 80% of

252-621: Is part of the Wachusett Regional School District . Students between Grades K–4 attend Houghton Elementary School, while students between Grades 5–8 attend Chocksett Middle School. Most Sterling residents attend Wachusett Regional High School in Holden for high school. Some Sterling residents, however, can attend Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg . Sterling provides town water to many residents, although

280-521: The "great inconvenience" of a long distance to the church in Lancaster's center. This request was denied. However, by 1780 the population of Chocksett was so numerous as to constitute a majority. So the voters of the area voted out the existing Lancaster town officers and began to conduct town business and meetings in Chocksett. This was enough to convince the rest of Lancaster that it was now time for Chocksett,

308-472: The 37-mile (60 km) shoreline is usually open to angling from April 1 through November 30, depending on ice conditions. Sterling, Massachusetts Sterling is a town in Worcester County , Massachusetts , United States. The population was 7,985 at the 2020 census . Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781. Previous to its incorporation, it

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336-478: The Chocksett land to the inhabitants of Lancaster in 1713. The first white settlers arrived in Chocksett seven years later, in 1720, formerly inhabitants of Lancaster proper. Among these first settlers were families such as Beman, Sawyer, Houghton, and Osgood – names reflected to this day in the names of Sterling's oldest roads. A short time after settlement, in 1733, the residents of the Chocksett area requested its own incorporation, separate from Lancaster, due to

364-555: The Second Parish of Lancaster, to go its own way. In 1781, Chocksett was incorporated as its own town: Sterling. The town derives its name from General William "Lord Stirling" Alexander , who served valiantly under Gen. George Washington in the New York and other campaigns. His portrait hangs in the town hall, and the town commemorated Alexander with a medallion during its bicentennial celebration in 1981. A duplicate portrait resides in

392-663: The Sterling Department of Public Works closed permanently on July 1, 2015. Residents may use the Wachusett Watershed Regional Recycling Center in West Boylston, MA to drop off recycling and larger bulk items. Sterling is one of 41 communities in the state that has its own municipal electric light company. The Light Department works under the direction and control of three elected Commissioners who serve rotating 3 year terms. The Light Board hires

420-563: The Wachusett Aqueduct was the primary method of transmission of about 240 million US gallons (910,000 m) of water per day. The section of the Wachusett Aqueduct between the Wachusett Reservoir and the treatment plant remains a standby backup transmission path in the event the Cosgrove Tunnel is unavailable, while the open channel between the treatment plant and the Sudbury Reservoir remains an emergency backup transmission path in

448-697: The aftermath of the devastating 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean, the microgrid project has been cited as a model of designing and building power infrastructure for resiliency in disaster situations. Eversource provides natural gas service in Sterling. An annual event, the Sterling Fair, is typically held in early to mid-September. The Sterling Fair is one of the last remaining agricultural fairs with free admission. In addition to traditional livestock exhibits including goats, cows, rabbits and sheep,

476-576: The event of a major problem with the treatment plant or the primary transmission pathways between the treatment plant and the water system. The aqueduct's route and supporting structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Wachusett Reservoir The reservoir serves as both an intermediate storage reservoir for water from the Quabbin Reservoir , and a water source itself, fed by its own watershed. The reservoir

504-570: The late 20th and early 21st century by the construction of the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel and covered storage facilities. West Boylston's prominent landmark—the Old Stone Church —was left remaining as a reminder of those who lost their homes and jobs to the building of the reservoir. It is one of the most photographed sites in the area. When it was built, the Wachusett Reservoir was the largest public water supply reservoir in

532-594: The more rural parts of town remain on private wells. The source of town water is six groundwater wells located on Redemption Rock Trail and Worcester Road . All public wells use an ultraviolet light purification system. In 2010, town water supply was affected by high bacteria levels, including detection of E. coli , and residents were advised to boil water until the situation was resolved. There are no town sewer services, and all houses have private septic systems . The town also offers curbside trash and recycling pickup for no additional fee. The town recycling center at

560-533: The primary water transmission aqueduct. Because of the construction of the Walnut Hill Water Treatment Plant in Marlborough , the Cosgrove Tunnel was shut down in 2003 in order to make the large piping connection between the new treatment plant and the MWRA's new MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel . The MetroWest Tunnel extends east 18.6 miles (29.9 km) from Walnut Hill to Weston . During that shutdown,

588-536: The reservoir and abutting property. These regulations are controversial to recreation and fishing proponents, who argue the rules are not needed to protect water quality. A network of fire roads provides easy access for hikers and cross-country skiers. In 1999, the reservoir contained twelve native and twelve introduced species of fish . The limited access, combined with abundant, high-quality habitat, produced state records for brown trout , land-locked salmon , smallmouth bass , and white perch . The Wachusett Reservoir

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616-603: The town hall of New Windsor, NY. Residents recently approved and built new facilities for the police and fire departments. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 31.7 square miles (82 km ), of which 30.6 square miles (79 km ) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km ), or 3.42%, is water. Interstate 190 cuts Sterling in half. Sterling is also crossed by Massachusetts Route 12 , Massachusetts Route 62 , Massachusetts Route 140 , and Massachusetts Route 110 . Sterling

644-687: The town was $ 59,851. About 1.8% of the population was below the poverty line . Residents of Sterling pay property taxes on real estate and certain other personal items, such as unregistered vehicles. The value of taxable property is determined by the town Board of Assessors. In 2023, the tax rate was $ 14.30 for one thousand dollars of valuation. Although the tax rate consistently decreased from 2016 to 2023, average bills have increased due to changes in valuation. The Sterling public library began in 1871. The Conant Public Library building, financed by Edwin Conant in memory of his daughter Elizabeth Ann Conant,

672-543: The world and the largest body of water in Massachusetts. It has since been surpassed by the Quabbin Reservoir (see that article for a history of reservoir building in Massachusetts). Because the reservoir is the water supply for Boston, not all areas around it are open to the public. Regulations designed to ensure pure water include the prohibition of boats, ice fishing, wading, swimming, overnight camping, alcoholic beverages, littering, animals, bikes, and motor vehicles from

700-461: Was "the Second Parish of Lancaster ." It was commonly called by a portion of its Indian name, Chocksett. The Nipmuc minister, Peter Jethro , worked in the area in the 1670s. The original Indian name of the area was Woonsechocksett. The land encompassing the Chocksett region was not originally included in the first land sold by the great Indian Chief Sholan to the settlers of the Lancaster grant. However, Sholan's nephew Tahanto would eventually sell

728-411: Was $ 372,400. The racial makeup of the town was 95.7% White, 1.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population. 21.7% were under the age of 18, and 20.2% were 65 years of age or older. The population was 52.4% female. The median income for a household in the town was $ 119,000. The per capita income for

756-750: Was completed in 1905 and the reservoir first filled in May ;1908 (116 years ago)  ( 1908-05 ) . Its water was originally delivered to the Sudbury Reservoir via the Wachusett Aqueduct , with the Cosgrove Tunnel (completed in 1965) providing redundancy. Interconnections at the Sudbury Reservoir eventually delivered the water to the Weston Reservoir via the Weston Aqueduct ; these downstream facilities were relegated to backup roles in

784-503: Was dedicated in 1886. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Sterling spent 1.59% ($ 289,567) of its budget on its public library—approximately $ 36 per person, per year ($ 47.44 adjusted for inflation to 2022). The Conant Library building closed in 2002 so it could be renovated. During this time, the library was temporarily moved to the Old Town Hall. The renovation was finished in 2004, and the library returned to its original location. Sterling

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