Quittacas Water Treatment Plant
Quittacas Water Treatment Plant is a small, peaceful and unassuming location. It is accessible through East Freetown and the actual plant and pond is located about half a mile from the road.
The road leading out to Little Quittacas pond is beautiful, with many sweet spots to capture along the way that offer an enchanted-esque forest as a backdrop.
What to expect.
If Quittacas Water Treatment Plant is your location of choice, expect a long walk out to the pond with beauty surrounding you. This walk is gorgeous during any time of year! It’s a winter wonderland when it snows, a golden walk in autumn and a deep and enchanting forest during the spring and summer months.
Once you make it out to Little Quittacas pond, you will find a quaint and quiet area with some people just out for a walk on a beautiful day. There is a lot of privacy on this location and you will hardly ever be fighting people for a hurried chance at a premier photo location. It’s just so dang peaceful.
Parking.
Parking is very informal and involves pulling over on a sandy shoulder of the main road in front of the access road. But hey, at least it’s free, right?
Fun facts about the Quittacas Water Treatment Plant.
“In 1863 the City of New Bedford had enacted the Acts of 1863, which authorized the taking and holding and conveyance by steam or other power to, into and through the City by suitable aqueducts, or pipes, from the waters of the Acushnet River.
On November 28, 1864 the Last Will and Testimony of Sylvia Ann Howland bequeathed to the City of New Bedford the sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars to introduce water into the City of New Bedford. At the time she also bequeathed One Hundred Thousand dollars to the City for the enlargement of the Free Public Library.
The City of New Bedford’s Water Supply is derived from five ponds located in Lakeville and Rochester, MA. The ponds are: Assawampsett Pond, Great Quittacas Pond, Long Pond, Pocksha Pond and Little Quittacas Pond.
There are 12,352 acres of watershed owned by the City of New Bedford around the ponds. The City takes pride in its pristine care of this watershed, and in 2004 contracted with a Forester to groom and maintain the forest surrounding the Great Watershed. In 2003 the City invested an additional $600,000 to purchase a parcel of land near Betty’s Neck adding a number of acres it currently owns.
The treatment plant, located on Little Quittacas Pond is capable of treating 45,000,000 gallons of water daily. The water is pumped, treated and distributed into the 283.4 miles of distribution pipes. The storage capacity at the High Hill Reservoir is 67,000,000 gallons. The capacity at the Hathaway Road elevated tank is 300,000 gallons.”
Historical information provided by, newbedford-ma.gov.
For additional location options, check out the blog I wrote with a list of my top photoshoot locations in New England.
