Because of urban sprawl, the formerly isolated water supplies of many municipalities are now exposed to transportation-related hazardous material spills. This study uses the water supply in Worcester, Massachusetts, as a model to identify factors associated with the risk of a transportationrelated hazardous spill and to assess the current response to a spill. Business and industry within the watershed were surveyed to determine the most probable types of hazardous materials being transported. Local police records were used to identify sites with a high frequency of accidents. Local officials were surveyed to determine the probable response to a spill. It is concluded that governmental infrastructure problems may prevent an adequate response in those sections of the watershed outside the municipal boundaries. Recommendations are made to eliminate some of these deficiencies.

During the past quarter century urban populations have shifted into the suburbs and even more distant rural areas. Improved highway access, including construction of the Interstate highway system, has played a most important role in this decentralization. The ease of access to suburban and rural environments is often an important factor in siting new industries there.