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Danvers bans all outdoor water use due to low river flow
The town enacted its highest level of water restrictions.
Town officials in Danvers banned all outdoor water use on Tuesday, citing low flow in the Ipswich River and insufficient seasonal rainfall.
The town enacted Level 6 water restrictions, described as being for “extreme drought conditions.” This is the highest level of water restrictions the town has.
Under the restriction, no outdoor water use is allowed at any time. This includes the use of sprinklers, irrigation systems, hand watering with hoses or cans, the filling of swimming pools, and the washing of cars.
Those who violate the restriction will receive a warning letter for the first offense, and subsequent violations could result in $300 fines, the town said.
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“We appreciate the cooperation of all residents during this period,” the town said in the announcement.
The town was put under Level 5 water restrictions on July 6, which disallowed all outdoor water use aside from hand watering of lawns and gardens.
Danvers is far from the only Massachusetts municipality implementing water bans. Last week, State House News Service reported that of the 345 water management systems in the state, 168 have water restrictions in place.
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Despite recent storms, the drought in Massachusetts has continued.
According to the National Weather Service, most counties in Massachusetts have gotten less than 75% of normal rainfall this summer, and some have seen less than half.
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The drought has greatly impacted the state, causing smaller than normal crops, low river flows, and dozens of wildfires. In the first three weeks of August, the state saw nearly 100 wildfires, state officials said last week. Some of the larger wildfires are still burning.
The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) announced on Aug. 9 that four of the seven drought regions in Massachusetts are in a “critical drought.”
This is just one level shy of the most severe of the five drought levels, called “emergency drought.” The EEA has not yet categorized any of the regions in the state as being in emergency drought.
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