# Infrastructure in Boston

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This article is about Boston's utility infrastructure. For transport infrastructure, see [Transport in Boston](/source/Transport_in_Boston).

Below is information on the utility [infrastructure](/source/Infrastructure) in the city of [Boston](/source/Boston), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts).

## Electricity

[Eversource Energy](/source/Eversource_Energy) is the exclusive electricity distributor to the city, though due to deregulation, customers have a choice of electric generation companies. Natural gas is distributed by [National Grid plc](/source/National_Grid_plc) (originally [KeySpan](/source/KeySpan), the successor company to Boston Gas); only commercial and industrial customers may choose an alternate natural gas supplier.[1]

## Steam heating

Municipal [steam services](/source/District_heating) are provided by [Vicinity Energy](/source/Vicinity_Energy), a spinoff of Veolia North America and its subsidiary Trigen Energy Corporation;[2][3] which comprise the original assets of the defunct Boston Heating Company.[4][5]

## Telecommunications

[Verizon](/source/Verizon_Communications), successor to [New England Telephone](/source/New_England_Telephone_and_Telegraph_Company), [NYNEX](/source/NYNEX), Bell Atlantic, and earlier, the [Bell System](/source/Bell_System), is the primary wired telephone service provider for the area. Phone service is also available from various [national wireless companies](/source/List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers). Cable television is available from [Comcast](/source/Comcast) and [RCN](/source/RCN_Corporation), with [broadband Internet access](/source/Broadband_Internet_access) provided by the same companies in certain areas. A variety of [DSL](/source/Digital_subscriber_line) providers and resellers are able to provide broadband Internet over Verizon-owned phone lines.[6]

An independent [Boston Internet Exchange](/source/Boston_Internet_Exchange) is also located in Boston's financial distract on Summer Street.

## Water

Water supply and sewage-disposal services are provided by the [Boston Water and Sewer Commission](/source/Boston_Water_and_Sewer_Commission).[7] The Commission in turn purchases wholesale water and sewage disposal from the [Massachusetts Water Resources Authority](/source/Massachusetts_Water_Resources_Authority). The city's water comes from the [Quabbin Reservoir](/source/Quabbin_Reservoir) and the [Wachusett Reservoir](/source/Wachusett_Reservoir), which are about 65 miles (105 km) and 35 miles (56 km) west of the city respectively.[8] Boston is one of five cities in the country with tap water pure enough to be exempt from [Environmental Protection Agency](/source/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency) filtration requirements.[9]

## References

1. ["Massachusetts News and Analysis"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091201103608/http://neaap.ncat.org/news/manews3.htm). US Department of Health and Human Services – National Energy Affordability and Accessibility Project. September 2003. Archived from [the original](http://neaap.ncat.org/news/manews3.htm) on December 1, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2007.

1. ["Menino urges pols to pass steam bill – Local & Regional"](https://archive.today/20120703135218/http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1012294). Archived from [the original](http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1012294) on July 3, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2007.

1. ["After New York explosion, Menino pushes to regulate steam – Local News Updates – The Boston Globe"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070823051159/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/07/after_new_york.html). July 19, 2007. Archived from [the original](http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/07/after_new_york.html) on August 23, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2007.

1. ["Trigen Energy Corporation"](https://web.archive.org/web/19970209165722/http://www.energy.rochester.edu/trigen/). Energy.rochester.edu. Archived from [the original](http://www.energy.rochester.edu/trigen/) on February 9, 1997. Retrieved May 13, 2010.

1. ["Theodore Newton Vail and the Boston Heating Company, 1886–1890"](https://web.archive.org/web/19980213123846/http://www.energy.rochester.edu/us/ma/boston/bhc/). Energy.rochester.edu. Archived from [the original](http://www.energy.rochester.edu/us/ma/boston/bhc/) on February 13, 1998. Retrieved May 13, 2010.

1. ["Boston Utilities"](http://www.bostoncentral.com/towns/boston/utilities.php). Boston Central. 2004. Retrieved April 28, 2007.

1. ["Background"](http://www.bwsc.org/tab_menus/6frameset1.htm). Boston Water and Sewer Commission. 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070221004901/http://www.bwsc.org/tab_menus/6frameset1.htm) February 21, 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 28, 2007.

1. "Your Drinking Water: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, 2006 Drinking Water Report". Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. June 19, 2007.

1. ["Pure Water Right on Tap"](http://www.flynote.com/n/3/603/whalerider/water.aspx). Retrieved June 7, 2011.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Infrastructure in Boston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure_in_Boston) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure_in_Boston?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.