May 6, 2020 submitted by Aquarion Water Company
As the weather warms and people are looking for more places to practice social distancing, but still enjoy outdoor activities, some have turned to various forms of boating, including kayaking and canoeing on many of the freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers in the area.
Aquarion Water Company would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that Accord Pond is a public drinking water supply which provides nearly 15 percent of the water for our customers and residents of Hingham, Hull and North Cohasset and recreational activities are not permitted on or around Accord Pond.
Aquarion has a history of managing and protecting several water supply resources in the community of Hingham to ensure the ability to supply a reliable source of public water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and fire protection. Of the many water supply resources under Aquarion’s environmental stewardship, Accord Pond remains one of its major sources of supply.
“Like the majority of public water supply sources in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Accord Pond is a protected resource and as such, swimming, fishing and boating is strictly prohibited,” said Steve Olson, Director of Operations for Aquarion Water Company, Massachusetts. “There are both Town by-laws and State drinking water regulations that are in place to protect this precious and valuable natural resource”
While Accord Pond is off-limits, there are a number of places to Canoe and Kayak across the South Shore. Click here to learn more: http://southshoretrails.com/kayak/
Olson notes there are signs posted around Accord Pond letting people know that recreational uses are forbidden. “Any recreational use or contact with the water is a potential threat to water quality. The public should not be in the water, on the water, or fishing in the water.”
Olson recommended that if anyone sees somebody trespassing on or around the water body that they should call Aquarion’s customer service department at 800-732-9678 or notify authorities in any of the three towns’ that Accord Pond is located in – Hingham, Rockland or Norwell.